I think I have been making good choices for the reading so far; I have picked topics that interest me, but there have been a few stories that frustrate me. However, this frustration is also a tool I can use to motivate myself to write the stories differently. My favorite reading was the Japanese Mythologies. They were not realistic in characters, but the lessons they taught were interesting and, in the end, karma/justice always won. I usually read on Tuesday's in the morning for the Monday grace period and then the Tuesday readings.
I usually pick out themes from the stories I chose and then base my story on those themes I see in the readings. My reading notes usually help me identify what those themes are and I can usually transition into writing a story.
Week 9 to 10
- Pacific Northwest: Pacific Northwest stories with a focus on the tribes of Oregon and Washington
- Inuit (Eskimo):Tales of shamans, ghosts, and other supernatural beings.
OR Marriage Tales: Tales of animals brides, animals husbands, and a Zuni Cinderella legend.
Week 11 to 12
- King Arthur: Stories of Arthur along wit tales of his knights and their quest for the Holy Grail.
- Celtic Tales: Fairies, leprechauns, ghosts and goblins, along with a Celtic version of "Snow White."
Week 13 to 14
- Russian: Russian tales of princess, heroes, witches, warlocks, ghosts, vampires and more.
- Heptameron: Renaissance love and gossip as told by Margaret, the Queen of Navarre.
2. Writing
The stories I have written are: Mother Earth, Sunflower, Wolves, Patience and False. From least proud to greatest proud: Wolves, False, Patience, Mother Earth and Sunflower. I have written short stories before this class, and I know I focus less on dialogue and more on the descriptions/third person point of view because I think it provides a lot of opportunity for me as a writer. If I have any issues I listen to music, I can get out of my writer's block if I have music that fits the tone of what I want my story to be.
I want to try to write first person, but it is really difficult for me because I believe if a character is in first person its harder to relate to the character. Because when the story starts with "I had to get away." or "I made a specific decision" and it goes against what I would have done as a reader - it destroys the illusion that I am in the story.
I want to find a way where I can keep the illusion with first person, so that is my goal for a writing piece.
3. Connecting
I admire people who can creatively get me invested in the story, or a person who has good storytelling skills. Personally, I have only found two people who have done that; to does this I think the writer needs to make the story realistic in setting and dialogue and does not simple retell the story they read. I have not openly criticized them in the comments, because despite some not-so-decent storytelling they are trying (hopefully) and that is the credit I will give them. I am not saying I am better at writing or storytelling because I have my own issues in my writing.
(Writer's Block Soap from WebSource)
I agree with what you said in the "Connecting" section. I know there are a lot of people who don't do much with the story posts, but at the same time, I figure they might not be as invested in it if writing isn't already a hobby of theirs. I do think it's interesting to see what everyone chooses to write about, regardless of skill level--it feels like you can learn a lot about someone based on the kind of stories they like to read and then retell.
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