Week 8 Famous Last Words

Lately, I have been receiving some really encouraging feedback about my writing. I really never considered myself to be an author, and yet I'm feeling more and more confident each week that it could be something I'm good at. But when I really think about it, I enjoy editing far more than I do writing. It's really got me thinking that I could do editing professionally some day. I just don't know what exactly makes a good editor. I've been thinking about offering my editing services to students on campus for papers and things like that. I used to have my mom and sister edit my papers all the time because the writing center was inconvenient or always booked up. Maybe I could be that second set of eyes for other students!

I realized this week that I'll probably be moving to Dallas in a month or two. I've been staying with my mom for the past month while working, and it's been a little crazy having to sleep in her office. I thought I'd be able to work remotely from OKC but it just makes the most sense to move to Dallas, since that's where my job's office is. So here I go again! I've only been in this OKC apartment for 2 months and I'm going to have to move again. Ugh...I hate packing.

This weekend I attended the second annual Sooner Mosaic. For those of you who have never heard of it, it's a social justice symposium that the OU Women's Outreach Center puts on every year. Student speakers present different social justice issues and talk about their research on whatever subject they're passionate about. It's a really amazing event that we have on campus that I don't think is widely advertised. They do it every March, so you should try your best to make it next year! I attended "Is Sexual Objectification a Legitimizing Myth?", "Deconstructing Racism", "Natives and the Academy", and "Minorities in For-Profit Higher Education". It was hard to choose just these four workshops, as there were many others to choose from. If any of these sound interesting to you, I'd be happy to tell you more about them!

Today I was happy to take a trip to the OKC Library and check out a few new books. My next choice is going to be "A Tale of Two Cities", which I regrettably have never read. I have always been a fan of classic literature, and try my best to read the older stuff. It's a great insight into how humanity and culture has progressed (or hasn't).

I'm also really excited because this week I bought tickets for my sisters and me to go see Mumford and Sons perform in Colorado in August! They are continuing their Gentlemen of the Road tour (which they brought to Guthrie, OK a few years ago). I went to the festival when they were here and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I am excited to see them perform again and be able to share it with my sisters!

Crowd at "Gentlemen of the Road" tour in Guthrie, OK. (Source)

Comment Review Week

I enjoy reading the introductions blog posts and then moving on to their storytelling blog. It helps me get a feel of who they are and why they write the way they do. When commenting on people's stories, I always like to give spelling and grammar edits separately. That has to be the number one detriment to the flow of story. When the word choice is wrong or the phrasing is awkward, it throws everything off for me. So, I like to start off with that. Then I move on to the story as a whole: parts that I like and don't like. Whether the requirement is a short or long comment, I pretty much try and go into detail either way.

The easiest part about commenting, like I said, is pointing out any grammar or structure issues. The hardest part is pinpointing where the story needs improvement. Sometimes I will read a story and be generally unimpressed with it, but it is hard to figure out what about it could be improved. Actually figuring out what about the story I didn't like can be difficult. When you're reading something, and it's not bad but not necessarily good, how do you figure out where to improve?

Although the commenting is a great way to hear what people think about my stories, it doesn't quite create the same connection or discussion that you might get in a classroom. I'm not sure how to remedy this. I thought maybe using a chat-room type deal, but it would be difficult to coordinate times between everyone. There just needs to be more back and forth between the students. Usually after leaving a comment, you don't hear anymore from the person.

In lieu of recent news about the Department of Justice's investigation of the Ferguson case, this seemed appropriate. (Source)

Writing Review Week

As much as I really enjoy reading, being able to write creatively has been my favorite part of the class, by far. When I was younger, I wanted to be an author. I used to think of stories, but only in their climax. I never had the patience to build the rest of the story. So even though I loved the idea of writing, I pretty much gave it up after the fourth grade. But I've really enjoyed the chance to retell stories in my own way. I was never able to come up with my own ideas for stories. This way, I get to still write and I don't feel as though it's any less of a skill! The stories have my own spin to them.

The best stories, I think, come from being interested in what you're writing about. That being said, you should pick a storytelling topic based on what piques your interest. Whether something made you laugh or made you want more, use that to make it how you want. This is basically like glorified fan fiction! We can tell the stories in our own way, so that they turn out how we would want them to.

I really appreciate being able to hear everyone's feedback, but so far the comments have all been really nice. Which, of course, makes me happy and flattered. But some constructive criticism would be nice, too! Often times we're afraid to tell the truth because we don't want to hurt people's feelings. But I would really enjoy hearing both the strong and the weak points of my writing. Even if you liked it as it was, was there a point that could have used more dialogue? More detail? Sometimes I think I don't work as hard at my stories as I should, and I'd like to know how I can improve them more!

The most rewarding part of writing so far has been having people tell me that I took the story and changed it in a way that they never imagined possible. If I can evoke emotion somehow, good or bad, then I feel like I've done a decent job. While writing can be an outlet for the author, I think it should also be enjoyable for the reader!

A beautiful forest. (Source)

 

This picture above was used for my Week 2 storytelling post, "The Girl of the Forest". It is one of my favorite that I've used in my posts, by far. I really lucked out in finding it, because I think it perfectly depicts the Eden-like forest that Soorpanaka loves so dearly. It can be frustrating trying to find a picture that is labeled for reuse. So many good ones don't have any indication of whether they can be used or not! But, again, this picture was just what I wanted.

Reading Review Week

When the class began, I was really excited to read Narayan's Ramayana just so I could hear the story. And his version was perfect for that because it was short and sweet and to the point. By the time I had finished that and moved on to Buck's version, it was more difficult to stay focused since I already knew the story. Granted, Buck has such a different and more detailed writing style, one that I really enjoyed. His version gave the characters and stories a new life. But when it came to deciding whether or not to finish Buck's version or move on to the UnTextbook, it was an easy choice for me. The stories in the UnTextbook have been so fun to read. I never knew there could be so many different tales and fables! I do appreciate when the stories are a little longer and more developed, rather than the stories that are just a paragraph or two.

The strategy I utilize when writing my reading diaries has taken the form of a sort of commentary. I note when I like characters or certain stories (per the suggestions of past students), but I like to also include my thoughts on it. Did that part surprise me? How would I have made it different? Did it remind me of something else I've read or seen? It may not always be a full thought, but it's useful when going back for storytelling ideas. Usually I know I want to re-tell a story as soon as I read it, and I'll note that when I can.

I can tell that a lot of thought has been put into finding these stories and the different versions of the epics we've read. I really appreciate that! I also like that we can have options for what to read and write stories about. I suppose one interesting thing that could be added to the course readings is media. Since many of these stories are infamous, it would be cool to compare and contrast them with video adaptations of them. Have any of them been made into films or TV shows?

Ravana kidnapping Sita (Source)

I used the above picture in my Week 2 Reading Diary when we were reading Narayan's Ramayana. Even though it's probably insanely overused in this class, it is one of my favorites I've seen so far. The movement is real and it's exactly how I would depict Sita's abduction. I love that Sita's face is hidden but Ravana's is exposed, and smiling. It truly shows their characters' personalities.