Week 8 Growth Mindset

Thinking back on growth mindset it seems I myself have fallen into some of the "bad" dimensions. My biggest problem is doing things at the last minute. Starting this class a small part of me thought that I "wasn't good" at writing, but I've come to find out the more time a set aside to focus on a project the better it is. So moving forward in this class I need to sit down and figure out what days I have the most free time and do these projects during that time. I am also open to any feedback you guys have on thing that you think I could improve on!

(procrastination meme: imgflip)

Outside of this class I also struggle a little bit with time management but I'm always thinking about the end goal. Until recently I haven't had the best support system so I definitely had to motivate myself to keep moving forward and reach my goals.

 Outside of school all together I ask a lot of questions sometimes I feel like I might be annoying people because I ask so many. I think asking questions is how I get better though, at what ever job it is that I am doing. I am always up for learning new things, but being confident in what I'm doing takes a little while for me.

Week 8 Reflection

My reading notes have truly helped me every week write my stories. I never knew about the "reading like a writer" method until this class, but I've found it to be extremely helpful in story writing. I've enjoyed the stories I've read so far. While the stories have been a new and different topic for me, it has been a fun experience. I am struggling though to find a good time to do my readings, so that is something I need to work on. Moving forward I think I want to read various topics including stories that focus on women, children literature, and graphic novels.

I am proud of the stories I've written so far. I previously found out that I really do not enjoy technical writing so it's been surprising seeing how much I enjoy this kind of writing! If I ever come to a block in my stories I go back to my reading notes. If they don't help me I go back and reread parts of the stories. I don't have much in my portfolio yet, but I am glad this is the option I chose. I think I just need to work more on giving my stories a solid ending.

In the next two months I hope to make my stories more creative. I have read some of my peers stories that I've lost myself in because they were so intriguing. I hope to develop writing that makes my readers feel like that. I haven't paid much attention to the comments people have left me. I think if I start taking those comments into consideration more than I have they'll help me out a lot.

(Dori: pinterest)

Storytelling: Who killed Bhimy?

(Ganges River)

Hi, my name is Menna. I solve people's problems for a living, I run towards danger, and most people don't like me. What am I you ask? Well I'm a detective of course! After a long hard case I decided I deserved a break, I didn't want to be around people, so I thought why not go to India? For real though, I've read about this river called the Ganges where mysteriously magical things happened and I was dying to see it for myself.  Once I got to India I went directly to the river. Water always had this weird sense of calming for me. I think it was because when I was younger my family’s house was next to a river. I always fell asleep so easily to the crashing of the water on the rocks on the bank.

Usually when I took a walk near a river I had the same feeling as if I were meditating. Everything would become still, all noise blocked out - all that I focused on was my breathing. As you can imagine it was extremely hard finding something so calming for myself, being the crazy thrill-seeking detective I am. Tonight, though, something was different. Things felt unbalanced, disturbed, like an accident had happened.

As I continued my walk I considered I was being watched or something, because I was stressed out more than I was usually around water. At that moment, I saw something in the river that didn't look normal. IT WAS A PERSON! They seemed to be wearing some sort of gown, as if they were royalty. I quickly jumped in to rescue the person, hoping they were still alive. When I jumped in to help I was instantly in pain! I had jumped into an apparent feast for the snakes of the Ganges river, called nagas. While some of them were biting me, they were attacking this other person like they had not eaten in days. I had to draw the nagas away from the other person somehow; I decided to distract them by swimming away. Thankfully the nagas left the other person and chased me. Just as I started losing all strength to fight them someone pulled me out of the river.

The person that pulled me out of the river was Bhimy, one of the King's daughters! Immediately she thanked me for saving her while I’m confused thinking I should be the one thanking her. As I looked at the river it then dawned on me that she was the person originally in the river that I jumped in to help! How she had survived that vicious attack from the nagas I still do not know. I asked her how she ended up in the river but she couldn't remember. In lieu of recent events, I thought it was the least I could do to help figure out what had happened to her. After all I was a detective!

It seemed the more we talked about how she got in the river the more she started to remember. She said she was at her castle eating dinner with her family when her cousin Duryan wanted to talk to her outside. Bhimy then said, “When I went outside to talk to my cousin, Duryan, he had two glasses of wine. We both drank the wine while we talked. That’s the last thing I can remember.” At that moment, I knew this cousin Duryan had put poison in her drink.

“Why would Duryan want to hurt you?” I asked. Bhimy replied, “You think he's responsible for me being thrown in the Ganges? My sisters and I are next heirs to the throne, but he would never hurt us for that. However, he has implied he doesn’t think women are fit to be rulers.” I didn't even have to say anything after that. Bhimy realized I was right and Duryan was responsible for what happened to her.

The detective in me craved to have Duryan pay for his actions. As you can guess Bhimy agreed with me and wanted to help. Much to my surprise, I then watched as Bhimy talked to the animals near the Ganges. Apparently, some royal family members had powers and that was a power she had. The animals were eager to help Bhimy take down Duryan, but they didn’t give specific details as to how they would help. All they said was they had witnessed him do terrible things to people too many times near the Ganges, and they couldn’t stand it any longer. I thought it would beneficial to take Duryan down with the element of surprise. He thought that Bhimy was dead, so on his next visit to the Ganges I thought it'd be nice if Bhimy paid him a visit.

We were all in our places, the animals and I hidden behind some bushes and Bhimy on a tree branch ready to jump down. When Duryan made his way to the Ganges just as the animals had predicted, Bhimy jumped down out of the tree right in front of her cousin. “What?! You’re supposed to be dead!” Duryan exclaimed. After the initial shock of seeing Princess Bhimy he then fiercely ran after Bhimy trying to choke and kill her! Before I could intervene the animals already had! All the birds, rabbits, deer, and any animal around were tackling him in efforts to get him off Bhimy. More and more animals joined in and they eventually overpowered and pushed Duryan into the Ganges. We all watched as the nagas feasted on him. Pretty ironic that he died the way he wanted Bhimy to die, isn’t it?

So my vacation wasn't a vacation. On the bright side, at least I helped save Princess Bhimy from whatever harm her cousin would have eventually caused her. 

~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Author's Note:

In the original story Bhimy was Bhima, a boy. Also, Duryan was Duryodhana in the original story, so while there was a name swap there wasn't a gender swap with this change. Duryodhana tries to kill Bhima because he is crazy jealous of him. Bhima survives with the help of the nagas and comes back with super strength powers. In my story, instead of gaining powers I had Bhimy have the power of talking to animals. Also instead of the nagas helping her survive the attack I had detective Menna help her.

The image I chose was of the Ganges river. I chose it because I think it helps the readers imagine the setting of the story better.

I was originally inspired to write this story after reading some of Professor Gibbs tips on story writing. I started it just wanted to do an investigation case over Bhima getting thrown into the Ganges river by Duryodhana. However, the more I wrote the more fun I had changing things- why Bhima is Bhimy in my story. I like the idea of giving the females in my stories the desire and assertiveness to not let being a female change how they are treated. 

Reading Notes: The Five Tall Sons of Pandu (A)

For my reading this week on another take of the Mahabharata I chose to read The Five Tall Sons of Pandu because it was a version without superpowers and the gods. That intrigued me because the PDE version I read largely incorporated multiple gods and magical powers/items.

It shocked me that in this version Draupadi was just the wife of Yudhishthira. I could do a story where Draupadi is only the wife for Arjuna or Bhima (since he was her most fierce protector)

                                                   

(Draupadi's swayarmvara)

I could do a story where Shishupala loves his cousin Krishna instead of hating him. No way he’d die then.

If Draupadi was just the wife of one of the brothers (not including Yudhishthira) I wonder what she would do during the gambling match when Yudhishthira gambles away his siblings?

I could do a story where Yudhishthira and the brothers get exiled for some other reason that the gambling match, maybe he breaks a really important law or something?

I wonder why the gandharvas are in this version? I thought they spiritual/magical beings like the gods?

It’d be a nice twist on the story if when the Pandavas save Duryodhana in the forest from the gandharvas he uses that to make one of them think that he has changed. Then after a while he reveals that he hasn’t changed and kills that Pandavas brother.

It’d be so cool to write a story from the perspective of one of the Pandavas while they were living in exile in those “ordinary” occupations!

Bibliography-  Reading Guide: Wilson. The Five Tall Sons of Pandu.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata (D)

It’d be nice to see a story where Duryodhana listens to Bhishma and ends the war, but he just had to be difficult..

Abhimanyu is so brave it’d be a nice twist to see him live, or even cooler to see him kill Jayadratha as he enters the breach!

That’s so smart of Arjuna making Jayadratha’s head fly to his father and fall out of his lap so they both die. If this didn’t work or wasn’t thought of the story could have taken an entirely different turn..

Why does Kunti allow Karna to promise her he will only kill Arjuna? Why not make him promise to not kill any of his brothers?

I feel like a plan could have been made to where Ghatotkatcha could have killed Karna instead of just using him as bait to use up Karna’s lance. I wonder how Bhima felt when his son died?

Very clever trick to get Drona to lay down his arms…I wonder what would have happened if he realized that it was all a trick?

Maybe Arjuana should have killed Dhrishtadyumna because then he would have had an honorable death.

I loved reading that Bhima got revenge on Duhsasana for what he did to Draupadi! It’s interesting to me that Bhima fights for Draupadi the most when he was married to other women and had children with others.

If Karna had not lost his chariot I wonder if Arjuna would have still managed to kill him?

Every time I think of the word stubborn Duryodhana will definitely come to my mind!

That’s sad that Ashvatthama killed all of the children while asleep. What if the children rose up and fought against him as if they had all already been training to be warriors?

(mourning over lost children)

I’d like to make Draupadi rule the kingdom since her husband, Yudhishthira, won’t.

What if Dhritarashtra didn’t have a son? Or what if the child was a girl?

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Reading Notes: Mahabharata (C)

I think draupadi and all the brothers have the right to be mad at Yudhishthira!

It’d be interesting story line where someone notices that loaded dice were used in the gambling and that’s why Yudhishthira lost both times.

I wonder what it was like from the animals perspective when Bhima was going through the forest killing the animals just for amusement..

I don’t understand why Duryodhana’s jealousy/hatred for the Pandavas never lessened after all the bad stuff he did to them?

I wonder if the story would have changed any if the pandavas didn’t save duryodgana and the royal prisoners?

Indra should have just taken the earrings and armor instead of exchanging the arrow of death for it.

You would think with 5 husbands Draupadi would be safe but it seems like she is always in a bad situation. It’d be cool to give her some fighting powers.

                                    

(Bhima kills Kichaka)

I like this photo because it feels like one of the only times that the brothers have taken up for Draupadi.

Riddles at the Lake would be a good base story to teach about patience.

I feel like I've been waiting forever for this battle to happen. I'd like to write something with this much suspense!

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata (B)

• I think it'd be a good story line of what would happen if Bhima didn't defeat the rakshasa or if he didn't marry the sister and have the baby boy.
• Or what if the boy was beautiful like Bhima instead of monsterous looking like he was. Would Bhima have then demanded he and the wife not leave him? 
  

            (Ghatotkacha: Bhima's son)

• It'd be cool to give Kunti powers like Bhima. She is such a good character I'd like to see them join forces and do good together.
• The story of Draupadi's previous life as Nalayni is very interesting to me. When the god told her that she'd get five husbands and that she was basically a prostitute, I wonder if it was to punish her or if he was simply just granting her wishes?
• I wonder what Queen Kunti thought of her 5 sons all being married to the same woman?
• I'm surprised that Vidura didn't kill prince duryodhana back when he realized that the prince had planned to burn all the pandava's and their mother alive.
• I don't like how Draupadi is not given a voice. I'd like to hear a story where she voices her opinion and is more in command.
• The water nymps should have given Arjuna some kind of gift for returning them all to their natural form
• So Arjuna got married to another woman while in exile and had 4 kids with different women...seems pretty scandalous to me...
• Palace of Illusions seems like a good read!

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata