Week 8 Reading and Writing

Overall, how well are the reading and writing assignments working for you?

The reading is going pretty well.  I had a hard time keeping up with The Mahabharata.  There were a lot of main character names I had to re-read to make sure I had everyone straight.  The supporting characters had names that sounded similar to each other, so I had a hard time keeping them straight as well.   I checked out The Gita comic from Bizzell and the illustrations helped me get everyone straight.  

Are you happy with your blog? With your project website?

I spent about an hour going through comments and adjusting my website.  I am happier with the website, but I still have things I need to add or adjust.  

Are you satisfied with how the writing is going for your project? How about your story posts?

I'm enjoying the writing, but I'm nervous about it, too.  We're supposed to be making a portfolio and my writing is becoming a chapter book!  I feel like I'm relying too heavily on Greek mythology to get my story across, but I'm trying to create a sturdy transition from Greek to Indian. Once I get my base story down, I can go back and dig into Icarus's journey to India and use it to retell some of the stories I've started to research in the library.   

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment(s) in your writing for this class?

Getting Icarus off the freaking island!  

What has been your favorite reading so far?
I liked the Ancestors of Rama comic book.  I like backstories and seeing how stories flow into each other.  I was hoping to get some insight into how Jatayu knew Dasaratha, but I think I have some ideas of how I can write those two together if I can't find a story about their meeting.  

Are your reading notes helping you each week with your story post? 

Since I'm going way left-field with my project, yes and no.  Yes, the Ramayana notes I took are very helpful in keeping my storyline straight as I read other texts. I found a few ideas in the Mahabharata that I need to do a Wikipedia trail on.  No, because the Mahabharata is post- Ramayana, and there's not a lot I found to help me with my storyline.  However, the reading notes for the Mahabharata have helped me make it through the book without being completely lost.

Pick a favorite image from a previous Reading Notes or story post or from your project to include in the blog post, and write a few words about why you chose this image.

(Image Information: Rapunzel of India by Julia Jacob.)

My favorite image is "Rapunzel of India" by Julia Jacob.  Through her site, I was able to buy her a cup of coffee (the same price that I would pay a professional site to use a copyrighted image) and connect with her to let her know that I had made an Artist Spotlight on one of my posts.  She responded and was very sweet.  I started following her work on social media.  

Look forward. Is there anything you want/need to do in order to get more out of the reading and writing experiences in this class?

I need to schedule more time at Bizzell.  I enjoyed the comics I've read so far and I still have several listed that I need to check out to help me orient some of my stories.