Sunday, January 31, 2016

Week 2: Review

My Favorite Thing From The Current Announcement:
(Image from: Laura)
Why It's My Favorite:
I love learning about Mythology. I was not familiar with the Classical Myth of Hyacinth, and it was a neat but tragic little tale. One of Apolo's human lovers gets turned into a flower when she dies. The flower is what we know as a hyacinth.

Inspiration for the Upcoming Week:
(Image from: Dimitria)
Sometimes progress is not measured in not leaps and bounds, but by moving slowly, inch by inch. Afterall it was the tortoise who beat the hare in the end!

My Goal for the Upcoming Week:
Continue to tackle procrastination! So, I will do Tuesday's work on Monday, and so on.

(NEW Addition) Writing Tips:
Final Thoughts:
Let's have next week be great, not get tripped up over mistakes, and try to be POSITIVE! (There is far too much negativity in this world!)

Week 2: Famous Last Words

My Reading: 
This week I haven't had much to sit and read (the materials for any of my classes, and ALL of my classes require reading!)

What I Read This Week: 
-Ramayana (for this class)
-Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (for 19th Century Novel)
-The Girl on the Train by: Paula Hawkins (for Professional Writing Reading Practicum)
-The Inferno by: Dante Alighieri (for The World of Dante)

As I said, I didn't have much time to actually sit down and read them, so I listed to all of these via my Kindle which has a Text to Speech feature! It made my life so much easier. It goes free with kindle books, so I don't have to buy the actual book and the audio book. I'll probably be doing that a lot this semester due to the immense amount of stuff I have to read.

My Writing: 
I was really proud of my story from this week. I love having the opportunity to write short stories in this class, and to take a break from the novel that I'm writing with these short stories.

Other People's Writing:
A good reminder to vary paragraph lengths!

Outside of School:
I've been focusing on my health via back to healthy eating and exercising almost every day! I guess the suggestion is 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Additionally I've been trying to drink a good amount of water. I think that health (dietary and fitness) ties in well with education. I think a healthy body fascinates a healthy mind, and therefore wakes up the brain, allowing for creativity and knowledge!

If only health were as easy as pushing a button...
(Image from: GotCredit)

Tech Tip: Embed a Pinterest Board

First I made a Pinterest Board for this class, starting with images related to Ramayana, and then I embedded the board into my Introduction!

(My Pinterest Board embedded in my Introduction.)

I also embedded it here:




Learning Challenges: Happiness Jar

The Happiness Jar is a jar where your write down on a slip of paper every time something that made you happy happens and you put this slip of paper into the jar!

I have made my Happiness Jar today and started to fill it with happy memories from this year so far.

My Happiness Jar (filled and surrounded by things that make me happy!)

I look forward to filling it with more memories and see how these sunny memories helps me on a day when I'm feeling blue!

Storybook Topics

Topic #1: Rakshasa (or Demons!)
(Image from: SIDwms)

I have chosen several supernatural creatures from Indian (Hindu) mythology for my Storybook ideas. But the creature that has interested me the most are the Rakshasa, which are essentially demons. I like these demons because they are a lot like vampires. They are basically a hybrid of vampires and demons. So, in my Storybook I will borrow from Hindu lore, but I'm going to give Rakshasa and Rakshasi a modern twist. I'll put them in a Young Adult concept in the modern world, similar to the Rakshasi I have created in this story.


Where? There is a lot of Rakshasa lore in the PDE of Ramayana as well as here.


Topic #2: Yaksha Yaksha are nature-spirits who take care of the trees, who are usually benevolent creatures. They are a nature fairy of sorts. There is a darker version of them, however, which is a ghost-like creature called Bhuta. These creatures haunt the wilderness. Additionally, there is Kubera, King of the Yakshas. I like this creature because of the many facets of them, they would be great sources for stories. I could focus on the ones that are like fairies as the protagonists and have the ones that are like ghosts as the antagonists of the stories, but I could also have stories with the point of view of the bhutas.


Where? Kalidasa's poem Meghaduta.


Topic #3: VetalaI came across another supernatural creature of interest, the Vetala. They are referred to as vampires and also as Goblins.  This is a ghost-like creature who inhabits a dead body (hence the tie to vampirism.) I like this creature as a source for stories because of the similarity to vampires, so I could easy make the stories about vampire!


Where? Here is a story featuring them.


Topic #4: Danavas and AsurasDanavas are interesting supernatural creatures as well. They can shape shift into different forms and use magic using the elements, like wind and fire. 


Where? Here is some information about the mythology of Danavas and Asuras.


Extra notes: Since the genre that I write in is Young Adult Fantasy (Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance) I will give all of these topics a YA spin to them. I will humanize whichever creature I use, but I will keep some elements from their mythology, to tie them into their sources. Right now I am a very much leaning towards the Rakshasa or the Yaksha!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Week 2 Storytelling: I Got Your Heart, You Got Bullet Holes


(Image from: Pixabay)

"I Got Your Heart, You Got Bullet Holes"

I grabbed a candy bar as soon as I saw the clerk behind the counter turn around. It was a brief moment, but brief enough for me.

It was winter, and really all Colt and I needed was a new lighter, but I had grabbed the first thing I found. I mean, that's how it is.

Beggars can't be choosers, right?

But as I slipped it into my over-sized purse, the clerk shouted, "Hey! Put that back!"

I staggered back in shock. I never got caught.

I had two options: return the candy bar or run like hell away.

I chose the latter, and I ran out of the gas station, the clerk yelling behind me. He chased me only as long until I darted in and out and between alleyways, until finally he lost me.

I walked back to my alley, our alley, our home.

"Bullet, you look like you've been..." Colt started to say.

"Caught," I said like an exhale. I was out of breath.

"Damn, so Ragnarok's coming, yeah?" He joked, with playfully wide eyes. He lifted a hand to the sky shouted, "Hail Odin! Hail Thor! Save us from sheer destruction."

"Well Ragnarok will bring destruction and then rebirth of the world any way, so..." I shook my head. This was one of many things we liked to discuss. When we weren't in our alley, we spent our time in the Public Library, which always felt like a second home. "Never mind."

I sat on a lumpy pillow in the ally way. The wind felt like icicles stabbing through my leather jacket and black jeans. We needed a lighter, we needed a fire.

He sat next to me, shivering. "So, no lighter?"

I groaned. "No."

"Well, you know...we could get naked and that would--"

"Just stop while you're ahead, Colt," I said, laughing. It was just the other day that we admitted to eachother that we loved one another, but there was still an awkward tension.

We hadn't kissed since that day.

"If only I could just snap my fingers and make fire." Messing around, I snapped my fingers, but then in between my finger and thumb, in fact, was a spark of fire.

"What the...?" Colt whispered.

"What the hell was that?" I finished his sentence.

"I don't know," Colt said. "But do it again."

With childish curiosity I snapped my fingers once more, and it worked!

"I don't know how you're doing that, but I'm not going to question it too much," he said. "We need fire."

Colt gathered newspapers and cardboard, placing them in the middle of the alleyway, and I set it ablaze.

He scooted closer to me, the fire radiated heat onto me, but I could also feel his warmth like a hot coal along my skin and into my heart. It felt like there was a fire coming from within me.

I looked at him, his messy tangles of bottle-dyed black hair falling in front of his eyes. My eyes flickered from his lips, but then to his neck.

Through his pale skin I could see his blue veins, and I excitedly thought of the red blood within. I felt myself leaning closer to him.

I could smell the metallic of his blood, and the sweetness of his flesh. I bent down, and Colt looked into my eyes expectedly, probably expecting a kiss, I'm sure. But I lowered my mouth to his neck.

"Bite him, drink him, eat him," a deep voice whispered, and it seemed to be coming from my mind.

My body was moving automatically, almost instructively as I leaned into his neck, and I sunk my teeth into his skin. I broke the skin, and blood filled my mouth.

Colt cried out and pushed me. He broke me from my stupor and I scooted away from him.

"Bullet?What the hell was that?" Colt demanded.

"I don't know!" I cried out, but my eyes watched the blood drip from his neck, and the bite-shaped flesh that hung loosely.

"What happened to your teeth?" He stood up, and stepped back, in what I could only assume was fear. "And your eyes!"

My heart was hammering against my ribs, my blood rushed in my ears. "What do you mean?"

"They're, they're..." Colt stammered.

"They're what?" I screamed.

"Sharp and pointed!" He said, and backed further away from me.

To my horror I felt my teeth, and each one felt sharp and pointed, almost like shark teeth. "And my eyes?"

"They're bright red," he said. "And..."

"And what?" I yelled.

"You have horns!"

"What?" I whispered, and felt two long, curled, sharp horns on top of my head. "What's wrong with me?"

I looked down and my outfit had even changed from my leather jacket and jeans into a tight leather corseted dress. It was skimpy, but the strange heat still radiated from within me.
(Image of Bullet's transformation from: Sasha

"Nothing wrong..." The same voice from earlier whispered. "You are awakening..."

Suddenly a figure appeared before me. He had bright red eyes, dark tanned skin, and like me: a set of sharp teeth. He wore a loose black shirt, and tight black pants. He had long, flowing, wavy black hair. In his hair were two long, black, curled horns.

"Hello, my kin," he said.

"Who are you?" I screamed.

"I am a Rakshasa," he said with a wink. "And as are you, Rakshasi."

Author's Note
First of all this is not the only story with Colt and Bullet! If you liked them, read my story from Week 1, "Colt Collides with Bullet"!

This week I read Part A and B of the Public Domain Edition of Ramayana. I was completely enthralled by the Rakshasa, since they are basically demons and I am interested in demons in any kind of mythology or lore.

However, the Rakshasa and Rakshasi in Ramayana are hideous creatures, and portrayed more as monsters. So, I wanted to humanize them. I also gave them more common characteristics of demons that we are more familiar with.

I write Young Adult Fantasy, so that is why I gave the Rakshasa a modern, Young Adult spin onto it!

I hope you enjoyed this story! I may be writing more about Colt and Bullet, and Bullet's new life as a Rakshasi.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Week 2 Reading Diary B: Ramayana (PDE)

PDE Ramayana Reading B:

(Image of Ravana)
1. Bharata Returns

2. Dasharatha's Funeral

3. Rama and Bharat
4. The Sandals
  • A magical pair of sandals.
  • Bark clothing
  • Going to a jungle
  • Garment of someone important signal authority

5. Anasuya

  • Hermits
  • Sages
  • A strange birth
  • "Robed and jeweled"
  • Rhyme scheme, lyrical, poetic

6. Viradha

  • Rakshasa, a demon whose appearance is much more different then in the Western world. (What about a story about the Rakshasas? Make them seem more humanize do but like vampires, since they want to drink the blood of humans. In this story the anti-hero would be the Rakshasa, and the enemy would be the hero (maybe Rama) who strives to kill the Rakshasa. This story will be YA and in our time period)

7. Agastya

  • Another sage, Agastya. He gives him weapons.
  • Given a sword and weapons he needs in the future. (The Q factor! Via James Scott Bell.)

8. Shurpanakha and Rama

  • Female Rakshasa, seems like an Succubus. Oh, okay. Nope, shes's like a zombie.
  • Human flesh is food of Rakshasa. (Zombie like. So they drink human blood, and eat human flesh.)

9. Lakshmana and Shurpanakh

  • Cutting off her nose 
  • Rakshasas hunting the hermits
  • An army of Rakshasas 

10. Battle with Khara

  • Eclipse
  • Hide in a cave as one battles. This has the girl in the cave and the man fighting. A story idea would be gender-bending this.) 
  • Blazing arrow

11. Shurpanakha and Ravana

  • Lord of Rakshasas.
  • Rama: An exiled youth as a hero.
  • "Who. Is. This. Rama?" 
  • Tranquil radiance in his (Rama's) eyes.
  • Scarred being wanting to scar a beautiful creature.
  • Even the Rakshasas was scared of the King.

12. Ravana and Maricha

  • Chariot
  • Another hermit 

13. The Golden Deer

  • Turning into a deer. (Shapeshifters, were-creatures.) 
  • Enchanted by a deer.

14. The Chase

  • The Rakshasa has disguised as a golden deer, using Rama's voice. 

15. Ravana and Sita

  • Ravana disguised As a sage of the forest (a Brahmin.) 
  • Everyone seems to want Sita.
  • Ravana wants to be her husband! 
  • The trope: villain wants the love interest of the hero.
  • Metaphor: Ravana is a jackal, Rama is a lion, Sita is a lioness. 
  • Ravana takes Sita.

16. Jatayu and Ravana

  • Jatayu, a mighty bird, fights against Ravana.
  • Like a trail of breadcrumbs, Sita drop her Jewelry.q

17. Sita in Lanka 

  • The demon King attempts to seduce her. (Very demon-like, and much like an incubus)
  • Money and power cannot buy you everything. 

18. Rama and Jatayu

  • Jatayu informs Rama as to what has happened.
  • The trail of jewelry is found. 
  • Going to the afterlife in a blazing chariot! 

19. Kabandha

  • Kabanda the Rakshasa. He wanted to be burned, and it got rid of his curse. 
  • Burning someone to rid them of a curse and return them to their original form. (Interesting concept!)  
  • The Rakshasa all look quite unique 

20. Shabari

  • Another hermit, awaiting Rama's arrival. 

Monday, January 25, 2016

Week 2 Reading Diary A: Ramayana (PDE)

PDE Ramayana Reading Part A:
(Image of Rama)
1. King Dasharata

  • Survansha is a mythological dynasty. (In other words, fiction akin to fantasy!)

2. Dasharata's Sons

  • Sages and saints are called rishi.
  • The Gods: Shiva and Vishnu.

3. Rama: Avatar of Vishnu

  • Rama is an avatar of Vishnu, so he is a descendant of the God Vishnu.

4. Vishvamitra

  • Rakshasas are demons.

5. Thataka

  • Rakshasi is a female demon.
  • Supernatural weapons that talk to their user. 

6. Bhagiratha and Ganga

  • Goddess Ganga.
  • Ganga supposedly still lives on Sagar Island. The idea of a goddess living on an island is really cool.

7. The Ahlaya
  • Rhyme scheme, poetic, lyrical
8. Sita
  • Tournament
  • Bathing in a river
  • A beautiful garden with a lake
  • Boy hears jewelry and knows a girl is coming
  • Love at first sight
9. King Janaka
  • Reminds me of Arthurian legend and lore, winning a women in a tournament with a favor. In this case it is a fairly impossible feat.
  • Also reminiscent of King Arthur and pulling the sword from the stone.
  • The earth shaking from a weapon
  • Monarchies and authority figures falling
  • The hero gets the princess' hand in marriage
11. Parashurama
  • Tall bull-like man with an ax, reminds me of a Minotaur.
  • Weapons of Gods 
12. Rama and Sita's Wedding
  • Three weddings?
  • The alter is on fire during the ceremony.
  • A reign of flowers descended from the sky, and soft celestial music plays. 
13. Rama the Heir Apparent
  •   Should be King because: virtues and great ability with bow.
14. Manthara and Kaikeyi
  • Manthara sounds like Morigan or Modred. Again, reminds me of Arthurian legend and lore.
  • Jealous of the heir.
  • A possible usurping.  
  • "Exalt my son and send Rama to exile."
  • Boons! Yet another thing from Arthurian legend and lore.
15. Kaikeyi and Dasharath

16. Rama is Banished
  • Accepting one's bad fate peacefully.
17. Rama Goes into Exile
  • Going to a jungle in an exile. 
  • Perils of the jungle: Wild beasts reptiles, food hard to find, and shelter hard to find.
  • Goes to exile with his true love and his brother. 
  • Rejecting help. Goes to jungle with meager supplies.
  • Wearing bark as clothing.
18. Crossing the River
  • The brother, wife, and then husband. (Walking in that order)
  • Sleeping under a banyon tree.  
19. Dasharatha's Karma
  • Child is dead, so the parent wants to die as well.
  • Dasharatha's parents set funeral pyre for him, and the parents jumped into it.
20. Dasharatha's Death
  • Dasharatha's death pays for his sins. 
  • Speaking in rhymes, poetic, lyrical. I like prose that has some of this mixed into it.
  • Dasharata is aware of his death, and describes the process. It seems more peaceful than painful.  But near the end of it it gets more sorrowful and full of grief. 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Week 1: Review

My Favorite Thing From The Current Announcement:
(Image from: source)
Why It's My Favorite:
Well, because cats. If there is a cat meme, it is automatically going to be a favorite for me. But, this is also a great concept. Errors and mistakes are always so upsetting, but this is a reminder that through errors we discover something new. This is a great concept to remind myself of as the semester goes on.

Inspiration for the Upcoming Week:
(Image from: Jeffrey)
I thought that this quote went well with my favorite image from the current announcement. I think that this is also a great thing to think of as the semester progresses!

My Goal for the Upcoming Week:
Continue to tackle procrastination!

Final Thoughts:
Here's to the start to a great semester, and in my case a great LAST semester! (I am so excited to be graduating!)

Week 1: Famous Last Words

My writing:
I was so happy with my story that I wrote this week! It wasn't an Urban Fantasy or a Fantasy, which was different for me. But, I had a lot of fun writing it. In particular I love the characters, Colt and Bullet, which I created just for that story. I like them so much that I may put them in other stories. I also liked the concept of them being only 16 or 17 but living in an alleyway. I haven't yet fleshed out how they came to be living in an alleyway, but if I use them in future stories I can figure that out. I may even be able to use a story as an origin/backstory for them.

Other people's writing:
The stories that I read were quite concise and easy to read. Sometimes I write my stories too long, or they end up too wordy. It's a nice reminder to pay attention to that when I am writing my stories, and when I'm editing them.

My other classes:
This semester is off to a great start! The only unfortunate (?) thing is that every class has a lot of reading. I am taking:  The World of Dante (we read 4 books by Dante Alighieri,) The 19th Century Novel: Victorian Novels (we read 8 books,) PW Reading (we read 10 books,) Mass. Comm. Law (the lightest load, only small readings twice a week,) and this class (which has a lot of reading.)

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to read. I am just a bit overwhelmed, and trying to figure out how to balance reading all of those books. The good thing is that, as I said, I love to read, and I am excited to be reading all of those books! I've always wanted to read Dante's works, and in the Victorian Monsters we get to read: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Heart of Darkness, and The Sign of Four! I have only read Frankenstein and the Heart of Darkness, but it's been a while.

So I am excited about all of the reading that I will do this semester! Here's to a great (and my last) semester filled with much reading!

Outside of school:
Something I've been doing too much of...
(Image from: source)

Tech Tip: Blogger Templates

Blogger Templates:

I spent some time this week fixing up my blog and making it look how I wanted it to. My favorite thing I did was make a header for my blog. Just google search "banner creator" and there are websites that let you create a banner that you can use for your header.

I also spent time adding a background and a color scheme that I liked. I'm really happy with how it looks so far, and will be tweaking it some more with next week's Tech Tips post!

Week 1: Learning Challenges

First of all, I'm going to be honest, that first video made me feel very anxious and it stressed me out. It's not even the parts of "wasted time" (TV), but also the parts spent with sleeping, food, and hygiene. This was just sort of depressing and upsetting to me. But, I am going to take from this video, not that stress, but that I need to manage my time better with my education and professional pursuits, so that I can spend more time doing the things that I like to do.

My biggest problem has been with time management and procrastination. However, prior to learning about "Learning by HEART", I had already set out to tackle that problem.

This is my last semester at OU, I will be graduating in May, and so I want this semester to go as smoothly as possible. As a result, I have set out to improve my time managing skills and to stop procrastinating. Doing so will make this last semester, the best semester!
(Image from: Learning by HEART)

Week 1: Growth Mindset

I have heard of Carol Dweck and growth mindset from taking Laura's Mythology and Folklore class in Fall 2015.

I am a perfectionist, so I think that I am very much on the spectrum of growth-fixed mindset in my school work, professional life, and in my hobbies. I am always trying to improve and to be the best that I can possibly be.

This is especially true when it comes to writing. I am a professional writing major and I write novels. I am always trying to be the best author and write the best book. I am constantly pushing my limits and striving to improve.

(Image from: GrowthMindsetMemes)

I have a lot of reading this semester in all my classes, so my goals are to try to take the time to get as much as I can out of what I read. Sometimes I rush reading materials and I do not experience it to its fullest. So I'm going to try to improve my reading. Additionally, I want to write the best stories that I can for the Storytelling posts and my Storybook project.

I look forward to applying the growth mindset to the work in this class, other classes, and in my life outside of school!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Storybook Favorites

1. Indian Horror Story
I chose this because I like horror, and I thought the play on words with the title was cleaver. (Instead of American Horror Story, the name of a great TV show, it's Indian Horror Story.)

I was not disappointed when I looked inside. This Storybook had compelling, well-written, and downright creepy stories.

My only criticism is that I think the design could have looked creepier, perhaps with a black and white or black and red theme. I also think there could have been creepier pictures, and more of them.

2. CSI Indian Epics
Again, the name of this Storybook caught my attention. I also liked the graphic that was on the introduction page of this Storybook.

(Image from CSI: Indian Epics)

The stories were interesting and clever, and I liked how they took the Indian Epics and turned it into a  crime show.  I loved the formatting of the book, how it looked like an actual police report, and being that way it was written in a simple, clean, and straightforward manner.

I honestly don't have any criticisms aside from different images. I think adding some crime scene tape graphics, or the image of an outline of a body traced by chalk on the ground would have been a nice touch.

3. How I Met Your Mother
Surprise, surprise, I picked this one because of the title and the clever concept. Like the Indian Horror Story, it created a mesh of an American TV show with Indan Epics, which I think is very creative.

My criticism with this is that the pictures could have been better. I don't think they particularly reflected the show that the Storybook is based on. Like, I think it would have been better if the images were more modern depictions of the Gods/Goddesses.

Indian Epics Overview

(Ganesha from Wikimedia.)

I have read some epics, such as the Odyssey, the Iliad, Beowulf, part of Paradise Lost. I also enjoy modern epics such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

I took Mythology and Folklore last semester, and I feel like the types I remember the most as the Classic Mythology such as Roman and Greek. Norse Mythology also comes to mind, but that is because I research that on my own.

I took a class at the Oklahoma City Community College called "Eastern Thought." In that class we learned about Hinduisim and Buddhism. We even read a few texts, including the Ramayana, so I remember the hero Rama. I also remember him encountering some Hindu Gods. In the Eastern Thought class, we also meditated during the first ten minutes of class, which was a very enlightening experience.

My only experience with Indian Music is when my boyfriend and I drive down to and back from Dallas, Texas you can listen to an Indian Music Radio. The radio station is available between Ardmore, Oklahoma and Dallas. We like listening to it because it's so different from any music genre I listen to. They use unique instruments and usually sing in their language.

I chose the image of the God, Ganesha, because it is one of the few Hindu Gods that I am fairly familiar with. I know Ganesha brings good luck and blessings to people, especially if you give Ganesha an offering.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Week 1 Storytelling: Colt Collides with Bullet

"THERE was a little boy and a little girl
Lived in an alley;
Says the little boy to the little girl,

"Shall I, oh! shall I?"

Says the little girl to the little boy,
"What shall we do?"
Says the little boy to the little girl,
"I will kiss you." 

(A traditional nursery rhyme)


"Colt Collides with Bullet"

The lighter felt like a live wire against my hand, as I ran from the gas station that I stole it from.

Borrowing things from people has become a career for me, and yet each time I feel that same Pop! Zing! and Zap! of adrenaline.

I tossed the lighter in my over-sized bag, and kept running until I found the dank, dirty, and dark alley. The crumbling alley walls was the closest we had to a home.

(Image from: Judy van der Velden)

"Bullet, there you are!" A familiar voice said. "I was wondering if you got caught this time."

I looked up into equally familiar chocolate brown eyes and a sideways grin that flashed crooked teeth. Dirty bottle-dyed black hair spilled out from under his beanie.

"And on that day Ragnarok will swiftly come, Colt," I said. I slid down the brick wall of the alley, settling against a lumpy pillow. I pushed stray strands of brown hair from my face.

"I bet I beat you," Colt said.

"Then let's hope Thor can kill Jormungandr, 'cause Ragnarok's on it's way," I said and laughed.

"Sure, sure," he said, looking up into my eyes, but my eyes settled on his chapped lips.

I shook my head, because, no Colt was my friend and nothing more. Or, well, we were supposed to be just friends. Try telling my heart that...

"Alright, so I got..." Colt said and emptied his backpack on the ground as he announced, "Protein bars, candy bars, instant coffee, and..." He stopped for a moment. "Well, I'll have you wait for the grand finale."

I shrugged and emptied the pockets of my purse into a pile next to his. I had got snack cakes, trail mix, and a water bottle. "I'd say we're about even."

"You sure about that?" He challenged me.

"Unless you have a house in that backpack, yeah."

"Maybe not, but...here, turn around."

"What?"

"Just do it," he said rolling his eyes.

I rolled my eyes back at him before I stood up and turned to the wall.

I suddenly felt a coolness against my throat, and I looked down to see a beautiful silver necklace. There was a heart-shaped locket on it. I gasped, and turned to him.

He smirked and said, "Open it."

I opened it up, and etched into the silver were three little words: "I love you."

My heart beat wildly as I glanced at his chapped lips, wondering, should I, oh, should I, kiss him?

"Bullet, what, oh what, should we do?" He asked as he leaned towards me.

"Should I..." He whispered and he cupped his hand under my chin.

"Kiss me." I finished his sentence, but it came out more like a command.

His hand still under my chin, I placed my hand against his face, and I pulled his lips against mine, into a kiss.

My first kiss.

(Image from Kayla
Author's Note:
I turned this Nursery Rhyme into a short Young Adult story, since Young Adult is my favorite genre to write in.

I typically write Young Adult Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, but I had a fun time writing this one. As you could tell, I changed the little boy and girl into a teenage boy and girl that live on the street. I also kept them living in an alley.

Though this one wasn't fantastical, the world was interesting to me.

I loved the bit of dialogue in the original version, so I kept that in my story, but I made it more modern with "should" instead of "shall." I think the dialogue was both cute and fit Colt's personality quite well.

I created Colt and Bullet just for this story, but I really like them, so you may see more of them in the future! In fact, they are in my story, "I Got Your Heart, You Got Bullet Holes."

Also, I snuck in a little nod to Norse Mythology and their version of the apocalypse, Ragnarok.

Bibliography:
This story was based on a love and matrimony nursery rhyme from The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897).  

Introduction: The Lore Behind the Blog

Hey, my name is Lore Scarlet!

A current picture of me. Yes, I do my own hair!
I'm a Professional Writing major with a minor in Literature here at OU, and I'm graduating this semester!

I'm an author, and I write Young Adult (YA)  Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. I'm just finished writing my FIRST NOVEL*! It's a YA Urban Fantasy, with elements of Dystopian, that has vampires, and no, not like Twilight! (My vampires have fangs, don't glitter, and WILL attack you.)

*(If you want to be notified when my book is published so that you can read it, let me know in your comment and give me your e-mail or Facebook!)

I have a beyond wonderful boyfriend, David, and this October will be our 9-year Anniversary!

My boyfriend and I!
I love to read. My favorite YA book is The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, and my favorite Adult series is the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I also enjoy reading about Mythology, my favorite being Norse Mythology.

I'm obsessed with Star Wars. I saw The Force Awakens in theater 3 times.

My boyfriend and I when we saw Star Wars on the opening night. 

I'm obsessed with Kylo Ren and Boba Fett, and shamelessly own a LARGE amount of Star Wars merch.
Me with Kylo Ren (I wish.)

I love anime! My favorite anime are: Fairy Tail, Black Butler, Vampire Knight, Uta no Prince Sama, Attack on Titan, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Amneisa, and too many more.

I also love to cosplay. To read more about that, read about my favorite place: anime conventions.

My boyfriend and I cosplaiying at a convention.

My music taste is scattered. I like metal, dubstep, Korean pop music,  Japanese pop music, and Japanese rock music. My favorite band is Amon Amarth. (Who surprise, surprise, sing about Norse Mythology.)

I love to play video games. My all-time favorite games are: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (obviously,) Kindom Hearts, Skyrim, the Dragon Age series, the Mass Effect series, and the Fallout series.

I like to hula hoop dance! Don't know what that is? Check out the video below of me hoop dancing.


I love cats and I have two cats with opposite personalities. Indi is a goofy sweetheart, whereas Kiki is a grumpy cat who hates literally everyone in the world, but me.

My grumpy princess, Kiki.

My Pinterest Board for this class:
Nice to meet all of you, and I look forward to seeing all of your blogs! Let's have a great semester!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

My Favorite Place: Anime Conventions

Anime conventions are my favorite places to go to! Fortunately I get to go to four conventions a year with my boyfriend, David. We go to Tokyo in Tulsa, Izumicon, Anime Fest, and A-kon. We also go to events held by the conventions like the Tokyo in Tulsa Christmas Party (which was the last event I went to) and a Cosplay Prom.

My Boyfriend and I at the Anime Fest Anime Convention.
I love anime conventions because I get to cosplay, meet new friends (and see friends I don't always get to,) and because I can buy a bunch of anime merchandise!

Cosplay means: costume+play. It's more than wearing a costume like you would on Halloween, you actually act (or "play") as the character that you are dressed up as. My favorite cosplay is as Erza from the anime Fairy Tail. It's my favorite because my boyfriend dresses up as Jellal, who is that character's boyfriend with me, so we do a "couple's cosplay"!

My boyfriend and I doing a couple's cosplay at the Tokyo in Tulsa Christmas Party.
I also love dressing up as Erza from Fairy Tail, because I have over 30 friends that I see at conventions who also dress up from Fairy Tail. That's including my best friend, Julie, who lives in Tulsa. She cosplays as Lucy from Fairy Tail.

My friends and I at the Tokyo in Tulsa Christmas Party. My boyfriend and I are on the lower right hand corner.
I get to see Julie, and most of those friends at Tokyo in Tulsa, which is one of the reasons why that is my favorite convention that we go to.

My boyfriend, David, my best friend, Julie, and I at the Tokyo in Tulsa Christmas Party! (Our friend Deanna photobombed us.) 
I also love going to Tokyo in Tulsa because it is a smaller convention, so it has more of a community and family feel to it.

All my friends at Tokyo in Tulsa. Image taken by: Destroyer X Productions
The next event I'm going to is the Cosplay Prom in April, and then A-Kon in June, and I literally cannot wait to go back to my favorite place!



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Evil Eye by Franz Ferdinand. 
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