Week 6: Story Laboratory

This week for my story laboratory I chose to look at the Writer's Write blog for different ideas of what to do to make writing better.

Here's my notes of what I found:

One of the articles I looked at was the puff or fluff article. The reason I chose it is because sometimes, when writing pieces with a word count, it's easy to try and add fluff into the story to make it longer and meet the goals. However, the article actually didn't say yes cut fluff, it said use it wisely. I liked that it was still an option on the table, you just have to use it when the mood is right.

The next article was about setting the mood for a story, which I think is very important when writing short stories. You don't have a lot of time so you have to try and set the mood quickly but effectively. It included a list of 140 words to describe the mood in fiction. I think that if I pick one of the words before writing a story and then work to set the tone based on that word, I will be able to effectively set the tone for my short stories.

Another article I read and liked was about a plot. In my opinion, you can't have a good story without a good plot. I just don't get hooked and interested without it. So I think it's always a great idea to consider the overall plot of your story. It talked about how characters need to have a worthy story goal and how it's important to know all the parts of your plot (Inciting Incident, Climax, Rising Action, etc.) so I think for future stories I'm going to give that a little more thought.

Writing Meme from Source

Reading Posts: Mahabharata Part B

The House of Fire
Source: The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid

- Prince Vidura guessed Durodhana's plot
- His mother was a slave
- Prince Yudhishthira sees everything is coated in oil and warns his mother and brothers
- The mother and brothers escape and Bhima goes back to get revenge on the man planning to set the house on fire
- The neighboring house caught flame and the mother and 5 sons that the princes had let stay there died
- The people saw the bodies and assumed it was the Pandavas
- King Dhritarashtra and them rejoice

Bhima and Hidimba
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Bhima carries them all through the forest
- A rakshasa women falls for Bhima
- Bhima defeats his angry brother

Bhima and Hidimbi
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- the Pandavas awake up
- Arjuna offers to help but Bhima turns it down
- The brothers debate killing the rakshasa
- Kunti convinces Bhima to take her as his bride
- the women has a son named Ghatotkacha, who grows fast

Bhima and Baka
Source: The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid

- The group leaves Bhima and goes to Ekachakra
- Family they are staying with arguing over who is going to leave
- Baka is ruining the town
- Bhima comes to help
- Bhima kills Baka

Birth of Draupadi
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- The Pandavas study the Vedas
- The story of Drupada's son being born
- The Queen wasn't ready for the sacrificial rite for children so asked the to stall
- When they couldn't, a son was burst from the flames and was fully clad in armor and then a beautiful daughter
- Draupadi is the daughter, Dhristadyumna is the son
- The Pandavas go to try and win her

Draupadi's Swayamwara
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Drupada wants Arjuna to be her husband
- he sets up a competition rigged so that Arjuna would win
- Arjuna wins and wins Draupadi

Wife of the Five Pandavas
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Kunti makes the boys share their winnings, even though it is the girl
- everyone allows her to be shared

The Story of Nalayani
Source: Notes of a Study of the Preliminary Chapters of the Mahabharata by V. Bentatachellum

- Drupada is concerned with his daughter having five husbands

- Vyasa explains that she was made to have five husbands

Indraprastha
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Duryodhana finds out about alliance with Drupada
- He demands war, the elders demand peace and the elders win
- Dhritarashtra splits kingdom between his sons and nephews
- The princes make a city called Indraprastha

Arjuna and Ulupi
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Arjuna breaks compact between them to get his weapons to stop a cattle robber
- Because of his he says he needs to be exiled for 12 years, even though Yudhishtra says its okay
- He wanders, finds a wife, and they have a child

Arjuna and the Apsaras
Source: The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid

- A gator bit his leg and he began to drown
- He takes the gator to shore and presses his hands into it's eyes
- It turns out to be a nymph
- She tells the story of her curse and Arjuna and her go and free all of them


Arjuna and Chitra
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Chitra by Rabindranath Tagore

- Arjuna finds another girl, marries her, gives her a son so her father can have an heir and then leaves

Arjuna and Subhadra
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Subhadra is another girl he marries but abducting her
- This upsets Balarama, her father, because she was going to be given to Duryodhana
- Balarama is calmed and invites them back for a real wedding
- Subhadra and Draupadi make friends

The Burning of the Forest
Source: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie

- The wives get drunk and give things away
- Agni approaches the princes and asks them for the forest
- They agree in exchange for celestial weapons
- There's a big war with Indra, which Indra loses and the forest burns and few animals escape

Maya's Palace
Source: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie and Vyasa's Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

- Maya is so thankful to Arjuna for saving his life he builds him a beautiful palace that would make the gods jealous

The Pandavas Victorious
Source:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- The Pandavas become more powerful and eventually the over taken Yudhishtra
-Kishna kills Sishupala
- they all swear to peace

The Gambling Match
Source:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

-Duryodhana jealous again
- He defeats Yudhishtra in dice
- Draupadi won by Duryodhana in the dice match
- Vidura is extremely upset

Draupadi Lost
Source: Mahabharata, Epic of the Bharatas by Romesh C. Dutt

- Draupadi is upset that she was gambled and refuses to be gambled away
- This upsets him
- Doyradhana scares her

Draupadi in the Assembly Hall
Source:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Draupadi begs for protection
- Her husbands get vengeful
- Duhshasana wants to strip her naked in front of everyone
- The brothers all rally together to get their revenge and protect their wife

The Second Match
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Draupadi's father is angered
- The Kauravas worried the Pandavas will wage war because they are so upset
- Draupadi sent away and swears to not touch her hair until Bhima brings his revenge

Duryodhana in the Palace from Source

Reading Notes: Mahabharta Part A

Vyasa and Ganesha
Source: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie

- Vyasa is the author and arranged the Vedas
- The god Ganesha is the scribe to the book because it contains everything man should know
- Ganesha agrees but his pen isn't allowed to stop
- Vyasa is the composer and a character
- Uparichara is devoted to asceticism to the point the gods fear him
- his semen fell in the river and were swallowed by a fish and two kids were created
- The king takes the son, but leaves the daughter for the fishermen who found him
- Satyavati was the girl and she was beautiful but smelled of fish
- she gets pursued by the rishi to "yield to his embraces" because she'll remain a virgin and she'll no longer smell of fish
- Vyasa was born and he was called Dwaipayana

King Shantanu and Ganga
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- King Shantanu married the goddess Ganga and she was beautiful
- Ganga makes a promise to the rishi's celestial beings but has to swear while she's a human she doesn't get married or have any kids
- Ganga agrees to marry the King, but she'll leave if he's ever mean or stopped her from doing what she wanted
- She gave birth to a son but threw him in the river as promised. The King was horrified but said nothing
- This happens seven more times, but the King stops her the eighth time
- She disappears but comes back to leave the son, Devavrata

King Shantanu and Satyavati
Source:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Shantanu wants to marry a young beautiful bride
- He finds Satyavati
- Vyasa grew very quickly and left fast too
- He wants to marry her, but the fisherman refuses to let it happen unless he disinherits his son, Devavrata so he leaves.

Devavrata's Vow
Source:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- The King tells Devavrata his problem and Devavrata goes to talk to the fishermen
- He promises to never marry or have children and not take the throne
- He was then called Bhishma
- Satyavati has two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya
- the King dies and Bhishma follows his vow
- Chitrangada was King but only for three years because he was killed in battle
- Vichitravirya next King, but since he's too young, Bhishma rules for him

Bhishma at the Swayamvara
Source: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita

- Bhishma goes to find a wife for his half brother
- King Benares has three daughters and promises them to the bravest night
- Bhishma wins and takes the trees princesses to Satyavati

Amba
Source: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita

- Amba, the eldest, tells Bhishma she was engaged to another king
- She is taken to the King, who pretends he doesn't know her
- She's mad and returns to the city humiliated
- She goes to an ashram
- She withers away until Shiva asks what she wants. She answers the defeat of Bhishma
- She's told she will slay him
- She goes onto the funeral pyre to end Bhishma

Dhritarashtra and Pandu
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Vichitravirya dies and Satyavati asks Bhishma to marry his widows
- He says he can't
- Satyavati thinks of Vyasa, who appears
- Ambika closed her eyes and she had a blind son, Dhritarashtra
- Ambalika was pale and her son was Pandu
- Satyavati wants a grandchild without defects
- Ambika sends a handmaiden and she has a son named Vidura
- Vidura was Dharma's human incarnation
- Pandu becomes King

Kunti and Her Son
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Pandu has two wives, Kunti and Madri
- Kunti is a celestial origin
- She has a son, Karna who is the son of Surya
- She sends the baby away in a river in her shame
- Radha and Adhiratha finds him

Pandu and His Wives
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Mahabharata translated by K.M. Ganguli

- Pandu hunts down two deer and they turn out to be a holy brahmin and his wife
- He cursed Pandu to die in the arms of one of his wives
- Scared, he takes a vow of celibacy and went away to live in a solitary place with his wives

The Sons of Pandu
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Five princes were born, but all of them had gods for parents, none were actually Pandu's kids
- Pandu dies in Madri's arms
- Madri killed with Pandu after her and Kunti fight about it

Gandhari and Dhritarashtra
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and The Five Brothers by Elizabeth Seeger

- Dhritarashtra takes over the throne and marries Gandhari
- She's blindfolded whenever she goes to him
- She has hundreds of sons and the eldest is Duryodhana
- When Duryodhana was born, he upset the animals
- Advisors beg them to kill him
- He is favored instead, so he grew up proud, jealous and evil-minded

Pandavas and Kauravas
Source:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and The Five Brothers by Elizabeth Seeger

- Kunti returned to Hastinapura with the five sons
- Young princes are protected and trained
- Bhima was the most powerful son and Duryodhana is jealous of him

Bhima and the Nagas
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Duryodhana posions Bhima and he is presumed dead
- Nagas attack him but the posions counteract each other
- Bhima finds himself in the underworld
- He gets returned
- He tells his brothers what happened and they tell him not to tell their cousins

Drona
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Drona found to train the princes
- Drona has no mother
- He was close friends with Drupada and this turns out to be
- Drona married Kripi and has son Ashwatthaman
- he received heavenly weapons and the ability to use them
- He shares them with his friend
- Drupada upsets Drona

Drona Trains the Prices
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Bhishma welcomes Drona
- He says he'll train the princes if when they are warriors they help his defeat Drupada
- Ashwattanman trained with the princes
- Drona prefers teaching the Pandavas and gives special treatment to Arjuna and this makes Duryodhana jealous

Ekalavya
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Ekalavya wants to be trained as an archer but Drona says no
- He gets turned away from Drona but trains on his own, worshipping Drona and is later accepted.
- All other Bhil's trained for archery

The Contest
Source: Mahabharata, Epics of the Bharatas by Romesh C. Dutt

- Bhima and Duryodhan fight
- Arjun battles too
- Arjun wins

The Arrival of Karna
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- Karna arrives, the son of Surya and Kunti
- Arjuna, Kunti's youngest son
- They don't know they're brothers
- Duryodhana likes that Karna is better than Arjuna
- The two are close friends
- Bhima says something that upsets Karna

Drona's Revenge:
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

- The princes are now accomplished warriors so they go to attack Drupada
- The Pandavas rush forward to attack
- Drupada turns the tide of the battle
- Drupada is sent to rule somewhere small
- The Pandavas wage war for their king to grow his kingdom

Duryodhana's Jealousy
Source: The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid

- Duryodhana is now angry at life
- He convinces his father to not have the heir he chose be King
- He burns down the palace

Duryodhana from Source

Wikipedia Trails: From Bhakti Movement to The History of India

Start: Bhakti Movement

Picking up where I left off last week with the Bhakti Movement, I was still interested to learn how many communities it impacted. Some cool things I learned while reading about the movement are that it really helped women and "Untouchables" get a path to spiritual salvation. This would've been a huge thing in medieval times.

Next: Untouchability

After reading about the untouchable community in the previous post, I wanted to get some more information about that. It's essentially the idea of ostracizing a group of people. The Wikipedia page even compares it to slavery in the United States, though it is a less violent and harsh idea.

Next: Historical Vedic Religion

The untouchables article said that upper castes in this religion started the touchable caste because they were angry they changed religions to follow the Buddha, so I figured I should learn a little more about it. The religion is said to be an older type of Hinduism and one of the religions that lead to Hinduism,.

Last: History of India

The last place I ended was the History of India. I can't really sum it up in a few sentences but the reason I chose to go here is to learn a little more about the History of India and also because I think it'll be a good starting point for next weeks Wikipedia page because I'll be able to go so many places.

Image from History of India Wikipedia Page

Week 5 Story: A Rash Choice

A Rash Choice:

Hunger was all that I could think of. After days of wandering the forest with very little food, all I wanted was a decent meal and some water to drive way the thirst that consumed my thoughts.

After walking for what felt like miles, I finally stumbled across a women sitting on the verandah of a hut, admiring a ring on her finger. Without another thought or hesitation, I slowly crawled towards her.

"Please, beautiful women, spare me some food and help a starving man out," I said.

The women never batted an eye at me, so I spoke again, fearing the hunger made my voice too quiet to hear.

"Please, kind women, help a hungry man out." This time I was basically next to her as I spoke, but once again she completely ignored me.

Starving and upset, I lost my temper at the women. "How could you be so cruel to ignore someone in need directly in front of you? I hope whoever you're thinking about forgets you ever existed."

The women still didn't hear me, but I felt better after cursing her. I hobbled away only to be immediately stopped by two very distressed girls.

"Please sir," they were begging me. "Please don't curse our friend. She was only thinking of the one she loves who she is separated from."

"She ignored me, a beggar in my time of need, even when I was inches from her face. How could I ever forgive her?"

"We'll help you," the girls offered.

They lead my to their well and gave me water and some bread to eat. I sat beside it and savored every bite of the food. The girls let me sit for a moment before they resumed their begging. The hunger and the thirst gone, I suddenly felt bad for my rash choice. I had been in love once and I remembered how hard it was to be separated from her. However, I couldn't just go back on my curse. I sat for a minute and pondered what I could do.

It struck me like lightning.

"If the man she was thinking of sees a token of their love, he'll remember her."

The girls thanked my profusely and I continued on my walk, feeling better and refreshed.


Bibliography: Nine Ideal Indian Women by Sunity Devee

Author's Note: While reading, the part where Shakuntala gets cursed is what I liked the most so that's the part I focused on for my story. I didn't do too much to change it, just changing around some names really, but I chose to write it from the perspective of the mendicant that curses her to get his thoughts on the story. This story is from a section of Sakuntala from the Ninde Ideal Indian Women by Sunity

The Beggar from Flickr Images

Reading Notes: Nine Ideal Women Part B

Promila's Story:
Source: Nine Ideal Women by Sunity Devee

- Promila is Indrajit's wife (Ravana's favorite son)
- they live on an island together blissfully in love
- All of Ravana's sons fail him so he must go to Indrajit during his war with Rama
- Indrajit hears of his brother's death and swears to avenge him
- Promila gets her husband ready for war
- Promila is worried about her husband
- Indrajit never returns and Promila goes to find him
- Promila gets dressed for battle
- Rama gives Promila and her maidens passage through the battle to find her husband
- Everyone in awe of Promila
- Promila wishes there was no war and the battle could end using words
- The Queen has a hard time blessing Indrajit
- Promila cries and prays for Indrajit's safety, but a gust of wind takes her words and they never reach heaven
- Lakshmana is admitted into the temple Indrajit is praying at through the back entrance, confusing Indrajit
- he discovers his disloyal uncle Bibhisan
- Lakshmana ends up killing Indrajit in this temple
- Promila decides to join her dead husband
- Promila gets all dressed up for her death march and rides the same horse she got into the city to it
- She steps onto the funeral pyre and dies

Shakuntala's Story
Source: Nine Ideal Women by Sunity Devee

- Menaka asked to seduce Bishwanutra because the fairies get scared
- Menaka unwillingly does it
- Menaka goes with Bishwanutra to his home
- They get married and Menaka bears a son
- Bishwanutra upset because he was sworn to celebacy
- Menaka returns to heaven, leaving the baby in the forest after Bishwanutra rejects her
- Baby found by Kanva who takes her to Goutami (his sister) to take care of her
- She grows up shielded from knowledge of the world
- Her name was Sakuntala
- She names and loves the animals
- Maharajah Dushmanta finds Sakuntala and her sisters-
- He asks Sakuntala to be his Queen
- They get married
- Sakuntala promises to come when she is called by the king
- Their goodbye is hard
- A mendicant comes and begs Sakuntala for food, but she doesn't here her. So she gets cursed
- Her sisters beg him to show mercy and he eventually agrees to work around the curse
- The King never calls for Sakuntala and she is pregnant
- She waits the Kings messenger but her father persuades her to go and see him instead
- She's sad to leave her home and her father joins her for a part of the journey but must eventually turn back so he blesses her and leaves
- Kanva goes on a pilgrimage instead of going home, missing his daughter
- The King has forgotten of Sakuntala when she arrives
- Sakuntala goes to show the King her ring but she is missing it
-She removes her sari from her head and cries to the King
- Sakuntala faints and there's an earthquake that shakes the crown off the King's head
-King considers taking her but doesn't because she's preganat
- Sakuntala very depressed and sends everyone back to the ashram but her
- She calls out to her mother
- The ring is returned to the King but two "fishermen"  and when he sees it he remembers Sakuntala
- He sends messengers to find her
- They search for four years
- He eventually finds her and meets his son
- He hears she's happy and decides not to disturb her
- He goes to her cottage and begs forgiveness and she accepts it
- He begs her to come with him and she agrees
- Their son was put on the throne and they go back to the ashram

Promila rides into battle from Source

Reading Notes: Nine Ideal Indian Women: Sita (Part A)

Sita
Source: Nine Ideal Indian Women by Sunity Devee

- Sita was found in a field by the King
- She was named after where she was found the furrows
- After Sita was found, King had a daughter named Urmila
- Lots of daughters born into the family but Sita was the most beautiful
- A bow was left by Brahmin Parashurama and he told the King that when he returned he would marry Sita or whoever broke the bow should be allowed to marry Sita
- When he didn't return, he invited people to break the bow
- Story tells quickly of how Rama came to be
- Rama was taken on a trip to kill Kosala to show his bravery and he stops by Sita's home
- Rama and Lakshmana arrive on the day of the wedding
- Sita and Rama fall in love at first site
- It's Sita's wedding day and everyone tries to break the bow to marry her
- Sita wants Rama to break the bow
- Rama wins and everyone rejoices
- Urmila marries Lakshmana and Sita's other twin sisters marry Rama's other brothers
- Everyone's sad to see the princesses go
- Parashurama stops the marriage processional and challenges Rama to a fight
- Rama accepts though Sita is terrified
- Rama wins
- Sita's excited about her new life and very happy being Rama's princess
- Sita's crown had a thorn in it though
- The King wants to give Rama the throne
- Sita and Rama don't want to be King and Queen but they must
- Manthara sabotages Rama's throne
- Rama's mother upset by his excil
- Sita refuses to leave his side
- Rama dresses like a hermit but Sita doesn't
- They all get blessings
- Bharata goes seeking Rama after he learns of Rama's excile and his father's death
- Sita doesn't mind being in the forest
- She befriends Atri and gets nice jewerly
- Surpanakha tries to woo Rama but doesn't succeed, so she sets up the trick that gets Sita kidnapped
- She tries to help a Yogi to avoid a curse but she was carried away instead
- Rama misses his wife and weeps at her loss
- Sita hears about everything Rama is doing
- Sita makes a friend out of Sarama
- Sita tells Sarama her story
- Sita hears all about the war from Sarama
- Ravana falls
- Lakshamana reprimands Rama for everything he's done to get Sita back and doesn't want to see her
- Sita and Sarama say goodbye
- Rama can't look at Sita
- Everyone is horrified by Sita's treatment and Sita is hurt
- Rama sends Sita away for his kingdom
- Sita uncomfortable during her walk through the forest with Lakshmana
- Valmiki finds pregnant Sita and helps her
- Laba and Kusha born and Sita feels joy again
- the boys reunited with their father
- Sita doesn't want to be reconciled with Rama
- She tearfully agrees and says goodbye to Valmiki
- Sita proves herself pure once more
- Sita is taken by the Earth as she asks
-Rama is upset

Sita, Laba, Kusha, and Valmiki from Nine Ideal Indian Women