L Christina M

I really enjoy the weeks we are able to do the Story Lab assignments. I always take the opportunity to take a deeper dive into some of the more philosophical and heartfelt opinions of storytelling, often meaning I am looking deeply into the Ted Talk options. I personally love Ted Talks as I talked about briefly in my last Story Lab post and this week some of the videos really served to give me a different perspective on creative writing. There were eight videos total and while they were all great in their own way, there were really three that spoke to me. Here's a little more about them. 1. What Makes A Hero? (Matthew Winkler) This story is one that speaks directly to our course specifically. The video starts with comparing popular modern day movie "heroes" with traditional mythological heroes. It then dives deeper into Joseph Campbell's studies of character development. Personally, I have studied a few of Joseph Campbell's works throughout high school and col...

The second half of these readings are focused solely on Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. This story is more directly related to the Disney film (mostly through the characters) we all know and love but is a much more detailed account of the story. It begins with Aladdin meeting his "long lost uncle". Aladdin runs home o tell his mother who then prepares dinner for the guest and the story begins. Here are a few more facts that complete the story: 1. The man, upon learning of Aladdin's misfortune and inability to learn a specific trade, takes it upon himself to buy him a shop.  2. The Magician tricks Aladdin. 3. The "uncle" tells Aladdin of a treasure that he can have if he completes a specific mission.  3. Aladdin must retrieve the lamp.  4. Aladdin is promised a wife by Sultan.  5. The princess begins experiences weird "dreams" at night regarding her bed being taken elsewhere.  (Dr. Ian Ellis Jones) Bibliography:  June 2, 2013 ...

I won't lie. Short story time: I chose to read about Arabian Nights this week solely because of it's relation to Aladdin. My family and I love visiting New York and seeing broadway shows. This past month we went and saw three different shows on broadway that we all loved (American Son, Dear Evan Hansen, and Waitress). These shows were all amazing and it completely reignited my passion for the craft every time I sit in a theater. A few years ago however, I actually had the opportunity to go to New York with my high school theatre department and, aside from exploring the ins and outs of New York, see three other broadway shows (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Kinky Boots, and Aladdin). The experience of traveling with all of my friends was incredible and each show we saw truly touched me in such a unique way. But there was something so very special about Aladdin. The huge opening number in the show is called Arabian Nights and is one of the most magical pieces of t...