Aurora Lee Thornton's Blog

Beautiful People #8 - Siblings

(Series by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In)
Alright! Getting back into the swing of things! So my plan is to post one of these every other Tuesday (until I caught up to the end) and then find or start a similar series afterwards, so you should be hearing more from me. Moving right along...

I'm going to go through two sets of siblings here - Allaha and the Mur de Rose clan, and (spoilers) werewolf triplets, Alistair, Brisbane, and Dandy (Corrina). Here we go!



1. What is the first memory they have of each other?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana AubinHis first clear memory is trying to teach Dana to ice skate as children. (He's a year older.)Dana Her first memory is of Aubin pulling her onto the dance floor as children and making her feel better about wanting to dance by dancing with her. Aubin + Sylviane Aubin His first memory of Sylviane is finding her crying because she accidentally broke a vase, and then covering for her. Sylviane Her first memory is Aubin getting scolded for skipping a tutoring session, and thinking it was unfair that he couldn;t have more fun. Aubin + Dorian Aubin He was eight when Dorian was born, but still only vaguely remembers this since he wasn't that interested in a baby brother at the time. Dorian Aubin showing him how to use a practice sword for the first time, and being patient and supportive. Aubin + Allaha Aubin Since he was thirteen when she was born, his first memory of Allaha is seeing her as a newborn and thinking how small she looked, but not much else. Allaha Pushing Aubin into a briar patch for pelting Sylviane with stones, and feeling bad for it when he came out covered in scratches but refusing to admit it. Aubin + Lucette Aubin He was fifteen when Lucette was born, and remembers a very clear contrast between how his father had been after Allaha's birth and Lucette's - mainly, that he hadn't been there for Lucette. Lucette Catching Aubin with his long time boyfriend avoiding a social event and thinking that he wouldn't be much competition. Dana + Sylviane Dana Sylviane throwing all her knitting across the room, ruin a lot of it, and making her very angry at the whole situation. Sylviane Dana helping her with her dress for her eight birthday, and even helping her wear makeup since she really wanted to. Dana + Dorian Dana Dorian hiding after a play fight so that no one would see him crying over losing, and doing her best to comfort him while pretending she didn't notice the tears. Dorian Dana inviting him to tea and encouraging him to vent about his feelings after a fight with Sylviane. Dana + Allaha Dana She was thirteen when Allaha was born, so remembers her as a very loud baby. Allaha She remembers Dana sitting with her and humming and knitting when she was sick in bed once. Dana + LucetteDana Again, she was old enough to remember Lucette as a baby. She didn't spend much time with her, mostly because Lucette's mother was very protective. Lucette Lucette remembers Dana calling her out for fake crying, and realizing she wouldn't be able to fool Dana like her other siblings. Sylviane + Dorian Sylviane Although she was only five at the time, she remembers holding Dorian as a baby because she was very excited to not be the youngest child anymore and to have a baby brother. Dorian He remembers Sylviane beating him in an archery contest and thinking it was unfair that she wasn't taking it easy on him for being younger. Sylviane + Allaha Sylviane She was also ole enough (ten) to remember Allaha as a baby, and being surprised at how loud she was because Dorian had been quiet. Allaha She remembers playing a prank on the stewart with Sylviane. Well, trying to play a prank on Winoc by putting a pail of water on a door, but they ended up spilling it on themselves in the process and had a good time anyways. Sylviane + Lucette Sylviane Sylviane was twelve when Lucette was born, and remembers thinking she was really small. Lucette She remembers trying to embarass Sylviane by "accidentally" spilling a drink on her at a party, and Sylviane just laughed it off and changed.Dorian + AllahaDorianLike Sylviane, Dorian was so excited to no longer be the youngest that although he was five, he remembers seeing Allaha as a baby for the first time. AllahaShe remembers Dorian trying to teach her something and thinking it was funny to make him angry by not listening. Dorian + LucetteDorianHe remembers Lucette's first birthday, and that she was the most entitled one-year-old he'd ever seen.LucetteShe remembers tricking Dorian into starting a fight at a ball and then deciding he was too stupid to bother with. Allaha + Lucette AllahaAllaha does remember Lucette being born, but because she was still grieving her mother's death, was very bitter and angry about it and thought her father wanted another baby as her replacement. Lucette Meeting Allaha in the events of Wildflowers, Part I: Allaha of the Mountain. 
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Alistair His first memory of Brisbane is getting punched in the face during a childhood spat - and Brisbane freaking out because he didn't mean to take it that far. They were probably around 6-7 years old, and Brisbane became a little more protective after that. Brisbane His first memory of Alistair is walking in while their mother was dissecting a fox and not understanding what Alistair found so fascinating about it. It kind of started his subconcious view of Alistair as more human than wolf. (Also around 6-7 years old.) Alistair + Dandy Alistair His first memory of Dandy is her taking on an older boy that was picking on him and winning, and her grinning super wide despite being injured. Dandy Her first memory of Alistair is him helping her with a poison oak rash by telling her not to touch the area and washing it off right away, then taking her to their mom for lotion and banadaging. Brisbane + Dandy Brisbane His first memory of Dandy is the two of them chasing after a jackaloupe and ending up fighting over it as wolves. (She won.) Dandy Her first memory of Brisbane is fighting him because he said she couldn't be pack leader as a girl. (She won.)
2. Describe their relationship in 3 words.

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana Amicable, close, understated Aubin + Sylviane Fun, affectionate, teasing Aubin + Dorian Competetive, contemptuous, antagonistic Aubin + Allaha Understanding, teasing, understated Aubin + Lucette Antagonistic, contemptuous, angry Dana + Sylviane Teasing, complimentary, affectionate Dana + Dorian Respect, amicable, understanding Dana + Allaha Affectionate, protective, teasing Dana + Lucette Antagonistic, competitive, cold Sylviane + Dorian Affectionate, antagonistic, competitive Sylviane + Allaha Affectionate, understanding, competitive Sylviane + Lucette Antagonistic, cold, disconnected Dorian + AllahaAntagonistic, competitive, bitingDorian + LucetteDistant, biting, angryAllaha + Lucette Disconnected, strangers, awkward
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Antagonistic, protective, caring Alistair + Dandy Protective, admirating, teasing Brisbane + Dandy Competitive, teasing, understanding
3. What kind of things do they like to do together?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana Gossip. Most people don't think the reserved Dana as a gossip, but when she and Aubin get together it's all about the gossip. Aubin + Sylviane Sparring. Being friendly and competetive, they enjoy having a friendly match every once in a while. Aubin + Dorian Hunting. Dorian is an avid hunter, and while Aubin enjoys the riding more than the hunt, it's one of the few activities they can enjoy together. Aubin + Allaha Pranks. More when they were children, but the two would often play pranks on their siblings and others. Aubin + Lucette N/A. Between their age difference and Lucette's banishment, the pair never really found a common activity. Dana + Sylviane Dancing. Both enjoy dressing up and dancing at balls, as well as dancing in private. Dana + Dorian Tea. While it may seem like Dorian has no particularly refined tastes, he and Dana would often have tea together, which sparked hi interest (not that he makes a point of it). Dana + Allaha Gardening. While not one to get dirty, Dana does enjoy light gardening and cultivation, and she and Allaha used to do so together. Dana + Lucette Court Intrigue. Both sisters enjoy matching wits in the realm of social interaction, even when the interactio is less than amicable. Sylviane + Dorian Hunting. They're both fiercely competitve, and Dorian actually perfers hunting with Sylviane (to Aubin) because her heart is in the sport. Sylviane + Allaha Riding. Particularly as children, the pair always had fun racing and spedning time out doors. Sylviane + Lucette N/A. The pair never knew each other well enough to have common interests. Dorian + AllahaRiding. Dorian, Allaha, and Sylviane would tend to ride all together, but Allaha and Dorian would also ride together is Sylviane was busy. Dorian + LucetteTrash Talking. Dorian may not like Lucette, but they are both good at trash talking other people. Allaha + Lucette N/A. The pair never knew each other well enough to have common interests.
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Family history. While the men are very different people, they both enjoy learning about their family's history. Alistair + Dandy Herb gathering. Alistair enjoys the gathering for making medicine, while Dandy enjoyed the challenge of finding ingredients (like a scavenger hunt). Brisbane + Dandy Hunting. Competitve and proud of their physical abilities, the pair would often go hunting together as bonding.
4. What was their biggest fight?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana About Dana marrying Alec of Timerbrand - Aubin thought she should refuse and look for more, while Dana insisted she had no reason not to agree since there was no one she was in love with. Dana accused Aubin of abandoning his duties to the family by not finding a wife, even one ok with his relationship with Enzo. The two later made up and apologized before Dana left for Timerbrand, having always been close, and admitted to saying things they didn't mean. Aubin + Sylviane Sylviane becoming a mercenary - while they only tease each other now, Aubin was very against Sylviane joining Theimo's mercenary band (with good reason). Sylviane accused Aubin of being jealous that he was too scared to leave himself, and the two were on bad terms for a few years before making up. It helped that they were apart most the time to cool their heads - and that Dana and Theimo are both level-headed confidantes. Aubin + Dorian They haven't really had a "big" fight yet - since they're already pretty antagonistic towards each other, they get their emotions out regularly enough that they don't build up. It would probably be about succession, if anything - Dorian being jealous of Aubin not wanting the duchy he's entitled to. Aubin + Allaha The events described in Allaha of the Mountain, where a young Allaha pushed Aubin into a briar patch for throwing stones at Sylviane is probably their biggest fight. While childish, the age difference and later separation prevented them from having a big "adult" fight. They later made up. Aubin + Lucette The whole "trying to overthrow their father" thing is probably it. Dana + Sylviane Sylviane leaving to join the mercenaries (a recurring theme). It wasn't a big loud fight like Aubin and Sylviane had, but it was still their "biggest". Their fight was more cold and cutting, since Sylviane called Dana (essentially) a stuck up prude with no personality and Dana replied that Sylviane was a reckless fool trying to outdo Allaha. They made up before Aubin and Sylviane did, but they didn't rgain the closeness they once had. Dana + Dorian Over their father not disowning Allaha. While being a Knight of the Mountain means she's revoked her claim on an inheritance, Gyslain hasn't disowned his daughter. Dorian felt like since she "clearly didn't want to be part of the family" that he should have, while Dana said that Dorian and Allaha were actually very similar (in seeking their father's attention and approval by acting out). After Allaha's visit in Allaha of the Mountain, the two make up over letters. Dana + Allaha After her mother's death, Allaha said very hurtful things to Dana about being cold and uncaring. Being an understanding person and older, Dana refrained from saying something equally hurtful back, but it still stung and caused a rift between them. They haven't spoken since Allaha joined the Sanctum. Dana + Lucette Once again, going to have to go with "trying to overthrow their father". Sylviane + Dorian As you may have guessed, Sylviane leaving to join Theimo's mercenaries. In Dorian's case, it wasn't her intial leaving that bothered him, but her return and second departure. Unlike his siblings, he would have liked to go with her, and became intensely jealous that she was both able to go and did not seem to be in any trouble for doing so. When he confronted Sylviane about this, she was tired of his attitude and delusions that the older siblings didn't get punished. They had a knock-down, drag out fight that Sylviane took credit for when confronted by their father, which spared Dorian punishment. It helped them make up later, but they were even less close than they'd been in the past. Sylviane + Allaha Allaha was always outspoken and wild, while Sylviane grew into her confidence to be herself. When Sylviane got her first bow, Allaha accidentally broke it and it brought out the worst in Sylviane. The two fought (with punchs!) and then didn't speak to each other for a week. Allaha tried to make her sister a new bow as an apology, and it was "so ugly and terrible" that Sylviane had laughed and forgiven her. (She still has the bow.) Sylviane + Lucette I'll take "trying to overthrow their father" for $300, Alex. Dorian + AllahaWhile they never really got along, they also never had a "big" fight - mostly just very frequent small, petty fights. Dorian + LucetteAmazingly, Dorian was actually more upset about a different fight than the attempted coup. It happened after Lucette's mother's execution, and she was feeling particularly vindictive and so called out all of his insecurities, which Dorian found no way to fight back against. Allaha + Lucette Lucette was too young to have gotten to know Allaha before Allaha left for the Sanctum.
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Whether or not to save Allaha, as Alistair recounts in his journal in Dandy. Alistair gets so angry at the idea that Allaha isn't worth risking the pack that he tries to punch Brisbane in front of the pack for saying it, and Brisbane responds appropriately (for a wolf). It's the only time Alistair has ever tried to physically fight anyone. After taking a run and calming down, Alistair understands that Brisbane is right, and the two make up. Since they're always (metaphorically) at each others' throats, it's a familiar ritual for them. Alistair + Dandy They never really fought - Dandy saw herself as Alistair's protector, and he was fine with that. By the time her protectiveness would have started to bother him, she had already ran away from home. Brisbane + Dandy Who would take over as pack leader after their father - they had a full on brawl about it, which Dandy won. Brisbane later overheard their father telling their mother he was thinking of passing it to Dandy, even though it was against tradition, and decided to let it go. He apologized, but Dandy was already over it and instead said "let the best wolf win".
5. How far would they go to save each other?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana They'd die for each other, no questions asked. Take each other's place, sacrifice, whatever. Aubin + Sylviane They'd fight fiercely for each other and risk death, but they'd probably hesitate to sacrifice themselves for each other. They're both trained as warriors (at least to an extent), so running into a dangerous situation is something they both understand for each other. Aubin + Dorian They don't realize it, but they'd die for each other. They have an angry, biting relationship, but a lot of that is because they're too similar. Aubin wants to make their father proud but doesn't want to sacrifice himself to do it, while Dorian sacrifices so much of himself in pursuit of their father's approval he isn't sure who he is entirely. Aubin + Allaha They're in a similar situation as Aubin/Sylviane as far as being warriors go, but they both have a self-sacrificing streak that would make them more likely to take the extra step of dying for each other. Aubin + Lucette Aubin would probably make a token effort since they're siblings, but nothing too dangeorus or inconvienient. Lucette would do nothing. Dana + Sylviane They would try hard, but ultimately wouldn't risk their lives for each other. Dana + Dorian They'd probably die for each other - they're surprisingly close. Dana + Allaha Dana would sacrifice herself for Allaha, but Allaha would go so far as to risk her life but not sacrifice it. Allaha doesn't realize that Dana still sees herself as the older sister taking care of her younger sibling, as the two have grown apart as adults. Dana + Lucette Nothing - Dana would see Lucette's troubles as ones of her own making (and likely be right), while Lucette would take malicious glee in someone taking down the sibling she sees as her main rival. Sylviane + Dorian They'd risk their lives for each other, but not sacrifice themselves. Similar to Aubin/Sylviane, but they are also less close. Sylviane + Allaha Again, they'd risk their lives for each other, but not sacrifice themselves. They respect that they are both warriors and would see it as an insult to take it too far. Sylviane + Lucette Nothing - they would both see it as the other lying in the bed they made. Dorian + AllahaDorian wouldn't put himself out to help Allaha, but Allaha would help Dorian if it were within her power (without going overboard).Dorian + LucetteNothing - Dorian really doesn't like Lucette and Lucette would see no benefit. Allaha + Lucette Nothing - they're practically strangers. (Allaha would probably attempt a rescue, but with no more or less fervor than rescuing anyone else.)
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Brisbane would do everything in his power short of risking the overall welfare of the Pack, since he sees them as equal responsibilities. Alistair would do everything in his power short of a life -or-death fight, because he'd know he'd lose. Alistair + Dandy They'd sacrifice themselves for each other - even after growing apart as adults, they still have the spark of childhood closeness. Brisbane + Dandy They'd do anything - they are kindred spirits over blood, and understand each other completely.  
6. What are their pet peeves about each other?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana Aubin: That Dana can have a bit of superiority complex. Dana: That Aubin doesn't take enough care with his appearance. Aubin + Sylviane Aubin: That Sylviane often ignores what other people want to get her own way.Syviane: That Aubin will let people push him around. Aubin + DorianAubin: That Dorian's kind of an asshole.Dorian: That Aubin is too nice. Aubin + AllahaAubin: That Allaha doesn't think about the consequences her actions have on others. Allaha: That Aubin thinks too much about how his decisions affect others. Aubin + LucetteAubin: That Lucette's manipulative.Lucette: That Aubin has no ambition. Dana + SylvianeDana: That Sylviane lacks proper decorum. Sylviane: That Dana is too uptight. Dana + DorianDana: That Dorian refuses to acknowledge his own flaws. Dorian: That Dana (ironically) is too forgiving of the flaws in others. Dana + AllahaDana: That Allaha (as a child) never took care to pick her words carefully.Allaha: That Dana would act as a second mother. Dana + LucetteDana: That Lucette uses her intelligence to help only herself.Lucette: That Dana bothers to look out for anyone besides herself. Sylviane + DorianSylviane: That Dorian is a bit of a shit.Dorian: That Sylviane calls him out on his attitude. Sylviane + AllahaSylviane: That Allaha refuses to see the benefits/humor in acting like a lady on ocassion. Allaha: That Sylviane would copy her as a child, despite being older. Sylviane + LucetteSylviane: That Lucette threw away her family for greed.Lucette: That Sylviane has no appreciation for "the finer things" in life. Dorian + AllahaDorian: That Allaha gets away with everything.Allaha: That Dorian is petty. Dorian + LucetteDorian: That Lucette is manipulative.Lucette: That Dorian knows she manipulates him even if he can't figure out how. Allaha + Lucette N/A - they did not know each other well enough to develop pet peeves.
Triplets
Alistair + BrisbaneAlistair: That Brisbane (still) tries to boss him around.Brisbane: That Alistair refuses to listen to reason. Alistair + DandyAlistair: That Dandy is too reckless. Dandy: That Alistair is too cautious. Brisbane + DandyBrisbane: That Dandy was better than him at everything. Dandy: That Brisbane wouldn't acknowledge his own abilities.
7. What are their favorite things about each other?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + DanaAubin: That Dana can take someone apart without hurting their feelings.Dana: That Aubin genuinely cares about everyone. Aubin + SylvianeAubin: That Sylviane can balance being a noble and being free and independant.Sylviane: That Aubin refuses to compromise in love, even for station.Aubin + Dorian Aubin: That Dorian always says what he means, even if it's not in the best way.Dorian: That Aubin doesn't seek their father's approval.Aubin + Allaha Aubin: That Allaha found a way to live her own life.Allaha: That Aubin can find a way to be happy with the life he has.Aubin + Lucette Aubin: Despite her flaws, that Lucette knows what she wants and fights for it. Lucette: Will begrudingly admit that Aubin is charismatic. Dana + Sylviane Dana: That Sylviane is a free spirit.Sylviane: That Dana is tougher than she seems.Dana + Dorian Dana: That Dorian can appreciate simple things, even if he won't admit it.Dorian: That Dana is so poised and refined. Dana + Allaha Dana: That Allaha lived life to the fullest.Allaha: That Dana was always ready to support her. Dana + Lucette Dana: That Lucette is clever.Lucette: That Dana is intelligent. Sylviane + Dorian Sylviane: That Dorian still has time to grow into a better person.Dorian: That Sylviane doesn't judge people for the things they like. Sylviane + Allaha Sylviane: That Allaha has always followed her own path. Allaha: That Sylviane is willing to explore who she really is as a person.Sylviane + Lucette Sylviane: That Lucette is actually a decent tactician.Lucette: That Sylviane does know how to act like a lady.Dorian + AllahaDorian: That Allaha didn't lord being the favorite over him.Allaha: That Dorian speaks his mind. Dorian + LucetteDorian: That she's not in the Keep anymore.Lucette: That Dorian's easy to manipulate. Allaha + LucetteN/A
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Alistair: That Brisbane tries his best to protect and take care of everyone.Brisbane: That Alistair genuinely just wants to help, even if people don't appreciate him for it.Alistair + Dandy Alistair: (As children) Dandy defending him and his interests.Dandy: (As children) Alistair's big heart and intelligence.Brisbane + Dandy Brisbane: (As children) Dandy never thinking she was above anyone else.Dandy: (As children) Brisbane's loyalty to friends and family. 
8. What traits do they share? Mannerisms, clothing, quirks, looks, etc?

Mur de Roses - all the siblings have red or orange hair, a trait of their family, with the exception of Lucette, who is strawberry blonde.
Aubin + Dana They both have a "court smile", but Dana tends to use hers more. Aubin + Sylviane
Aubin + Dorian
Aubin + Allaha Their hair is almost the same shade, though Aubin's is curly and Allaha's is straight. Aubin + Lucette Dana + Sylviane Dana + Dorian
Dana + Allaha Dana + Lucette Both tend to do a large amount of research on other nobles in order to be prepared should they meet them. Sylviane + Dorian The only two Mur de Rose children from the same mother... and a living mother. Sylviane + Allaha Neither was very fond of the life of a noblewoman, and found a way to carve their own path. As children, they would both get into to trouble for breaking rules. Sylviane + Lucette Dorian + AllahaThey both inherited their father's hooked nose. Dorian + LucetteAllaha + Lucette N/A
Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane They're both very stubborn, and often need time to cool off before being able to see someone else's side in an argument - especially each other. Alistair + Dandy They both got wavy hair from their mother, although Dandy's is blonde and Alistair's is black. They've also both developed a tendancy to let insults wash over them with some form of sarcasm. Brisbane + Dandy They both speak more through touch than words. If they have an argument, it's going to come down to blows - and if they like someone, they'll have a lot of physical interaction. 
9. Who has the strongest personality?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana Dana Dana may seem demure and quiet, but she has a regal intensity about her that allows her to get her way with soft words and confidence. Unlike Aubin, she's comfortable with her position in life and who she is. Aubin + Sylviane Sylviane Sylviane is a powerhouse - she knows what she wants and doesn't let anyone stop her from getting it. Aubin is very vague and wishy-washy by comparison, waffling between his wants and his responsibilities. Aubin + Dorian Aubin Dorian may be loud mouthed and acidic, but Aubin still holds a higher position of authority as heir, and isn't afraid to assert it when he needs to. He keeps Dorian from getting too big a head. Aubin + Allaha Allaha Like Sylviane, Allaha used to be a force of nature - while she's more stoic now, she still fought the constraints of nobility and found her own way in life. Aubin + Lucette Lucette Lucette has no real respect for Aubin and his vagueness, and so he has no hold over her or what she does. Like her sisters, she worked to get the things she wanted in life - even if she failed, it's more than Aubin has done. Dana + Sylviane Sylviane Dana may be comfortable with who she is and able to steer a court with a deft hand, but she has no control over her rough and tumble sister or others like her that break the mold. Dana + Dorian Dana Dana accepts none of Dorian's attitude, and he can't question her decorum and grace. She's one of the few siblings he respects unfailingly. Dana + Allaha Allaha Allaha's force of will is simply stronger than Dana's - if it came down to a decision between the two, Dana would bow to Allaha's judgement. Dana + Lucette Lucette Lucette's delusions of grandeur and skill with social manipulation make her a close match for Dana's mastery of the art, but what puts her over the edge is her ambition, which Dana lacks. Sylviane + Dorian Sylviane Dorian talks big, but ultimately he's just seeking their father's approval. Since Sylviane is her own woman doing her own thing, needing no approval from others, she has the stronger personality. Sylviane + Allaha Sylviane While both sisters found a way to live their lives differently from their noble expectations, Allaha seized an opportunity while Sylviane carved out her own place. Sylviane + Lucette Sylviane Sylviane really doesn't care for Lucette and her manipulative ways, and has no problem making that known. Since Lucette has no hold on her due to this, she cannot overcome Sylviane. Dorian + AllahaAllahaDorian may be stubborn and caustic, but ultimately he tends to follow the lead of others - even if it's by doing the opposite of what they do. Dorian + LucetteLucetteLucette could manipulate Dorian without even really thinking about it, and he would never know because he lets his emotions rule his actions. Allaha + Lucette Allaha As is seen in Allaha of the Mountain, Allaha easily ignores Lucette's emotional overtures and attempts at manipulation, and continues to do her own thing without interference.(For those looking through, the strongest to weakest personalities are:

Sylviane Allaha Lucette Dana Aubin Dorian)Triplets
Alistair + Brisbane Alistair While it may seem like Brisbane, being the pack leader, has a stronger personality, it's simply not true. Alistair has very little regard for what others think, and his independance makes him stand out more than Brisbane. Alistair + Dandy Alistair This is another one that might seem odd at first, but Dandy's fierce independance and rebellious nature is often reactionary and extreme. Alistair is more balanced, and does thinbgs because he wants to do them, not because others don't want him to. His more measured approach makes him more likely to win a contest of will between them. Brisbane + Dandy Dandy Brisbane, though in a leadership role, is ultimately a follower - he's pack leader because his father was; Dandy left, and Alistair isn't cut out for heading the pack, so the duty falls to him. Dandy is a real leader, which he is very aware of.
10. How does their relationship change throughout your story?

Mur de Roses
Aubin + Dana Not by much - at least, not so far. Being only a year apart in age, and both losing their mothers before they were old enough to remember them, they've always been close and understood each other very well. They're very supportive, and both grew up with the same expectations. Aubin + Sylviane Since they don't feature much in the story, they also don't change to much there - but from childhood to adulthood Aubin learned to have a lot more respect for Sylviane as a warrior, and Sylviane learned that Aubin had a different (and a lot more) pressure on him to be the dutiful son than she had to be the dutiful daughter. Sylviane also looked up to Aubin as a kid, which later changed as growing into adulthood caused her to realize he struggled as much as anyone else. Aubin + Dorian As children, Dorian was always looking up to Aubin and wanted to be just like him - but as he grew older, Dorian started to get jealous of Aubin's status, and bitter that his brother didn't appreciate it. It caused a rift between them, especially with Dorian's aggressive competitiveness. Aubin + Allaha Aubin used to see Allaha as his bratty younger sister who got away with everything, but now admires the way she never let anyone control her. Allaha didn't share the hero worship that Dorian had, but did look up to Aubin for being a fun, laid back older brother. Aubin + Lucette Aubin always felt bad for Lucette growing up, because the death of Allaha's mother made their father distant in a way he'd never been with his other children. While he was angry about the attempted coup, he still mostly pities his youngest sister. Lucette has always seen Aubin as unambitious and therefore unimportant. Dana + Sylviane Sylviane never understood Dana's quiet nature and love of "feminine" activities like tea, needlework, and flower arrangement when they were growing up, but as an adult she's come to realize they're just very different people. Dana used to see Sylviane as whiny, but respects her drive and capability as an adult. Dana + Dorian Dorian was too busy trying to be like Aubin to take much notice of Dana as a kid, but as they grew older her calming influence and easy advice caused them to grow close. Dana understands why Dorian acts the way he does, and wants to help him grow out of Aubin's shadow. Dana + Allaha Dana was always trying to look out for Allaha as a child, and trying to curb her wilder impulses. She saw Sylviane as alright because she could act proper when necessary, but Allaha didn't seem to understand why she needed to act different. Allaha liked Dana, but her insistence on proper behavior was always just a little chafing. After the fight mentioned above and Allaha going to the Sanctum, they grew apart as adults.Dana + Lucette Dana and Lucette were always as odds, as Dana could see through Lucette's acting even when she was a child. Being unable to manipulate Dana, Lucette was always a little jealous of her skill and her ability to still make others like her without manipulating them. This never really changed. Sylviane + Dorian As kids they were thick as thieves - both wanted to grow up into brave warriors, and both looked up to Aubin. But while Dorian wanted to be just like Aubin, Sylviane wanted to be his equal - Sylviane's mindset caused her to mature and strike out on her own, while Dorian's caused him to grow bitter and cynical. They grew apart, and Sylviane's teasing turned a little sharper around the edges. Sylviane + Allaha Despite being younger, Sylviane admired Allaha's freewill, and as kids felt a little jealous that Allaha seemed to get away with more than she had at the same age. Allaha also looked up to Sylviane, especially her ability to be both a lady and have fun romping around. As adults, they still share a mutual respect for each other, even though they haven't seen each other in years and Sylviane is now the more "wild" of the two. Sylviane + Lucette Sylviane didn't have much of an opinion of Lucette growing up - she tried to reach out to her, but they just never shared the same interests or connected. After the attempted coup by Lucette, Sylviane's feeling cemented into considerably sour territory. Dorian + AllahaThey tended to fight as children because Dorian felt like Allaha got away with everything, and he wasn't entirely wrong. He also felt jealous that their father seemed to pay her more attention... and he wasn't entirely wrong. As adults, Dorian is still angry that Allaha seems to be the center of attention even though he stayed and at least tried to do his duty and she left.Dorian + LucetteDorian hasn't been able to catch her at it, but he is aware that Lucette manipulates him. Since he couldn't prove it, she mostly just made him feel uneasy, so he avoided her. As adults and after the attempted coup, Dorian feels validated in his dislike of Lucette and she feels... more or less the same.Allaha + LucetteThey were both too young before separating to have an opinion of each other, but during the story Lucette goes from seeing Allaha as an almost useless tool to more of a role model. Allaha doesn't form an opinion.Triplets
Alistar + Brisbane Brisbane comes to see that Alistair isn't like the rest of the pack, and he can't be treated that way - or like a child. Alistair comes to understand Brisbane's responsibilities as leader of the pack mean he can't always put blood family first, even if he wants to. Alistair + Dandy They meet again at the end of Wildflowers, Part I: Dandy, and basically don't know how to act around each other anymore. Alistair reminds Dandy of their mother as an adult, and Dandy seems more or less the same to Alistair - if more angry. Brisbane + DandyThey do eventually meet again, but their relationship doesn't really change that much. They have a very fundamental understanding of each other because they are very similar people who approach things the same way, so even when they've been apart for years, they still know each other well. 

New Short Story

I've added a new short story (well, more of a novella) for a Dungeons and Dragons character! To be honest, it's the dad of one of my current characters, Kyle the tiefling bard. The story is about the aasimar Kasesi and his interesting life; how it changed from chosen one to pirate to bard, and how he came to be the father of Kyle:

“Hello, gentlemen!”

The crew turned, and immediately weapons appeared in their grip as an aasimar paladin - radiant and in full armor - stepped onto their ship.

The man chuckled, a deep, warm sound like honey. He held up his hands, “Now now, there’s no need for that - I come in peace! In fact, I have a question for all of you.”

The men and women looked at each other uneasily, no one moving as the blue-skinned man cupped his chin in amusement. The aasimar shook his head, and walked over to a railing to casually lean back on it.

“You see, I have this problem,” he started, putting his palms together, “I’m supposed to be this… chosen one thing, you know, stop some big evil or something, the usual,” he waved a hand dismissively, then put his hands back on bannister and leaned back with a heavy sigh, “Which is a very sticky situation, considering I have absolutely no interest in it.”

“That is a… sticky situation.”


The crew turned to look as their captain emerged from belowdecks. He was pale, with black hair tied back in a low ponytail and an equally dark beard. Pointed ears and red eyes gave him an otherworldly air. He waved them off, slowly walking up to the paladin.

“See?” the aasimar asked, pushing off the railing and putting a hand to his chest, “It’s nothing personal, really, I just want to be my own man.”

“And what does that have to do with your being on my ship, sir…?”

“Kasesi - just Kasesi,” the paladin replied, circling the pale captain and nodding, “Yes, see, I heard you were an elder vampire, and I was quite hoping you really were,” he paused when they were face to face once more, “See, I’m not just your run-of-the-mill ‘chosen’ aasimar - my goddess has actual plans for me beyond just enforcing law and order on the world.”

“Which makes leaving more difficult, I imagine,”  the captain drawled, eyeing his… guest suspiciously.

Kasesi snapped his fingers, “Smart man! So I came to ask some… well, let’s be honest, evil folks to help me out with something,” the paladin walked away, holding out his hands, “It’s just a little thing, small favor, I’ll owe you one,” he turned again, to lean back on the railing once more, “I just need someone to give my deva an infernal wound after I manifest him on this plane.”

The elder vampire took a moment to consider the proposition before slowly advancing on the aasimar, “If I understand you correctly,” he paused scant inches from the paladin, hands clasped behind his back, “You intend to bring an angel onto the material plane, and would like me to wound them, so that they are forced to remain?”

Kasesi grinned, crossing his arms and completely at ease, “Like I said - just a small favor.”

“I’m going to need more than a favor in return,” the captain said.

“Hmmm,” the aasimar said, cupping his chin, “Now what could I, a paladin raised from birth in a temple devoted to a good goddess possibly have to interest you?”

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Digital Storytelling: Final Reflection Selfie

Hey guys! This is my final video for my Digital Storytelling class, where I talk about what I learned through the course. Hope you enjoy!



Scene: Desk
Hello everyone! As you can see, I’m not in my usual spot for filming this - that’s because my apartment had pest control come in and I haven’t quite put everything back yet. I just wanted to say how I’ve learned a lot through the Digital Storytelling course - my tools haven’t really changed because I’m a creature of habit and when I find something that works I tend to stick with it, but I do feel that I have become much more introspective and critical of my own stories and what I want to accomplish with them. I’ve been writing and reading as long as I can remember, so a lot of the technical aspects of telling a story were old hat to me - but digital storytelling has such a focus on being personal without a real structure - and by that I mean it doesn’t consider things like a prologue, building tension, climax, etc - that it made me really think about the emotional side of storytelling. Going forward with more clarity of what I hope to convey in my stories and how personal they really are, I hope that I can be more authentic and focus more on connecting with readers in the future. As I had often heard the mantra of “everything’s a rule until it’s broken” when it came to writing, I had never given much thought to constraining myself to particularities - but I also didn’t take as close a look as to why we, or rather I, liked stories in the first place beyond “I do”. I think having a new perspective in that regard will really enhance my writing, and I hope it helps some of you, too. Until next time - happy reading.

Digital Storytelling: Collaborative Story

Hey guys! For the last assignment I did in my college class, some of my classmates and I did a group project we called "Landmarks for Life"! I hope you enjoy it!






Digital Story Title: Landmarks for LifeTeam Members: Aurora Thornton (Team Lead) Stephanie Ali (Video editor) Shante Pierson (Script Writer)Scenes: Saratoga Spa State Park, Edible Arbor Trail, and Norfolk Botanical GardensMedia Used: Narration, original images, video, audio, text, sound effects (Saratoga Spa State Park images courtesy of parks.ny.gov)Tools: iMovie, Garage BandDigital Story Duration: 3 minutes 24 seconds
Script ShanteSaratoga Spa State Park is considered to be one of New York States most scenic outdoor locations, which distinguished by its classical architecture. Listed as a National Historic Landmark, Saratoga Spa State Park has a multitude of recreational activities that the entire family can enjoy. During our first visit to Saratoga Spa State Park, my family and I enjoyed some time at Peerless Pool, but our favorite place was the playground located next to the newly updated Polaris PavilionWhat I enjoyed the most about coming to this playground is that there are a bunch of different activities that the children can enjoy but there are also opportunities for learning as well. As you can see there are different posts around the park that give bits and pieces of information about the nature that is all around us. Some of the posts describe the flowers, some of the posts described the insects that may be buzzing around. Saratoga Spa State Park is a beautiful place to visit and I am definitely looking forward to making many more trips there with my family.
Stephanie
Edible Arbor Trail, this award-winning path runs through Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter featuring several groves of hardy trees and shrubs that produce edible fruits and nuts along Missouri City’s Oyster Creek Trail in Texas.
Thank you nature! You are the tree of life. You are the natural resource that provides oxygen, food, and medicine. Thank you for improving our air and water quality. Most importantly, we thank you for making our homes.
Aurora
The Norfolk Botanical Gardens have over 60 different gardens to explore, including a children's garden and gardens for every season. They also host various events and activities, such as yoga, bike nights, and kayaking. They have various adult and children's horticultural classes and experiments with different themes, so there's something for everyone!
The Garden also has art installations spread throughout the gardens dating back to the 1950s. The garden started in 1938 when horticulturist Frederic Heutte partnered with city manager Thomas P. Thompson to create an azalea garden that would rival those in Charleston, South Carolina. The city of Norfolk gave them 75-acres of land to plant their azaleas.
Today, the garden includes 175 acres, a butterfly garden, and boat tours through the canals - which are visited by over 20,000 adults and children annually.
Ending credits
References
Hyde, C. (June 3, 2015). Edible Arbor Trail.Community Impact.  https://communityimpact.com/houston/features/2015/06/03/edible-arbor-trail/
Lambert, J. (2013). Digital Storytelling: Capturing LivesCreating Communities. (4th ed.). Routledge. New York, NY. 
Norfolk Botanical Garden (2018 August 9) Norfolk Botanical Garden. Retrieved from  http://norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/
Saratoga spa state park. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2018, from      https://parks.ny.gov/parks/112/details.aspx

Digital Storytelling: Is Writing Fiction Harder than Nonfiction?

I was talking with a coworker today, and he said the following, which caught my interest:

I heard that writing fiction is harder than nonfiction, because you have to make it believable. Like, when you here something unbelievable in fiction, you’re just like ‘that wouldn’t happen’ - but when you hear something in nonfiction, you’re like ‘damn, I can’t believe that happened’.

At first, I thought this was kind of funny - it reminded me of situations where people would criticise a work of fiction for having POC in a European medieval setting… where there are also dragons. On the first count, it’s incorrect to say there were not POC in medieval Europe - as medievalpoc on Twitter has been excellently documenting - and second, you’re alright with a giant, fire breathing lizard (that might even talk) but you draw the line at a perceived historical inaccuracy?

Look, I’m no historian, and I might wish it otherwise, but I’m pretty sure there were not real dragons running around medieval Europe.

But then I started reading Joe Lambert’s Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community and came across the following passage:

When I am explaining an idea to you, I want to be clearly understood. I want very little distance between my intended meaning, and your perceived meaning. To accomplish this, I need to be precise. I need the ideas to be substantiated by argument, where each example, each concept, builds upon the other, toward a coherent conclusion.
But when I tell a story, reflecting on moment in time, and reflecting on that reflection, I am not so concerned about interpretation. Perhaps I imagine my meaning is evident. While I might hope you would read something similar to me about what this story tells about the source of my political views, I am not trying to convince you to share them. I want you to relate my experience to your own.

It suddenly clicked for me that fiction does have an extra layer of difficulty compared to nonfiction - cultivating authenticity.

It is by no means easy to write a nonfiction story - there is definitely an art to writing these kinds of stories, such as narrative histories, memorial stories, and biographies - but these stories do not have to convince you that they’re real because, well, they are. They actually happened to someone or something at some point in time. Even if the execution is inexpert, the story itself can still be powerful and relatable simply due to the fact that it has the face of a real person or people.

On the other hand, a fictional story has a lot of catching up to do - the author needs to create a believable setting, relatable characters, relatable characters that make sense within the believable setting, relationships between the characters that readers can understand - a character that exists in a vacuum without friends, family, a job, hobbies, etc, does not feel like a “real” person. Many fictional settings get criticised for not having rules - because without rules, things just happen and the reader doesn’t understand why and it breaks their suspension of disbelief. Or when a story contradicts its own rules without explanation - if it is equally unbelievable to the characters, the impact of the break can be mitigated, but readers will often still want an explanation later on.

As Lambert says, a fiction author has to explain an idea - their fictional world - but at the same time, they need to capture the voice of someone telling a story - “reflecting on a moment in time”. This is a balancing act that nonfiction stories can circumvent - the world we live in does not need to be explained for context, and when we tell stories of real people, we don’t need to fabricate the connections they have to other people and things.

Trying to find the balance between these two concepts is very difficult - it’s the root of arguments such as “show, don’t tell”, a common adage used by writers to prevent walls of text just vomiting exposition at a reader with no explanation. On the flip-side, there are author that can “tell” rather than “show” in a way that is engaging and catches the reader’s attention rather than losing it in textbook style definitions.

There are, of course, several ways for fiction writers to cultivate authenticity - relatable characters, clear rules for how their setting works, etc - and there are certainly ways for nonfiction writers to lose authenticity - lacking sources, telling stories too unbelievable to have happened, having an unreliable narrator, etc.

So, between cultivating authenticity and telling a (nonfiction) story, which do you think is more difficult?








Lambert, J. (2013) Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community (4th ed.). Routledge, New York:NY.

Digital Storytelling: Allaha of the Mountain Abridged

Ok, so before I share the video... I meant to have real people acting out everything, as I said in an earlier post. But then life happened to all my actors, so at the last minute I switched to.... sock puppets. 
Guys.
I made twenty sock puppets for this. And I could only find one more puppeteer (who asked to be known as "annoying hair flip") to help me out. It's.... it's rough. But I still had a lot of fun making it, and I hope you have a lot of fun watching it. Anyways, here it is: Allaha of the Mountain Abridged. 
(Script Below)







Allaha of the Mountain Abridged written byAurora Lee Thornton



FADE IN:TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY I"Writing appears on the screen, matching what the voice over is saying. ALLAHA (V.O.)I am Allaha. I am giving my final testimony before my sentence, death, is carried out. This should in no way be taken as the author giving readers insight into the thought process and emotional state of an otherwise stoic and emotionally unavailable character. Especially not by starting with the death of my mother, a very emotional place that shaped the rest of my life. FOREST - TITLE CARD READS "THE SEER OF HASTAPUT"ALEC, ALLAHA, TAMARA, HIBU, and KAREJAKAL are standing around. ALECHullo, I'm Alec and I'm here to kick start some forced exposition that introduces all the main characters.ALLAHAI'm Allaha, a Knight of the Mountain. As you can see, I am very stoic by my stern expression and formal speech. TAMARAI'm Tamara, and I'm a Menori, a people that are loosely inspired by the Romani people. I'm an empath, but because I'm a teenager, I can get confused about why people are feeling the emotions they do. My main character traits are being wise for my years, but still being a teenager so sometimes I'm not. HIBUI'm Hibu, a Journeyman Sorcerer of the Zho, the royal family of a country called Jeongwon that will be hinted at until we get to my emotional character arc about the abuses I suffered and how I'm still dealing with them. My main character traits are being curious and socially awkward. KAREJAKALKarej is Karej. Karej is a Tibu, and a child. Karej can summon ghosts to help Mama. ALECBy the way Allaha, do you remember how we grew up together as children and how it is painfully obvious that I have an unrequited crush on you?ALLAHAI do remember that.ALECAlso, I'm going to bring up local superstitions about monsters in the forest that I'm going to scoff at as if they aren't true, because they surely aren't. ALLAHAIt's fine, it was prompted by plot. GORIC appears.GORICAllaha has a past? Please tell me, Goric the demon whose main character traits are being annoying and perverted, all about it!ALLAHADo not do that. ALECThen I won't.GORICDrat. NARRATORSo the group goes the Keep of Timerbrand, where they find out Alec's father, the Lord of Timerbrand, is dying. We get to see the group interact with each other, including giving Allaha a hard time about her mysterious relationship with Alec after the lordling asks her to meet him alone after dinner. They meet on the rooftop at night, because Alec is brooding, and literary convention requires that brooding occurs on a rooftop at night. EXT. ROOFTOPALECMy father is dying. ALLAHAI noticed.ALECYour mother died - that gives us emotional solidarity while I go through a difficult time. ALLAHAYou are correct. ALECAlso I'm marrying your sister.ALLAHAThis does not surprise me. ALECRemember when I proposed to you when we were like eight?ALLAHAYes. But we're adults now that have gone on different paths in our lives and that will clearly not work out. ALECYeah, that sucks, cause I'm still totally in love with you despite not knowing anything about who you are now and even calling you a completely different person. ALLAHAWell good luck with your father dying. ALECOh right. I'm sad.EXT. TOWNNARRATORSo the next morning they go into town and surprisingly, the people implied to be vaguely British are racist against the character implied to be vaguely Romani. Allaha finds a guide to take her to meet the local seer, a witch named Alistair, who is very obviously a not good person by the way he looks, smells, and acts.DASBULA woman doing something I don't like! Whore!ALLAHAI'm going to get you to do what I want by threatening to turn you in for breaking the law. Also threatening to hurt you if you insult my charges again. DASBULI am supringly cowardly and easy to convince. NARRATORBut Dasbul is also really fast, and abandons Allaha in the forest. Goric joins her to make fun of her, but it's alright, because a rooster guides her to the witch she's looking for, leading to this conversation the author is very proud of:On screen flashes the words "ACTUAL DIALOGUE".ALISTAIRAsvorian?ALLAHAAre you Alistair?ALISTAIRWho would like to know?ALLAHAAllaha of the Mountain.GORICDid you REALLY name your chicken after the Angel of Fertility?ALISTAIRHe’s my familiar. My most common requests are for childbirth and fertility.GORICSo you use your cock for-ALLAHAPeace, demon.GORICWhat? I was just going to say it made sense...Flashing text ends.NARRATORAnyways, it starts to rain, so Alistair lets the knight stay in his cabin for the night - this will in no way lead to a giant misunderstanding the next day. Back in the village, character development is being set up. KAREJAKALWhey are you angry at Hibu?TAMARABecause he did something I'm going to leave vaguely explained that caused me to get get hurt by being arrogant. KAREJAKALBut he said sorry. TAMARAI know. KAREJAKALAnd he was just trying to help. TAMARAI know. KAREJAKALAnd mama said it wasn't his fault.TAMARAI know! Gods, can't you just let me be an emotionally immature teenager for five minutes? I'm going to go dance in the rain because I'm emotionally distraught and no one understands me!KAREJAKALOk, have fun. NARRATORBack at Alistair's cabin, howling wakes up Allaha. To everyone's absolute surprise in a fantasy novel, there are actual werewolves living in the forest. They bring an injured wolf to Alistair for treatment after being shot by Dasbul, and Alistair leaves them naked in his back shed to heal, which will surely not lead to a future misunderstanding. The werewolf leader, Brisbane, is also suspicious of Allaha. BRISBANEWhy is there an outsider here? ALISTAIRShe's here to see me.BRISBANEWhy?ALISTAIRDoesn't matter. BRISBANEWell I don't trust her. She could be lying. ALISTAIRKnights of the Mountain can't lie, so that's impossible.ALLAHAI'm here for a vision. BRISBANEA vision? No, no, no - a vision killed our mother, I won't allow it!ALISTAIRYou aren't the boss of me! (To ALLAHA) Also, I'm a werewolf. BRISBANEWell don't come crying to me when this ends poorly.ALISTAIRIt won't.BRISBANE walks out of frame.ALISTAIR (CONT'D)So want to have an emotional talk about our dead mothers and messy sibling relationships?ALLAHASounds good. NARRATORThe next day, things end poorly. DASBULI'm angry because the witch is a werewolf and it scares me!ALISTAIRI have literally done nothing wrong.ALLAHAYeah, he really hasn't.DASBULLook! The knight stayed in his house! They must have frick-fracked, which knights don't do, which means he used magic to seduce her!ALLAHAThat makes no sense.DASBULHaving a naked woman in his shed makes no sense either!ALISTAIRShe's a patient.DASBULNaked!NARRATORAnd then the other wolf left to guard the naked woman attacked and a mob ties up Alistair and Allaha and takes them into town to burn Alistair at the stake and end his evil witch magic. On the way, Allaha sees Brisbane and tells him to go to the nearby Sanctum for help. Tied up ALLAHA and wolf BRISBANE nod at each other. NARRATOR (CONT'D)In town, the stake is set up and Allaha is secured nearby. Tamara, Karejakal, and Hibu come to talk to Allaha. TAMARAWell this is bad. ALLAHAYes. HIBUShould I use magic to help?Text flashes on the bottom saying "ACTUAL DIALOGUE". ALLAHANo. They intend to burn Alistair for being a witch. Magic like that will only add fuel to the fire.GORICLiterally. Flashing text ends. 
DASBULWhat? Children!? We can't have this!ALLAHAThat's a bad idea. KAREJAKALI want mama! NARRATORSo Karejakal summoned a bunch of spooky ghosts that chased everyone away, breaking the hysteria. A bunch of priests show up from the Sanctum, admonish the townspeople for hurting innocents, and banish Alistair because of vaguely discussed politics. Brisbane declares the Pack sticks together, so thanks Allaha for saving his brother's life before they leave.BRISBANE and ALLAHA shake hands and BRISBANE and ALISTAIR walk off frame. NARRATOR (CONT'D)Then Alec shows up to let Allaha know his father has died. She gives him a hug as a gesture of comfort, and he awkwardly kisses her for closure on his childhood crush. And so ends chapter one. TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY II"ALLAHA (V.O.)It's now time to talk about my rocky relationship with my father due to him not paying me enough attention after my mother's death. This includes a healthy dose of self reflection, and surely none of the background I'm giving has anything to do with a later part of the story. OUTSIDE - TITLE CARD READS "THE WISEWOMAN OF BADEREAD"ALLAHA, HIBU, KAREJAKAL, and TAMARA pretend to ride horses. NARRATORAfter a lot of boring walking that helps establish the setting and passage of time, our heroes come across a giant graveyard, and Karejakal breaks off to go play with ghost children. HIBUH-h-h-hey guys, s-s-shouldn't we m-move on?TAMARADon't tell me you're scared?
HIBUW-whaaat? N-no way!GORICYeah, that's really convincing. NARRATORAfter a brief rest, the group continues on to find a spooooky abandoned town. Allaha doesn't trust it, but does trust the spooky abandoned Sanctum overlooking the town. The group decides to spend the night there, but Allaha wants to investigate the town. ALLAHAI'm going to investigate the town. GORICGuess I'll just stay here then, pookiebear. ALLAHAYou do realize I've caught onto the fact that you're just trying to make me angry, right?GORICYou have?ALLAHAYup. You'll just have to find new ways to annoy me. Farewell.NARRATORAfter showing how their relationship is progressing, Allaha goes into town and ends up finding a bunch of spooooky ghosts who aren't very helpful. Then she runs into a random old woman and they head to her home. Meanwhile, Karejakal runs away, and Tamara and Hibu find him in the middle of a giant GHOST PARTY. Flashing lights, sirens, etc.NARRATOR (CONT'D)While they're out having fun, the old woman tells Allaha the story of what happened to the village because honestly the author forgot what she had planned when she got to this part and made some stuff up but she's pretty happy with how it turned out overall. At the end of the night, Tamara and Hibu have a fight because while Tamara's powers of empathy give her insight into how people are feeling, she's still a teenager and isn't actually all the great at the why part. Allaha gets back to the group after the old woman dies, freeing all the ghosts and causing the village to melt away like morning mist. TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY III"ALLAHA (V.O.)By the way, the way knights are trained includes both physical and psychological torture, which is why I'm so emotionally unavailable. TITLE CARD READS "THE HERMIT OF DANABANE"NARRATORAfter some more boring walking and character development - who needs that? - we find out heroes scaling a mountainside. HIBUI still hate bad weather, and it is very cold and snowy here. GORICDon't be a baby.NARRATORBut they soon enter an in built into the side of the mountain, where some 9 foot tall dwarves greet them because the author thought if Tolkein got away with making elves tall, why not make tall dwarves? Anyways, they have a weird accent and their entire city is built inside the mountain. The group travels to a Sanctum inside the mountain, where they get to enjoy some natural hot springs for bathing. Allaha and Tamara discuss differences in their personal beliefs, and soon Allaha goes out into a magical blizzard because it's preventing her from seeing the oracle outside the town. After some struggle, she meets a man named Karaby. GORICOr Estalvo. ALLAHAThe Angel of Death in my religion?KARABYIt's Karaby. I'm not an angel and I hate you religion and your god. ALLAHABut you are Estalvo?KARABYYes. ALLAHAI really don't know how to react to this. KARABYWell since you're not here for me I guess you can see Rhyodacite, the hermit you came to see. ALLAHAThanks?NARRATOROn the way Allaha slips on some ice and Karaby catches her, but then acts like touching her physically hurt her and never explains why - though it is heavily implied that Goric knows why. Naturally, he shares nothing, so Allaha gets her vision from Rhyodacite - it only took 130 some pages OT get to the first one - and returns to the Sanctum so they can get ready to go to the next place. TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY IV"ALLAHA (V.O.)Hey remember how I have a bad relationship with my father? I'm here to remind you of that again. TITLE CARD READS "THE ORACLE OF BAKHAA"NARRATOROnce again we're going to skip all the travel time and possible character development therein (such as Tamara realizing she's been acting like an immature teenager, reconciling with Hibu, and both forming a deeper bond as surrogate siblings) and go right to the heart of the chapter. After indulging in the author's old style military uniform fetish for a few paragraphs, we meet Commander Scorun, a Jaspernian who seems nice as he explains the tensions between his people and the Irikish and Carboneans at Hibu's request. The fact that his description is almost as long as the character descriptions form the beginning of the book means absolutely nothing, and certainly does not indicate favoritism on the author's part. Anyways, some Irikish and Carboneans arrive and the Commander flees, which seems suspicious to Allaha and Goric. That night, Tamara can't sleep and goes exploring the hotel. She comes across a secret meeting where the Carboneans and Irikish are being made a deal to help get a Jaspernian out of the way. On her way back to the room, she gets waylaid by the Commander, who reveals he's the target of the deal. He insists Tamara not get involved, but she wakes up Hibu to try and do otherwise.TAMARALook he was super nice and also people plan to kill him, we should help!HIBUI don't think that's a good idea...GORICHe's also a liar. TAMARAWhat? He wasn't lying! I can tell with my magic!GORICOk, he didn't lie per se, but he did manipulate your perception of the truth. NARRATORSo Goric explains the slightly convoluted way that the Commander tricked her using the help of another Jaspernian named Desrae, and they all go to bed afterwards with no harm done. The next afternoon, they head into the desert to get to their next destination, when a bunch of naked snake women kidnap Allaha and drag her off. The children race back to the inn, and Tamara confronts the Commander to blackmail him into helping them. TAMARAWow that is a lot of scars. SCORUNWhat do you want?TAMARAYou tried to trick me, and if you don't help, I'll expose you!SCORUN... damn it all to hell. Des! I'm blaming you for this!DESRAEI don't think it's my fault, but I'm going along with this anyways.NARRATORSo after the Jaspernian rogues get dressed, they go to rescue Allaha. She's being held by a demon named Malia.Blank screen reading "Explicit Content Not Shown".NARRATOR (CONT'D)But on the way, they realize that the Carboneans are following them. The Commander shows Tamara how to use Insight - a power they both have - to trick the Carboneans into fighting the snake women for them. Goric appears in corporeal form for the first time to egt into a big fight with Malia. They rescue Allaha, but there's only one hitch... SCORUN(Dragging Desrae)You're coming with me.DESRAEIsn't this a weird time to want to frick-frack?SCORUNI agree, unfortunately, being in a room full of aphrodisiac tends to change things. DESRAEWell can we at least make things interesting?SCORUN... you want to invite the demon, don't you?DESRAEDuh.SCORUNFine, but be quick.NARRATORSo off they go to play patty cake, and all is well for the rest of the night. Allaha wakes up, they learn that the oracle they had come to see was a fake, and at the end Allaha calls Goric by his name for the first time due to a promise in the last chapter the author forgot to put in the script and you probably forgot about while reading the book, showing more character progression between the two of them. TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY V"ALLAHA (V.O.)Here I tell you about the magical process used in becoming a knight, the part that makes us immune to magic and could not possibly have an explanation the author intends to reveal later. TITLE CARD READS "THE MAIDEN OF THORNS"Scene is the author at her kitchen table. AUTHOROkay, guys, look - this is the longest chapter in the book. The next longest chapter is only half the length of this one. This is because the way the chapters are structured in the book are based on the length of time they spend in the location where a prophet of some kind resides - in the other chapters, it was only a day at most. In this chapter, they spend two weeks in one location, which is why this chapter is so SO long. So to save time and my patience, I'm just going to summarize it myself instead of in a skit. The author pulls out a script and begins reading. AUTHOR (CONT'D)The group is riding through the Forrest in Ruruak when they learn that the next prophet they're going to see is in Allaha's home town. They then run into a hunting party, which it turns out is being led by Allaha's older brother, Aubin. Her other brother, Dorian, is a bit of an ass and acts like it. They start riding back while the siblings sibling, revealing the Allaha was a bit of a wild child. But then Dorian brings back their father who - you'll never guess - Allaha has a bad relationship with. Also, he's a Duc and the King's Champion. They get to the Duc's keep and get rooms, and Allaha immediately goes off to talk to her bother about seeing the prophet. Tamara, Hibu, and Karejakal are left to the Stewart, Winoc, who tells them a really long story that is definitely not foreshadowing. Along the way they meet a page named Michel who tells Tamara she's pretty and Hibu and Goric recognize trouble because he said it in a pretty racist way. Allaha meets up with Aubin and his boyfriend and girlfriend and they tell her about the attempted coup her sister, the prophet, staged while she was away. Allaha goes OT her mother's cabin, where her sister is banished, and after they talk she goes to take care of her grandmother's garden and visit her mother's grave. Hibu, Tamara, and Karejakal get dressed up for a birthday ball for Allaha's other sister, Sylvianne. Because the Ruruach druids see demons as spirits, they help Goric take corporeal form again and he goes to retrieve Allaha for the celebration. They have a bit of a tiff - Text on screen reads "The author apologizes for writing this while watching a British crime show. Not Sherlock - the Midsomer Murders."AUTHOR (CONT'D)And Allaha runs into her sister Sylvianne on the way and her sister's fiance, Theimo, at the head of their mercenary band. Sylvianne convinces Allaha to wear a dress to everyone's surprise, and at the ball we meet the King - a crotchety old man - and the Dauphin - Text on screen reads "French word for crown prince"AUTHOR (CONT'D)And then they wait because Lucette, Allaha's traitorous sister, said she needed the full moon to give a vision. Tamara and Hibu are invited to noble parties, where Tamara gets caught up playing noblewoman and Hibu plays some shell games to try and keep her from getting hurt. Marcellin, the Dauphin, notices and starts flirting with Hibu because of it. Tamara finds out what hibu did and they have a big blow out fight and stop speaking to each other. Meanwhile, Allaha is off doing other things and leaving them to their own devices for once. Goric comes to ask her and she imparts the wisdom of siblings and letting them sort out their own fight to him. They have a quiet moment and soon after Karejakal becomes concerned with Allaha's absence. He goes and yells at Tamara and Hibu for being dumb teenagers, and the pair make up and all three go to look for Allaha. They run into Marcellin, who takes Hibu to see griffons hatch after he noticed Hibu seemed interested in them. Hibu ends up being gifted an albino griffon and talks about his difficult past. This causes him and Marcellin to have a sweet moment together where Marcellin reveals he likes Hibu for being a good person. Tamara and Karejakal go to see Winoc the Stewart -Text reads "Bet you forgot him"AUTHOR (CONT'D)Who is married to a man name Taulb, the stablemaster, and they share some insight on the relationship between Allaha and her father. For the second week of their stay, Tamara and Hibu act like themselves, with Hibu taking care of a grifflet. Allaha doesn't really seem to care about Marcellin's involvement, and the King gives her a book with her mother's portrait in it. They finally get a prophecy out of Lucette and SHOCKINGLY Allaha is the actual person who is going to save the world. She really didn't expect this, she kind of just thought she'd help. Even though the vision was triggered by her and everything. Also - foreshadowing. AUTHOR pauses to shrug.AUTHOR (CONT'D)So they go back to the keep to pack and say their goodbyes, including Allaha's father seeing them off to show the way they've made a little progress towards repairing their relationship. And we're done.AUTHOR throws the script away and lays down. TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY VI"ALLAHA (V.O.)Just the vow of the Knights of the Mountain. TITLE CARD READS "THE SOOTHSAYER OF MEYAYA"NARRATORAfter a brief variation of "The Landlady" meets "The Most Dangerous Game" which scars Tamara for life, the trio head to Tibu to meet their next prophet. On the way they see a trio including a Derovon, a Jaspernian, and a Demoroki woman who are in a relationship and will be more relevant in later books. Anyways, they get to the village of Meyaya and Karejakal decides to stay with the chieftain and learn with other Tibu. Hibu and Goric decide to stay as well and look after him. Allaha and Tamara go on to the Sanctum, which they learn is full of only female knights. While there, Allaha meets with their Knight Captain, a Carbonean named Dalti, and the High Priestess, a Korinwanese woman named Akoni. Text on screen flashes "ACTUAL DIALOGUE"DALTISo you travel with a demon? Has that caused you any trouble?ALLAHAIt has on occasion, ma’am. But nothing I could not handle.DALTII like that answer. You know nothing in our laws actually says we have to kill them, right?ALLAHACaptain?AKONIShe’s right, we checked. Strange, though, isn’t it? Lord Devera was the first Head of the Order to start hunting them in force the way we have.DALTIOdd how long he’s lived, too, don’t you think?AKONIThere is something I do not understand. Why did Lord Devera send you to find those with the Sight? Especially with your charges?DALTIShe means it would have made more sense to have them come to you. If you all are supposed to play important roles in this, why risk you by having you traipse all over Magdra?NARRATORAllaha has no answers for these questions which are not plot holes because the author does have answers she's not going to tell you right now. In the village, Hibu gets hit on by the girls and this almost starts a brawl that they manage to turn into a dance party instead. You know, how you do. Goric is corporeal some more, and then Allaha comes to ask Hibu to do magic. The prophet they're looking for is Genoarian, making him a merman who lives underwater. Hibu, who has been very nervous about using magic ever since that vaguely explained accident at the beginning you probably forgot about, very nervously agrees to magic himself and Tamara to breath underwater the next day. They all have some good bonding moments the night before that would be much sweeter if this had included all that character development from the rest of the book, but that's why this is abridged. Anwyays, they go to see the prophet, K'Div, the next day after Hibu gives them gills.NARRATOR (CONT'D)They go through an underwater city and find a giant glowing pearl. K'Div turns out to be a giant sharkmerman, and Hibu touches the pearl. K'Div tells him it is a source of Old Magic, and after touching it Hibu gets some new powers. K'Div then gives them a vision, which Hibu's new powers let him see as well. K'Div then helps them get to the surface, and they all return to the cabin near the Sanctum they were staying in. While Hibu and Tamara recount their journey, Alistair shows up. You know, the werewolf witch from the first chapter? He brings his rooster, too. The other knights warn Allaha both to stay and to run away, worried something bad is going to happen. She decides to continue her quest anyways.TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY VII"ALLAHA (V.O.)Here I finally talk about the death of the Oracle of Jourmaju and the broken prophecy that started this whole thing. TITLE CARD READS "SEER OF THE PARK"NARRATORSo the werewolves are with Alistair and Allaha and the kids start traveling with the pack. It's super obvious that they're really nervous about something, which leads to a confrontation that would be much more rewarding with more character development like the kind you'll find in the actual book. Anyways, they end up having to tie up Allaha and travel to the abandoned Sanctum in Baderead to hide out from spoilers. Hibu doesn't agree with tying Allaha up, and ends up summoning an army of skeletons to rescue her and spirit her away to spoilerville. There's a small section at the end full of spoilers, and then spoilers happen. TESTIMONY - TITLE CARD READS "TESTIMONY VIII"ALLAHA (V.O.)Uh, foreshadowing?TITLE CARD READS "EPILOGUE"NARRATORSo it turns out that spoiler is spoiler, and the spoiler he spoiled spoiler away was in spoils that spoiler would get spoiled along the spoiler. Spoiler had spoiler spoiled because spoiler thought spoiler spoiler spoiler's spoiler spoiler, but spoiler didn’t. Spoiler doesn’t spoil because spoiler’s still spoiling spoiler. Spoiler also spoils spoilself so spoiler can spoil spoiler, and the spoiler spoils spoiler from spoiler.TITLE CARD READS "END"Sound of a book shutting. 

Digital Storytelling: Learning the Anatomy of a Story, Part I - Technique

“The first obstacle is the terminology most writers use to think about story. Terms like “rising action,” “climax,” “progressive complication,” and “denouement,” terms that go as far back as Aristotle, are so broad and theoretical as to be almost meaningless. Let’s be honest: they have no practical value for storytellers.

I quite like the way John Truby phrases this in his book, The Anatomy of Story. It reminds me of my favorite rule of writing: “Everything is a rule… until it isn’t.” 
I think the thing I enjoy the most about Truby’s book so far is the way he breaks down the problems with traditional schools of thought when it comes to writing, and how, as he puts it, “a mechanical view of a story… inevitably leads to episodic storytelling. An episodic story is a collection of pieces, like parts stored in a box. Events in the story stand out as discrete elements and don’t connect or build steadily from beginning to end. The result is a story that moves the audience sporadically, if at all.”
Truby goes on to state that “just as many writers have a mechanical view of what a story is, they use a mechanical process for creating one… the result: a hopelessly generic, formulaic story devoid of originality.” 
Enough quoting (for now) - let’s discuss what Truby is saying here. While Truby used a screenplay for his example, I’ll dive into my favorite genre of literature: fantasy. 
I’m sure all the fans of fantasy have seen the lists. What lists, you ask? Well, the list of “Ways to Tell you Are in a High Fantasy Novel”1, “The Eight Character Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey”2, or even “6 Signs You’re Not the Main Character”3. These often humorous lists are ways in which fans acknowledge tropes in their favorite genre. When Truby talks about a mechanical process, these are the kind of things he’s speaking of. 
For example, what makes a book a fantasy book? Well, in general:There is magic and/or magical creatures
That’s it. There are a lot of subgenres, though, so once again I’ll stick to what I know. So, what makes a book a “high” fantasy? What “defines” the genre?There is magic There are magical races (usually elves, dwarves, orcs, etc)It takes place in an alternate (typically medieval) realmThe protagonist is a heroThe protagonist is on a great quest to defeat an evil
The high fantasy genre was established back with Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings series, which is why most of the “qualifiers” are from his books. So say that you decide you want to create a high fantasy novel, and you decide you need to follow all the rules of the genre. You make a hero who is on a quest to defeat a great evil, in a fantasy realm where magic and magical races abound. 
How many stories can you name with that plot?
(Here’s a hint - mine’s one of them. Hey - I’m honest.)
None of these things are bad on their own - something I like to say is that cliches are cliches for a reason - they work. But the problem comes in when a story relies solely on cliches and adds nothing original. Cliches are not a story - they’re parts of a story. A “collection of pieces”, if you will. Things such as “the hero gets the girl” - there have long been criticisms of this trope, usually because no time is devoted to developing the relationship between the protagonist and their love interest. No one minds that “the hero gets the girl” - they just want it to mean something. 
As Truby stated, having the hero get the girl just because he’s supposed to won’t move an audience - not without proper build up from the beginning of the story. 
So how do you write a high fantasy novel without following convention? It’s a genre because of the similarities in the stories in it, and if that’s the kind of story you want to write, how do you write a specific genre without falling back on a set of rules? 
Well, I’ll tell you what I did, and then we’ll go back to Truby for his advice. I’ll also throw in a breakdown of another author in the same genre, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, as I and many other would consider him, as Truby phrases it, a “master storyteller”.There is magicOk, well how does it work? By setting up unique rules for how the magic in your fantasy setting works, rather than leaving it vague - even if it isn’t explained to the reader - you’re differentiating your magic from the magic someone throws in who just adds magic because it’s supposed to be there. I actually have an entire document breaking down how magic works in Magdra, and it does follow a specific set of rules to work the way it does. There is a little explanation in the books so far, but I don’t (at the moment) have any time when I pause to go into a long complicated discussion on how magic works. You can tell there are rules just by how the characters interact, though. Brandon Sanderson - in Mistborn (I’m only going to discuss the first novel as far as I remember it), magic also has a particular set of rules. Characters that have magic need to eat metal to “fuel” their powers - alternatively, another set of characters can store power in metal (usually jewelry), but the fact remains that a component is needed for magic to work. It is also shown that only particular individuals can use magic - which is not explained in the first book, but the reader can tell there is an explanation. By setting up these unique rules (and the puzzles they add to the story), Sanderson creates something unique out of a convention. There are magical racesWell, I tried to stay away from “traditional” fantasy races - elves, dwarves, orcs, etc - but they did in some form end up in the story. Where they do exist, so also do other, nontraditional (though not entirely unique) races exist. I tried to create societies around these races that differed from normal fantasy races - I put the elves in a swamp and made them anthropomorphic frogs, I made “dwarves” extremely tall, I have harpies that are obsessed with love, and deertaurs as opposed to centaurs. Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn is a lackluster example of magical races, but in Sanderson’s other works he includes entirely original races not found in other fantasy stories. It takes place in an alternate realmI tried to include cultures that were inspired by non-Western medieval countries, which is what many fantasy stories do. I have entire pages on each country as well, while still not detracting to tell the reader all about every single on in detail. Many of the countries are inspired by real world places, which is something I hope to move away from in the future, but others are their own creation devoid of such inspiration. Brandon Sanderson - the world of Mistborn is wholly different from the “standard” high fantasy world. It contains few countries, and is not based on any real world location. It is still not our own world, but it not a world based on convention, either. The protagonist is a heroAllaha is the protagonist of my story, and throughout she follows a strict moral code and is, in fact, a hero. However, throughout the story, she runs into more morally gray situations, and sometimes has to make hard decisions that may not necessarily be “right”. She also has to deal with more personal issues, such as her relationship with her family and her faith - complications that help separate her from other heroes in the same genre. Brandon Sanderson - Vin is the protagonist of Mistborn, and is a bit more of a classic hero story. She is a street urchin that is blessed with great power,  brought under the wing of a wise mentor. However, Sanderson takes the time to develop Vin’s personality, her likes and dislikes, and also has her run into morally gray situations and have to make tough decisions. Flaws are often the saving graces of fantasy heroes - when they have them, they feel more relatable. The protagonist is on a quest to defeat a great evilMy “twist” on this is that unlike other stories, my hero has no idea what evil she faces or how to stop it. In fact, the first book is all her and her companions trying to find answers to these questions. Usually the quest a hero undergoes in a story is straightforward - go get this evil-stopping weapon, go to this place for evil-stopping power, stop the evil before it happens by sealing it with this ritual which requires etc etc etc. Making the quest more complicated, or the path to victory harder to visualize, the quest becomes less by the numbers. Brandon Sanderson - ok, this man is a master of foreshadowing, so I can’t really explain without giving away spoilers. If you’ve read the books, however, you likely know that you will not see the endings of his books coming. 
So using my own work and the work of a celebrated author, I’ve shown how you can write for a specific genre without making your story exactly like every other story in the same genre. So let’s see what Truby has to say on the subject of writing stories without following a mechanical process. 
Truby’s goals to his readers are that he will:Show that a great story is organic - not a machine but a living body that developsTreat storytelling as an exacting craft with precise techniques that will help you be successful, regardless of the medium or genre you chooseWork through a writing process that is also organic, meaning that we will develop characters and plot that grow naturally out of your original story idea
One of my personal favorite phrases that Truby uses here is that “your characters seem to be acting on their own, as they must, even though you are the one making them act that way”. I like this phrase because as many writers and avid readers know, many great authors will tell you that their characters do act on their own. I myself have changed parts of my stories because my characters derailed my intentions, and oftentimes to authors their characters feel like real people, just as they do to the readers. 
In the next part of this series, I’ll get more into the processes Truby discusses - well, as much as I can without giving the book away. 


[1] http://the-toast.net/2015/01/23/tell-high-fantasy-novel/ [2] https://mythcreants.com/blog/the-eight-character-archetypes-of-the-heros-journey/[3] http://www.collegehumor.com/post/7043736/6-signs-youre-not-the-main-character
Truby, J. (2007) The Anatomy of Story. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, NY.

Beautiful People #7

(Series by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In)


Since Dandy comes out this week, I'm going to slow down on the series. I'm going to switch to once every other week instead of every week, and switch to upcoming characters or just whoever I feel like at the time, ha ha.

1. What is their secret desire?

Dandy - to feel safe again.

Toru - to wake up and find that everything that happened was just a dream.

2. What is the best and brightest moment they experience during the story?

Dandy - waking up with her lover and being completely comfortable in her own skin for a few minutes.

Toru - finally letting go of his past and moving forward.

3. What are the emotional places your characters are afraid to go to?

Dandy - literally anywhere emotional - but in particular, about her past; even more specifically, about her family.

Toru - admitting that he doesn't really want revenge anymore.

4. Is there a place/city/room where they will never go? Why?

Dandy - no only because she would have to admit weakness if she didn't.

Toru - his family estate, because he feels he cannot return until he has reclaimed his honor.

5. If they were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? (Why?)

Dandy - she would literally leave with the shirt on her back and nothing else. She doesn't keep anything particularly sentimental, and considers everything else replaceable.

Toru - His sword is the only thing he'd make sure to take with him, since it's a sign of his station and was given to him by his father.

6. What do they want (consciously and tangibly)?

Dandy - to get paid and get laid.

Toru - to fulfill his mission and return home.

7. On the other hand: what do they need (on the emotional, subconscious level)?

Dandy - to accept the support of her friends and move on from her past, and to realize she deserves nice things.

Toru - to realize his own shortcomings and work on improving them.

8. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?

Dandy - she would never run away from home.

Toru - to be more suspicious (as he sees himself as too trusting).

9. What is the most humiliating event of their life?

Dandy - when she was the slave of Choi Shuon.

Toru - the first time he met Dandy, and was a sleep-deprived, half drunk mess in the gutter.

10. What things do they turn to when they need a bit of hope?

Dandy - opium.

Toru - poetry.


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Digital Storytelling: The Importance of Context and Understanding What Your Story is Really Saying

Today I watched Hannah Gadsby’s hour comedy special “Nanette” on Netflix and it was so heartfelt, and a lot of the act spoke to me. One of the things she spoke on was the current romanticism of mental illness, and as someone that has ADHD, anxiety, and depression, this related to me a lot. She also spoke on her experience on coming out as a lesbian, and one phrase really spoke out to me: “You learn from the part of the story you focus on. I need to tell my story properly”. What she was discussing, was coming from a conservative Christian area in Tasmania, where she says “70% of the people who raised me, loved me, who I trusted -  believed that homosexuality was a sin, that homosexuals were heinous sub-human pedophiles” and how this affected her view of her self-worth. She goes on to speak about how she turned her coming out story into a comedy routine - as many young gay comedians do - and how it caused her to compartmentalize and minimize the pain she’d felt, instead of dealing with it the way she should have - the way she wished she had. While this is a very deeply personal story, and a very personal analysis, it made me start thinking on my stories and what I focus on.

My latest book, Dandy, had a very challenging main character for me. When I wrote the rough draft of my first book - Allaha of the Mountain - it was from a very depressed place. My cat, Zane - my first pet that had been my pet and not a family pet - died. And I largely felt that it was my fault for being a young, inexperienced owner. (You’ll also notice that the dedication is to him, and one of the main characters - Karejakal - is based on him.) I know now that that did play a part of it, but the larger problem was that Zane had somehow contracted feline leukemia (despite having been vaccinated) and so when one thing went wrong, everything did. The same thing happened to his brother, Ramses, whom Dandy is dedicated to. So at the time I wrote Allaha of the Mountain for the first time, I was in a depressive state. And while my ex thought that the title character, Allaha, was based on me, I would say it would be more accurate to say that she is my depression personified. It shows in her emotional detachment, the way she seems to have a hard time connecting to actual feeling - good or bad.

So my goal with Allaha has become accurately portraying someone with depression, and in her story it’s the support of her friends and her responsibility for other people that helps her to reclaim herself. Because initially she turned to religion as her support system, and I don’t mean to discredit anyone whose faith has helped them - but I was raised in a Christian household, and I needed more than faith. Faith itself is not wrong; but oftentimes, and usually well-meaningly and unconsciously, it is postulated as a cureall - anything can be fixed with enough faith. So when your problems - when your pain, your feelings of isolation, your feelings of being not quite right - when they don’t go away, it’s because you don’t have enough faith. And you don’t seek outside support, because you’ve been taught that all you need is faith, and maybe you’re ashamed that you don’t have the faith you’re supposed to have. Because how can you, when your problems still exist?

Allaha focuses on a woman who buried her pain in blind religious faith, and found that if she just made herself enough of the perfect model of the ideal practitioner of this faith, she could pretend that the hurt wasn’t there. In reality, she was suffering from a prolonged depressive state, and it made her emotionally unavailable. Not because she relied on faith, but because she only relied on faith. Throughout the series, I want to be able to depict her journey back to herself through confronting her pain, rather than burying it. Through relying on the people who love her, rather than blindly following doctrine. And it’s a personal battle that I’ve experienced - the fight between faith and personal beliefs, and what to do when the two stop matching up the way you thought they used to, and how sometimes faith can isolate you instead of give you a place to belong.

Circling back, if Allaha is a representation of my depression, Dandy is a representation of my anxiety. From the outset I knew Dandy would be a complicated character to portray. I wanted to accurately portray someone who was using extremely unhealthy coping mechanisms for their mental illness (PTSD) without making her entirely unsympathetic. Dandy is crass, and mean - sometimes it’s clever, but most of the time it’s just mean. There’s one particular scene where she crosses a line with a friend because she’s in pain and wants to push them away so that they don’t recognize she is (even though they already have) because she has come to believe that she is the only person she can rely on. There are other times that she can really be outright vicious.

Now, I have never gotten to the point where I have crossed that line - but I have been more cutting than I meant to, and I can sometimes be mean. Especially to myself, if I’m being completely honest. And while I have never abused any illicit substances, I have wondered what it would be like to use them. Fortunately for Dandy, she also has a support system of friends that are there and ready to catch her when she falls. They forgive her - now, they don’t brush it off like what she said wasn’t legitamitely hurtful, because it was - but they know it was coming from a place of pain and make the deliberate decision to forgive her because they know she needs help.

Coming back to Hannah Gadsby - “You learn from the part of the story you focus on. I need to tell my story properly.” What do I focus on in my stories? I focus on people who bury their feelings in different ways instead of confronting them, and how it negatively affects them. I focus on the pain - but I also focus on relationships. I focus on people in dark places getting help from the people who care about them, and eventually how confronting their feelings helps them to be better people. More confident people who are more accepting of themselves. The kind of person I am and I strive to be more.

Gadsby, in the beginning of her show, talks about a man who almost beat her up because he had mistaken her for a man and thought she was flirting with his girlfriend (she was). But because he realized she was a woman he apologized and left. It was funny, lighthearted delivery, and a comical situation in general.

At the end of her show, she reveals that he realized she was a lesbian and came back to “beat the shit out of” her. She discusses how ending the story where she did was on purpose, because she knew it was funny at that point - and that her getting beat up was not. You can see the emotion on her face - you can see how much it hurts her that she didn’t report the incident, or go to the hospital because, in her words, “I thought that was all I was worth”.

I really had wondered why I wrote such dark themes into my stories. Why did I feel the need to focus on terrible things happening, instead of happy endings and fun adventures? And it was watching this special, and seeing someone who had felt some of the same things I had - hearing them articulate some of the things I had done in different ways - that made me realize it. I needed to tell my story properly.

My characters start in dark places and find bad ways to cope with them. I fight for education on mental illness because when I tried to articulate my depression to my mother as a teenager, she didn’t realize what the problem was and didn’t get me the help I needed. That is not a denigration on her - it’s a side effect of a society that stigmatizes mental illness. I had realized that I did not feel things the same way as other people early on - and I hid it, because the few times I had been myself, I was told things like “you shouldn’t feel that way”. So subconsciously I just started shutting down the feelings I wasn’t supposed to have and “played normal”. I didn’t make plans for the future, because I didn’t know what I was supposed to want, and I had stopped trying to figure out what I actually wanted.

“I need you to know what I know - to be rendered powerless does not destroy your humanity,” Gadsby says, “Your resilience is your humanity. The only people who lose their humanity are those who believe they have the right to render another human being powerless - they are the weak. To yield and not break - that is incredible strength.”

One of the things I thought of when writing Dandy was how much I did not want it to be about a bounty hunter “with a heart of gold”.  Dandy is just a person - a woman who has been through hell and hasn’t quite left it yet, and while she can be kind and decent that doesn’t make her better than anyone else. The “heart of gold” trope is always used to make it seem like suffering makes you a better person - it doesn’t. You can suffer and turn into a giant asshole. It romanticizes suffering as a prerequisite for sainthood, and normalizes the thought that if you are a good person while suffering you will eventually get good things because you deserve them for being a good person.

You learn from the part of the story you focus on. Where is the part of these stories that focuses on how the other characters, the ones around the “heart of gold” character, living in the same terrible conditions with the same sad backstories, are just as deserving of kindness and human decency? Dandy and another character, Gurujhal, are not “good” people. They both have dark pasts, and both of them have done bad things in order to survive. Both of them were broken and needed to rebuild themselves. Their stories focus on their resilience - but they don’t shy away from the dark places. Because I need to tell my story properly.

I realized that I write from these dark places because I focus on getting out of them. I focus on building a support network of people who love you and are willing to help - even, no, especially on your bad days. You learn from the part of the story you focus on. How powerful is that statement? I could just write happy stories about people with superficial problems going on adventures and being victorious - but what does anyone learn from that? Nothing.

Sometimes you need an emotional rest, and happy stories provide that, and there is nothing wrong with that. But that is providing you exactly what I said it was - an emotional rest, not a lesson. Happily ever afters are wonderful - but the kind I write are earned. Because the kind of stories I want to tell - the kind of characters I want to build - are people who went to dark places and came out to make their own happy endings. Happy endings they had to fight for, because I had to fight all the negative feelings I had internalized. Because I had to fight to stop “playing normal” and realize what I wanted, and stop caring about what I was supposed to want. I write characters who buried emotions instead of confronting them, because I buried my emotions and needed to confront them later.

“What I would have done to have heard a story like mine; not for blame, not for reputation, not for money, not for power… but to feel less alone. To feel connected.” Like Gadsby talks about here, I am writing the stories I wanted to read when I was younger. These are love letters to myself, and anyone else who has felt the way I have.

Throughout her show, Gadsby talks about the real history of Van Gogh and why we misrepresent him, and why he was not successful, and she ends on a note that resonated with me: “Do you know why we have the sunflowers? It’s not because Vincent Van Gogh suffered; it’s because Vincent Van Gogh had a brother who loved him. Through all the pain, he had a tether - a connection to the world.”

My stories have dark themes, and trauma - but they focus on how making connections, and finding people to support you can help you through those dark times. I focus on moving on from the past - not forgetting it, but not letting it turn you into someone you don’t want to be. And I couldn’t tell those stories - at least not as well - without the dark places. So remember when you write your stories, that you need to tell them properly. That you learn from the part of the story you focus on.

I’m sharing all of this because it’s made me reconsider how and why I tell stories, and why both of these things are very important considerations. When people used to ask me what I wanted them to take away from my stories, I used to say I didn’t have anything in mind. After watching this special, I realize that I just didn’t realize how much of myself I really had poured into these stories. And I want to share this revelation so that when others are making stories, they’ll take the time to also consider what their stories are focusing on, and what others are going to learn from it.

So thank you, Hannah Gadsby, for sharing your story - you helped me to realize some things about myself and the stories I tell, and if it makes any difference, you’ve helped me to feel a little less alone.

Digital Storytelling: Preparing for Video #2

So I think for my next video I’m going to create an abridged video for my first book, Allaha of the Mountain. I like doing in person skits, but I also have low access to resources (money). So, rather than try to create something that looks like it was professionally produced, I plan to embrace my low budget madness and - even though my book isn’t a comedy - making the skits more humorous than serious. This way, I want to draw more interest to the story while still entertaining an audience with a shorter, less accurate version.

It’s kind of ironic, to me, to make an abridged version of the story because the abridged version would consist of a series of interconnected skits that skip through time. The reason I find this ironic is that the rough draft for Allaha of the Mountain started as a series of “episodic” chapters that focused on what became the climax of each chapter, but lacking the character development and time spent in between each high points. Now, creating an abridged video, I need to use a script that would focus on the climax of each chapter and leave out the character development and time spent in between… each… climax…

Anyways, the scripts I’ve written so far have been written in Google Docs, but I think for this video I’m going to use an actual script writing software called YouMeScript, which automatically formats scripts. I already wrote a movie script using it, so I think it will make it easier to create a video like this. I also think I’m going to call in my friends to help out, instead of doing all the parts myself as I’ve done in videos in the past. While playing the parts myself could be funny, it would be difficult at my level of editing to include multiples of myself in the same shot.

Speaking of parts, it will also be difficult since I lack the resources (money) to hire professional actors to play the parts of the characters. So I’ll have to do the best I can, or look into using a cartoon video making service. This is still somewhat limited, since it would depend on the options available for creating avatars.

Either way, this is going to be a big project, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun. One of the “abridged” influences I’ll be looking at pretty heavily is Team Four Star, since I love their comedic style and way you can tell they love the source material, even when they acknowledge its faults.