Week 10 Storytelling: One Simple Question

The Lady of the Lake from Order White Moon

            King Arthur did not simply become a king by being a brilliant leader. He also did so by being an excellent listener. He and his knights of the round table worked every day to push the boundary lines further and further to widen Camelot’s territory.

It was a difficult task, and some of the men felt burdened by such work. So every night they went home and drank until they passed out. They liked to say they drank to the success of King Arthur and Camelot, but King Arthur knew they drank for far more vain reasons. He couldn’t exactly fire his knights though; that made him a bad king. So instead, he simply kept his ears and eyes open for any moments when he saw potential danger too trying for his knights or whenever his knights seemed too burdened by their tasks for the day.

            Today was an important day. Today, King Arthur and his knights were going to push their territory farther than they’d ever gone before. They had a lot of ground to cover and had to make in past the entirety of a lake so as to claim it wholly for Camelot.

It was the only day to make the trek for Merlin predicted a terrible storm in the air, which meant that today would be the only clear and beautiful day. King Arthur knew from looking at his knights that today was not a good day.  He wanted to listen to what he knew to be true, but his knights swore that they were well and good for the trip. They set out for the lake at dawn.

            It was to be a two-day trip. They travelled all day and reached the lake. It was a gorgeous lake. It glistened with the setting sun and sparkled like sapphires. It was a truly tantalizing sight that made even the most hydrated man thirsty, and that it did. All of King Arthur’s knights felt their mouths go dry like the Sahara desert. King Arthur decided to go and look for wood for a fire and told his men not to drink from the lake, but to wait for his to return.

            King Arthur never liked to take his knights with him for mere firewood searches. He may be a king, but he is not weak. So he ventured out and left his knights by the lake with worn bodies, dry mouths, and a desire for something they couldn’t have until they returned home from their journeys. When King Arthur left, however, the knights learned that they were not alone by the lake.

            The lake had powers unknown to anyone. The lake made the knights more and more thirsty while King Arthur was away. This was because in the lake lived a lady with great and amazing powers. She knew King Arthur from his younger years, and knew that he needed her assistance even though he did not quite know it yet. She made the knights thirsty and then spoke to them in their minds. Though they could not see the lady of the lake, they heard her enchanting voice echo through their thoughts.

            “Answer my questions and drink from my waters,” she said. “Simply drink from my waters alone, and die instantly.”

            The knights were already so thirsty and exhausted from their travels that they could not bear such petty games. All of the men went to the shore of the waters and drank to their hearts content. Sadly, they all died instantly right as King Arthur exits the forest with his armful of firewood.

            He ran to the lake to try and rescue his knights, but it was already too late. And so, the lady of the lake gave King Arthur the same words as she gave to his knights. King Arthur knew looking around that his knights did not listen to him or the lady of the lake. He knew that this time he would listen to his mind, unlike how he did not that morning when he saw his worn knights.

            “Ask away, m’lady,” he responded to her statement.

            “One simple question is all I ask,” she said. “Who am I to you?”

            “Why, m’lady, what a simple question. You are the lady of the lake who gave to me my sword Excalibur and a sour warning that someone close to me would be my undoing. I could never forget you or your warning,” he said.

            “To listen and to remember are all that I ever ask. You may drink from my waters, King Arthur.”

            “And my knights? They may not listen, but they are loyal and true.”

            “I only wish to help you, for one day not all of your knights will fit under that definition. Are you certain that you wish for me to awaken them.”

            “M’lady, I head your warning and say that whatever may come shall come whether I wish it or not.”

            “Then sadly this will not be the last time we meet, but your wish is my command.”

            The lady of the lake’s voice faded from King Arthur’s mind and the knights slowly awoke from their deathly slumber. King Arthur drank from the water, but all he tasted was bitter from the warning still fresh on his mind. One of his knights was not going to loyal one day. King Arthur dreaded the day he would find out who.

THE END.

Author’s Note: The story I chose to retell was the voice in the lake. I mashed it up with King Arthur and his knights of the round table. It only seemed right. I’ve always been a huge fan of King Arthur’s stories and when I read this story in the Mahabharata I just knew that this story was the way to go. The Pandavas went to a lake and the lake told them if they drink without answering her questions they’ll die. All but one failed this test, and I knew that this guy was my King Arthur.

Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.

Week 10: Reading Diary Pt. B

I am a huge fan of Krishna. Ever since I took that Non-Western Dance Forms class I have been greatly intrigued by him. Other than that, I really adore these pages! So much action and trickery! It was awful what they did to draw out Drona, but I guess since it worked it's just one more price to pay. But Bhima drinking that guy's blood? That was a little far, am I right? It's okay to kill people, but when you start drinking blood things get awkward. Kind of a depressing ending, but it seems reasonable based on the acts that took place during the story. This one definitely wasn't a super love story (though I guess I wouldn't say the Ramayana was either). I'm not a fan of Indian Epic endings, that's for sure. First, in the Ramayana, Sita is banished and all that stupidity, then in this one everyone dies sadly. But one lives on to carry on the Pandava line! It's just annoying I guess, because I wish everyone had just died heroically in the battle or something. Though none of them felt particularly heroic, I just still would have liked to see them die in battle.

Week 9: Famous Last Words

My roommate/best friend and I got a new doggie this weekend. Her name is Xena (I’ll post pictures probably on next week’s last words for you all) and she’s such a sweetheart but really timid. It’s such a contrast against Nova (our baby) who’s a real wild one that has more energy and excitement in her body than I’ve ever had in my lifetime. It’s cute though, because Nova tries to gets Xena excited and to play with her, but Xena just shies away. We’re hoping that their polar opposite temperaments will even out: Xena will get a little more outgoing and Nova will calm down a little. But who knows?

            Other than that, this week was all right. I’ve still got a lot of homework to do as I write this, and that sucks. I’ve still got my storybook assignment to finish, a script to rewrite, and another act for my TV pilot to write. Homework is bleck! I just want to marathon some TV or movies and binge out on some almond ice cream or popsicles. As for great writing I’ve done this week, I don’t think I have any. I wrote my script for class, but I’m more excited for what I’ve got planned for the rewrite than what I originally wrote. But, more on that next week!

            This past week we had a guest speaker for PWSA. His name was Jeff Provine and he’s the guy who got the haunted OU tours started up years ago. He’s a really cool guy and it was great to hear from a PW alumni. This Thursday, Dr. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is going to do a YA writing panel for PWSA. I love Jenn and I can’t wait to see her again. Her newest book comes out November 4^th and I am dying from having to wait so long. Then, the week after that I think there’s going to be yet another guest speaker for PWSA. So many things planned, so little time!

Cover of Dr. Barnes new book from Barnes and Noble

P.S. If you haven't read Dr. Barnes' books and you love psychology and YA then you need to! She meshes the two so beautifully, especially in her Naturals series and Raised by Wolves series! Plus, she's just awesome so read her books and take her classes at OU!

Week 9: Reading Diary Pt. B

I just love how the beginning of this warns about sharing Draupadi as a wife. That should be a clear no-no. I get that it's more of polygamy, but I just still think of it in an incest way (but only really in the story; Sister Wives is a different story). Ohhh, marrying a naga! That's exciting! And then the sister of Krishna. Go hard or go home for this guy. I'm a really big fan of Agni. He's an awesome fire god, and he just brings back fond memories of Avatar the Last Airbender (one of my fave shows ever). Poor Draupadi gets gambled away. No true epics of India story exists where the wife is still there, I guess. Live among women as a eunuch! That's a horrible curse! Poor Arjuna.

Week 9: Reading Diary Pt. A

Finally! A new story to read! I'm so excited (especially since my Non-Western Dance Forms class talked about this story a lot). I thought the story of the birth of the three children was really interesting and brought back a lot of memories of the Ramayana. I can tell that there are gonna be some intriguing similarities between the two great epics of India. And then there's the story about the deer who curses Pandu? So many similarities! Oh and the story of the child in the basket? Hmm? Which story does that remind me of (surprising not a Ramayana story, but still a well known one)? I heard so much about the Pandavas in my class (since the Mahabharata is about them) and it's fun to hear their origin story! Krishna! I know him too! I'm really excited for this story.

Week 8: Famous Last Words

My bunny, Basil, passed away a couple of weeks ago. This is the first time I’ve really thought about it since and it’s still really heartbreaking. My roommate and I had just pulled into the parking lot of the Animal ER when he passed away in my roommate’s arms. I keep thinking it’s my fault. If I had only taken him to the ER that morning instead of waiting to see if he got better after eating a bunch of spinach, maybe he’d still be alive. I don’t know. I didn’t really want to write anything on here about it, because I don’t want pity or condolences. It was a horrible experience, but it gave me a new light on life and a lot of inspiration for writing.

A story I’ve been working on for about a year now finally has the tone that it needs because of the experience brought on by Basil’s passing, and it’s awful but exactly what writers have to experience to become more believable. I know some people are just like, “it’s a bunny, get over it,” but Basil was a part of my roommates’ families, and mine, just as is our puppy, Nova (aka my baby/princess/punk).

As for writings I’ve been proud of, I can’t say I have any. I wrote a visual script for one of my classes (no dialogue) about a man recently dishonorably discharged who now works at a gas station. The gas station is robbed and he gets knocked out, but when he awakened he finds a bomb strapped to his body. I’m not sure if it’s good or not because I don’t usually write action stories like that, much less army stories. I know nothing about that sort of thing, but hopefully it came across how I envisioned it in my mind. I don’t know, but I’ll find out come Tuesday!

All Photos Curtesy of My Roommate Brooke Hoover. 

Week 7: Famous Last Words

            The Ramayana section is complete. While I greatly enjoyed reading the vastly different two versions, I am very glad I do not have to read another. I am ready to move on to something new and exciting. I'm incredibly intimidated though, because Wikipedia mentioned something about the Mahabharata being the longest epic poem ever written (10 times the size of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined). I am not ready for that. I'm not even ready to read a haiku right now.

My storytelling for this was definitely a lot better than last week. I know I didn’t delve too deep into my imagination for this week’s story, but it was still a lot better. I also enjoyed writing it more, which is good. This is probably because I didn’t wait until the very last second to do the assignment. Oh the overnight lifestyle, it’s a real dilemma. As for other classes, I thought my script for my class was really good! I mean, I definitely wrote it up last minute, but during the class reading of it everyone really enjoyed it! I thought people would think my rendition of my landlord to be too racist and the class was half-and-half on whether she was perfectly stereotypically Asian or too much. And then the one Asian guy in class read her lines and half of the haters liked her.

It’s just so silly how I, a white girl, cannot write a funny, almost stereotypically (and she wasn’t, only her accent was stereotypical) Asian woman and everyone thinks it’s racist, but as soon as the Asian person says it’s okay everyone is on board and loving it. I don’t know. It’s just hard to deal with that sort of thing as a writer. If you look at the state of books these days, the vast majority of them have white protagonists written by white writers. It’s just how things happen, but when these same writers try to represent these minorities or people with disabilities then readers completely shoot them down and say they did it all wrong. People get angry that there aren’t enough things with people of minority or with disabilities as protagonists, but when people try and do just that people get just as angry. It’s a fiery topic that’s hard to fix. People are terrified of the lash back, but how can things get better if we refuse to try and fix them? Okay well, sorry about the rant.

A bar graph from a diversity in YA post on Malinda Lo's blog