Week 7 story Planning: The Last Boy Scout

Something I would most like to write a story about is chapter 50. Riddles at the Lake. The mail character in this story is Yudhisthira. He was a very capable spear hunter and a man of character.  The first thing I thought of when reading about his background was a boy scout. I think it would be fun to tell a story about a group of dorky boy scouts. Yudhisthira will be the greatest of the boy scouts. They go off on an epic quest to gain their survival badge by camping in the nearby park. They pack all of their survival gear and rope tying equipment. Unfortunately, despite all their training they do not bring enough water. Desperate to not die in the park their search will bring them to the magic pond. My favorite part of the original is how they each drink and then die. I would like to expand on how ridiculous it would be for the third to walk up, see two of his buddies die from drinking from the talking pond, and then drink from the pond anyway. I could show what the third scout is thinking or even what the pond is. Finally Yudhisthira listens to the pond and does not immediately drink.  Another big part of the story is the many riddles that the hero must answer. I could make them anything I want like survival skills or pop culture references. In the original Yudhisthira is able to answer them all and gets two wishes. Using his two wishes the scout will be able to bring his friends back and even get his survival badge. I think this will be a really fun direction to take the story. Following this format will leave a lot of room for expansion into a great story. 

The Haunted pond

Wikipedia link Vinegar Pond

The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921). Mahabharata

Week 5 Story Planning: Lakshman V Meghnad

On my next story I would like to focus on the fight between Rama's brother Lakshman and Ravana's son Meghnad or Indrajit as he is also called. I was interested in this because both of these characters seem to be strong and capable warriors in their own right. Throughout the story Lakshman is overshadowed by his brother , so I wanted to focus on him for a story. 

       Both telling's of the story are very different the first reading has Lakshman using his bow to kill his foe after a lengthy and hard battle. The second reading has Lakshman falling, Rama using a bow to kill the foe, and Lakshman being revived by herbs. This is one of the big contrast between the two and while the outcome is the same it still opens up my story to a wider range of concepts. Between this two this story leaves a lot open to interpretation and a lot of direction to take it creativity. I have already taken my last few stories in creative directions so I want to take this one in a completely different direction than any of my others. I think it would be unique to tell this story in a schoolyard setting. Lakshman the younger brother of the most popular guy in his cliché taking on the second of a rival cliché. 

      One thing that surprised and interested me was the background information of Meghnad. He is described as one of the greatest warriors of all time possessing the three supreme celestial weapons. He is also shed in a much more positive light. He is described a brave and loyal patriot, who is a loving husband and father. Indrajit. This description of honor is in stark contrast from the demon warrior in the reading. In my story I would like to show the two as rivals from two competing groups rather than an epic battle between good and evil. 

The Prince Indrajit or Meghnad

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victory_of_Meghanada_by_RRV.jpg

F.J. Gould, The Divine Archer, http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2014/05/reading-guide-week-1-gould-divine-archer.html

Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India, (1899). Chapter 66. Lakshmana and Indrajit