Indian Epics by Reid

Here are the articles I found most helpful about providing constructive criticism. How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk : This was an easy read that helps you figure out some key pointers in giving better feedback. While there are others that go into more detail, this provides a nice overview of the process. It breaks better criticism down into a few high-level pointers. Explain why you're giving feedback, take yourself off a pedestal, ask if the person wants feedback, and have a transparent dialogue, not a manipulative monologue. By taking these alone into account, you'll already have a better idea of how constructive criticism can be done. From my experience, being able to have a conversation about feedback instead of just having it told to me has helped that criticism really make an impact on me. The Difference Between Praise and Feedback : One common trend I've noticed throughout college when it comes to peer reviews is that sometimes it's hard to find...

Ravana appears throughout many stories as I've been researching him. Here are just a few I think could be interesting stories to tell and that others could read to learn more about him. Ravana in the Ramayana : We're all reading the Ramayana, so this is a go-to for anyone who would like to learn about Ravana as a villainous character. His part in this story follows the capture of Rama's wife Sita and his attempts to make her his. Ravana is shown as being incredibly powerful and evil. One way I may take this is a sort of alternate history story where Ravana is the one who wins, and how that would affect the world. Ravana as a Hero : While this article is not exactly a story I could rewrite, it was shared to me by Laura Gibbs and present another view of Ravana in the Ramayana where he is the hero of the story. Aspect of this could be taken into another plot-line with a focus on Ravana and his side of the whole story. This controversial article describes how people in t...

A long long time ago, a great king ruled with an odd sort of ornament in his throne room. Just in front of the throne stood a great sword said to be imbued with magical power embedded deep in stone. It had become great entertainment for the king to watch person after person fail to lift the sword from the stone. The strongest knights would come from far and wide in hopes of pleasing the king. If one were to draw the sword, the rewards were rumored to be the greatest known to any man. One day, the king's personal guardian knight decided he ought to give it a try. For years he had watched people fail, and he did not want to fail his king in any way shape or form. Crowds gathered to watch him try to draw the sword. If anyone were to finally overcome the challenge, it would be him. He took his place, grabbed the hilt and began to pull. The ground trembled under the force of his pull. Gradually he began to tire, but he would not give up. Stepping away for a brief moment, the crowd gas...

For Rama's exile, and Dasharatha's death, Rama's brother Bharata was gone. This will be quite the surprise. After hearing what his mother did, he shamed her and said he would bring Rama back. Dasaratha is given a proper funeral by Bharata. Rama refuses the offer of the throne from Bharata, saying they must both fulfill what has been told to them. Rama is given sandals to wear, then gives them back so they may be waiting at the throne for his return. We learn a brief history of Sita during one of their visits with a sage. She was a special child, not of birth by King Janaka. Sita is abducted by a special demon that can't be killed by your typical sharp weapon. It turns out he was cursed to be killed by Rama in order to reach heaven. Rama attains more weapons from another sage, Agastya who offers him a place to stay. Rama refuses and goes deeper into the woods. Ravana's sister falls in love with Rama and he suggests she seduce his brother. I have no idea...

For starting off in a story of characters I have not heard about, I'll be focusing on characters, writing styles, and major plot points. King Dasharatha is strong and powerful, but is saddened that none of his three queens have been able to produce a son. His palace is surrounded by thousands of guards, and tehre are eight counselors and two family priests. A horse sacrifice leads to promising Dasharatha four sons. Of all the four sons, Rama was the only one with special marks of Vishnu, so he was especially loved. Early in his life, Rama is asked by a sage, Vishvamitra to go to battle against rakshasas that were disrupting sacrifices. Rama and his brother are reluctantly released by their father to go help. Rama and his brother, reluctant to kill the rakshasi start by dismembering it (I figured this would be worse than just killing it). Eventually, it becomes invisible, but Rama is able to use sound to find and kill it with his bow and arrow. Upon completion, he is given...