I think it's really interesting that you went with the storybook idea. I personally chose the Portfolio option because it seemed like it would be easier to work around, but it's nice to see some other people take the storybook option. I really hope it goes well for you! I'm interested to see where you end up going with it this semester.
I like your concept that you have chosen for the storybook idea. After reading your introduction I am very curious as to how you are going to present your stories. You do not give away all of the details which is good, because it keeps the readers wanting to come back and read the rest of your stories. I loved how you wrote it in Barney's point of view, and it sounds exactly like something he would say. I like your idea of using the playbook as you main thing because now you can read it and have the rest of your stories in it. I also like the pictures you have chosen to out in your storybook, and your design is straight to the point. This way you have no distractions from the main focus, which are your stories. The eye does not go anywhere but to the stories. I look forward to reading your stories as you add them to your storybook
The Playbook is a nice twist on the ordinary Storybook, one which sounds like it'll give you a whole lot of leeway to lampoon some of the epic romances you might have had a problem with. Barney feels like a pretty good character for exploring stories like Rama's and Arjuna's, too, since we're used to him inserting himself into outlandish tales. Hopefully, you can use his attitude to bring enough of an "outside perspective" to spice up all the original tales. I definitely think you do a good job of channeling Barney's personal vernacular (hope you liked the "bro-cation"). Sticking with his character, I think, will be key in your coming posts. As far as the prologue goes, there were a few parts that were unclear to me. Your reference to "Barney's Mail 'Sack'" left me wondering, why is "Sack" in quotes? I didn't catch the Krisha/Radhi reference either, but I'll chalk that up to my having read different stories. The challenge for this story might be staying in Barney's tone, but still getting all the details of the stories in there clearly. Can't wait to see where it goes!
Hi Morghan! Wow, what an introduction to your storybook! I loved how you took all the problems that were encountered in the Mahabharata and translated them into a modern version. By doing this, I think you will be able to make the storyline much more interesting. I wonder what made Barney want to help people in the first place. Was it because he had gone through many experiences himself? Was it because in that time, he wished someone was there to help him along the way? Maybe you could include a little backstory on when Barney started to want to help people. Barney does come off as a very confident character. By adding a little insight as to why he is the way he is today, you can help the audience understand and therefore help them to feel a closer connection to him. I really love the clean and crisp looking layout of your storybook, it matches the dressing style of Barney very well. Keep up the good work because I look forward to see that else you have in store.
I love HIMYM and I'm so glad you're using a character like Barney Stinson to approach retellings of the Indian epics. I think you did a really great job of capturing his style of speech, and including small details like his newest Nehru-collared achkan. I think that that kind of attitude is perfect for looking critically at the epics, while also adding a good amount of humor. There's definitely a cultural gap between the customs of people in the time of the Kurukshetra War and modern-day America, so I'm really looking forward to how you take apart some of the romances that Barney's already mentioned. I'm particularly interested in what you have to say about "Burning Love," which I'm assuming is Rama and Sita. As far as improvements go, my suggestions are mainly with the site design. It looks nice and simple right now, but if you're approaching it as a blog/playbook put together by Barney, what kind of site do you think he would create? Would it have any fun themes or patterns or would it remain very plain? It's up to you, and the possibilities are endless!
This is a very cute blog. I love that you are telling the story from a single perspective, and will be keeping to a single theme. There are so many aspects you are adding to you blog, such as the daily mail, that make this reading very diverse. There was great transition in your work from one topic to another. I was not confused on any part of the text. I also enjoyed the side comments that were made in parenthesis. This made the article feel more authentic. I also found it interesting how you divided the stories into categories, and not by chronological order. This makes it easier to compare different peoples story. I love how incorporated a link to "achkan". Not only does this make your post sharp, but allows a clear description of what you wanted others to imagine while reading this introduction. I cannot wait to keep up with your blog, and continue the good work.
I absolutely love this idea for a storybook! I really enjoy stories that mix the present and the past, so this is great. I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen much of How I Met Your Mother, but I’m slowly working my way through it in my (nonexistent) free time. I like that you kind of laid out the types of posts you’re going to do for Barney’s blog, so I know what to look forward to! There were some grammatical errors throughout the post, but they didn’t interrupt the flow of the writing. A quick read-through should catch most of them. Most of them seemed to be where you changed sentences or maybe copy-and-pasted something in and forgot to delete the extra words. Like I said, doesn’t really cause problems in the reading and are easy fixes. I really look forward to keeping up with your storybook this semester. It promises to be fun and entertaining to read!
First of all, I love that you are writing about Barney. I like the first paragraph and the illusions it draws to the show. The comments sound eerily similar to things Barney would say in the show so props to you on the creativity. I like the detail you provide in the second paragraph about the different locations that Barney visits. The pros and cons idea was a unique approach to the introduction. The final paragraph was especially entertaining to me due to all the references to “How I met your Mother.” It is clear that you are passionate about this show and know your stuff. You did a fantastic job writing as if you are Barney which is a writing style I don’t think that I could do. Overall this was a very well written introduction and it left me excited to read your stories in the future. I hope that they are high five worthy and legen…. Hope you aren’t lactose intolerant because this last part is…… dary.
Hi Morghan! I love this twist that you've given to all of the Indian epics that we are reading! It's very fun and will provide some good entertainment! In your introduction, you really capture the talk that Barney uses in How I Met Your Mother. It sounds like Barney actually went to India and is writing this...very impressive! It is also hilarious that instead of Barney's traditional suit, you have Barney wearing an Achkan. Just looking at your storybook, it doesn't look very "Barney-sque"...maybe you could change up the theme to something very classy that Barney would approve of? That would make it seem even more like Barney's playbook. Overall, this is an awesome storybook and I can't wait to continue reading it and see the final product! I think you will make Barney very proud. I hope that there is a slap bet somewhere within the final product(; Very good job!
Please tell me someone will threaten to slap Barney in your first story, and then it'll pay off in one of the last ones! Is this going to be before or after his breakup with Robbin? Either way works, I'm just curious. The breakup could be his reason for going on this adventure. I also liked the idea someone mentioned above, about making the whole site look like it was made by Barney. I would love to give you advice, but I have no idea how to do that. Maybe make it look like a book or a journal? What you have isn't bad or anything, I just agree that pretending Barney made it would be funny. I also like that you gave hints to future stories too. You didn't reaveal too much, but you gave a bit of a preview. It left me wanting more at least. I don't know if you saw all the announcements, but there's a link to help "trim the fat" from stories. I'm not saying your stories are too long. I plan on using the tool (and grammarly) because I assume they'll help me a lot. Here's the link in case you didn't see it: http://writersdiet.com/?page_id=4 Also, holy hot tamales do you have a lot of comments on your storybook for week one! I guess we know who the popular kid in class is now!
Hi again, I have read your introduction before but I wanted to see how you started your story. I think that it is great how you are incorporating How I Met Your Mother and the indian epics into one. IT gives the readers something that they are familiar with along with something new, so they are not totally confused as to what is going on in the stories. I really liked your first story, it gave the bases of all of the places and I enjoyed how you used his suits and how upset he got when his silk suit was almost burned. That is something that he would definitely have a problem with so I enjoyed that you have meshed both of these stories and the characters together. I think if you had included some images of the places that would have helped us see it for ourselves too, but your description was good too.
Hi Morghan! Once again, so glad I decided to read your storybook. Each time I read it I crack up because I would have never thought to retell Indian Epics from Barney Stinson's point of view! It is just so clever. Plus, you just really capture Barney's voice and thought process...I think I'm actually reading a blog by him. I think one of the funniest things you wrote was when you were talking about the Pandavas and how they are sharing one girl. The best part about it was that then you went a step farther and said she was maybe a seven. Absolutely hilarious! You put so much detail into the first four locations and wrote just one sentence for the last location. I wish that there was more information on what Barney thinks about the River Yamuna, especially since he gave it a high five. Once again, I love this story and I can't wait to come back and read more!
I think your decision to create a sort of travel guide is interesting. Diary entries are interesting, but this would give you the ability to see places with a more critical eye. What's great about Lanka? What should travelers avoid when they're on that island? The personality of the narrator is really distinct. It's easy to picture Barney writing about this or talking with one of his friends about it. One thing I would suggest is separating some of the narrative sections from the ratings section. Right now, it feels a bit cluttered. Maybe you could write a narrative section and follow that by reviews of the several different places. In terms of formatting, I'm not sure if the Findings section is supposed to be before the Introduction section. Either way, it might be better to switch their places. In the Findings section, it would be easier to read if you made the names of the places bold or made them more distinct from the body of text.
I love your take on this storybook project! I think your approach was really creative. Having seen, and loved, the entire series, I imagine this is exactly how Barney would think if he was living these epics. You wrote this wonderfully. The only big problem I noticed would be that some people haven't seen How I Met Your Mother, so they might not be able to enjoy this as much as we do. I think a few sentences explaining who Barney Stinson is and what the play book actually is would be a good addition. You could maybe add in how the playbook has helped Barney personally. With this background information, he would be able to build his credibility not only for himself but also this blog he's creating. Other than that input, I think you did a really great job with your storybook. I can't wait to see where this goes!
Hey Morghan! I think that using Barney’s Playbook as a guide for your Storybook was brilliant! I have seen so many creative ways to approach the Storybook, and this has to be one of my favorites. I loved HIMYM and seeing this come to life will be a blast. I look forward to reading more of your stories throughout the semester. The introduction does a really good job of introducing your characters for the future stories, but a limited job of introducing Barney to those who might not watch HIMYM. You could do a brief information section on him and make it almost like a dating profile for future bros to copy! I think that your writing style suits this perfectly (no pun intended). You give enough to tease us into reading more and piqued my interest with how Barney will approach these stories! I can’t wait to come back and read more!
On the "Findings" post: Just like the Introduction, this first post has some moments where it really nails the quintessential "Barney" tone and comments. One of my favorites was his takeaway from Rama's battle with Thataka in the desert: "It's like nobody can tell that this is silk."
Sometime's, though, Barney's two-track mind (suits and women) can leave the reader hanging a little on the details. I would be really interested to hear more of how Barney sees & describes some of the scenes and events we're already somewhat familiar with from the tales. As you know, the review structure you use here gives you a lot of freedom in terms of what topics to pick and talk about--skipping over months and cities--but it's also an inherently less connected form than, say, a traditional story or diary entry. So when a connection presents itself, be sure to bring it out and help the reader along! The wife Rama loses is the same woman we glimpsed in Mithila, right? Mentioning that might help the transition between reviews and travel episodes. Can't wait for the next installment. Thanks for the travel guide!
I have actually never watched How I Met Your Mother, so I'm sure if I had I would get it a bit more! But I know a lot of people that do watch the show that just RAVE about how hilarious it is. I really liked your idea for your storybook. I feel like you really had to think out of the box for this one. I thought telling your story in a blog post type format was really cool. Thought the description of each place was perfect. You did a great job at modernizing both The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. It was great that you were able to add him as another characters to the stories, this allowed for a whole other perspective! I found your post to be very comical but loved that you were also able to stick to the original stories! Great job with your storybook so far!
Okay WOW, your blog might be my absolute favorite so far! I love How I Met Your Mother and I think you totally hit the nail on the head with this one. At first, I was skeptical on how you could mix Barney’s character with Indian epics, but you totally nailed it. Your blog was written exactly how Barney would write. You did a great job of making his character and attitude shine through and I think that is the most important part. The personality is just flowing out of your writing and that is what makes it so fun to read. I really enjoyed both your Introduction and Findings. I loved your high five/no high five thing. It was so fun to read and it tied in the epics perfectly. I’m so amazed how well you put together these two vastly different ideas. I can’t wait to come back and read the rest of your stories!
You definitely picked a very creative idea for your storybook. It's been an awesome read so far. It really feel like it could be a mini-episode of HIMYM. Making a post entirely about the high-five system was great. There are some things that I think would be cool to see like a slap coundown, a "challenge accepted," a McLaren's (spelling? kind of bar, a bet, or if you could somehow fit lazer tag into an ancient epic that'd be great too. You're probably already going over those ideas though. You've definitely got plently of HIMYM knowledge to go off of. Really the best advice I can think of is to make the stories like you have been.
I was so excited to be returning to your storybook this week. I honestly think it might be my favorite tv-fairytale/epic mashup that I’ve read between Myth and Folklore and Indian Epics. It’s just such an amazing idea and a brilliant execution!
Anyway, I really liked that you just did brief little snippets about the different locations that our heroes have visited and then gave them a rating. It makes me view those stories in a slightly different light now! In your FINDINGS story, I didn’t see anything that really needed fixing. The grammar is fine and the flow is great. My only suggestion is for the last sentence of the Dandaka Forest. I think it might flow a little better with this wording: “I don’t know which made this rating worse, the rain or Rama’s sulking for months on end.”
I’m really looking forward to delving into your other stories later in the semester!!!
Okay I am obsessed with your storybook! The creativity it took to mix such different sources is amazing! I never would have imagined mixing Barney in with the Ramayana but oh my goodness I am so glad you did! I was laughing all throughout your storybook. You really captured Barney's voice. I was surprised how well the "playbook" format fit in with retelling the stories. It was a concise and easy way to tell the stories and made for a great laugh. I’m glad I stumbled upon this. I see that you were playing around with different formats with regard to the “Findings” and the “New Plays from the Playbook.” Are you going to keep switching it up or will the rest be purely playbook-like entries? I ask because I am using different layouts for each story and was curious if other people in the class are doing the same. I’ll definitely be returning to see what tricks Barney has up his sleeve.
I love this concept! How I Met Your Mother is far and away one of my favorite shows and I think that Barney's perspective is such a unique and fun one to take on, especially considering how much romance goes awry in these epics. Could you maybe write a story where a woman tricks Barney? Maye Ravana's sister? That could certainly make for an interesting story. I'd also love to see a bit more writing about the women that Barney sleeps within these various locations. Maybe they could be characters from the epics or just variations on the epics. What if Barney started sleepings with some of the Indian deities and then they put some kind of curse on him for being a bit of a scuzz? There are so many ways that you could take this and I really look forward to reading what you decide to write about!
Ooooh, I'm back! The progression of your storybook is coming along very nicely! You're really succeeding in capturing Barney's tone of voice. I don't really watch HIMYM very much (I know, I know, sue me.) but I can definitely pick out this character through your writing. I absolutely LOVE the small icons you're using. That's very, very clever. I'm wondering if there will be any conflict introduced into the storybook? Like, what if a Goddess found his blog? Overall I just think this is a fantastic storybook. I'll be back!
Well Hello again. It's fun to see how this has grown since I read through it last. Well done so far! I've never watched "How I met Your Mother" so I'm a bit out of the loop on some of it but from looking online, it seems like you've done a great job of imitating the form of the original character's speaking style. You do a very good job with character development here and I'm a big fan of the small, little icons you've been using. I agree with Cassandra with this one and I wonder if we could perhaps see some more conflict with the piece. Stories always need some kind of conflict to move the piece forward and they need a resolution that leaves the piece permanently and irrevocably changed. Thus far, this a great storybook so far. You've done a great job with it. Good luck with it for the rest of the semester!
Haha, when I read your title I thought you were going to be telling stories from Barney the dinosaur Barney, not How I Met Your Mother Barney. I am much more excited now that I know which Barney it is. You manage to keep an excellent Barney-esque voice through the entire introduction, which I am very impressed by. I also like that you make it seem like this blog existed before. I know that is such a small simple detail but it really makes me think that the stories are more real! I enjoy the fact that you make the characters from the epics seem like your casual average Joe that anyone could meet on the street. It really helps continue with the personable feel that most casual blogs give. "At first, I was sad that I no longer had Ted's love life to analyze and critique." I had to set down my drink from giggling so much at this line Wonderful job, can't wait to read more!
I love this rating style to tell stories. Some places were easy to recognize because of the similarities that were detailed in your post. I don't want "How I met your mother", but your explanation in your introduction and Author's Note helped a lot. There was just somethings that caught my eye when reading your post. For example, " Rama immediately felt for her." could be " Rama immediately fell for her." Other than that there was nothing. I like how you include other characters emotion as well, I totally felt Rama's heartbreak. The Playbook I found to be hilarious, and on point with what Soorpanaka did. I enjoy this post the best from all your post. I found resemblance in the post and the original stories very quickly. Your picture fit well with the story. I knew exactly what you were about to talk about. After the Author's Note I got a better understanding about why the trick didn't won't on Rama.
Once again Morghan, you amazed me! Your storybook gets better and better each time I read it. Every single time you add in a new story, I chuckle while I read it. The way you are telling it is just so realistic for me since I've watch How I Met Your Mother (and obviously loved it!). I think that the playbook is a perfect way to retell some of the great stories of love and other things found within different epics. While reading the different plays, it was like I could see these events taking place inside MacLaren's! They could definitely be happening alongside everyone's favorite, "Haveeeee you met Ted?" I also really enjoy how you are almost implying that Sita didn't stay pure while being held captive by Ravana. Walking through a fire to prove you've been faithful to your husband is a little weird, don't you think? It's almost like she has something to hide... Anyway. Once again, great job! I'm excited to continue reading and see what else Barney experienced while in India!
Your storybook is definitely one of my absolute favorites! I picked it as my free choice this week because I was so excited to read more. I loved the addition of the Playbook story. The Playbook was an absolute must! I’m glad you chose to include it. The story continues to show Barney’s personality to perfection and also flawlessly incorporates the stories from the Ramayana. I’m mind-blown that you thought of this idea. The thought of telling the stories from the Ramayana from the point of view of a player/womanizer is hilarious. You have been able to do it seamlessly! Your stories stay very true to the original epics and that has been my favorite part. Hearing them in a totally different way has been very fun to read. I like that you continue to change up the style that the stories are written in. From the rating to the steps in the playbook. It has kept readers on their toes. I can’t wait to see what else you decide to incorporate. I will definitely be back for more! Keep up the good work!
Hey Morghan! I really loved your blog! "How I Met Your Mother" is one of my favorite shows. I have watched every single episode and still catch it on T.V. when I have some time. Barney was one of my favorite characters. He had a very unique voice. You loved him despite everything that he chose to say or do. I think you have done a remarkable job recreating his voice! I can't wait to see what else you come up with. I adore the fact that I can hear his voice when I read your blog and imagine him reading these lines. The only thing I am hoping for is that you continue to have a wide variety of ideas available to you. I think that makes it even better. The only flaw would be if it starts to get a little repetitive, but I highly doubt that will happen! Great job!
I Morghan, first time reader here! Sadly I have not watched much of "How I Met Your Mother" but I think it is fantastic you are able to incorporate a modern character into ancient writings. Barney most definitely has a casual sense about him which lightens up at the drama from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. I read your "introduction" and "Findings" post this week and hopefully will find my way back to finish the rest of the stories as the semester comes to an end. Your blog layout is very easy to follow which is much appreciated! Along with your author's note. Since I am not a "How I Met Your Mother" watcher the story made much more sense after reading it!
Just a small grammatical error in Findings --> "It turns out, her name is Sita and Rama immediately felt for her." I think you mean, "fell" here.
Other than that I thought everything looked great!
I love this idea! I don't know how I haven't read your storybook until now. It's so fun and I think that you embody Barney's character very well. I didn't know that there was a Barney blog, but it doesn't surprise me in the least. I read your introduction and Mail Sack fully, but I did browse through the other two stories as well. I had not heard about the two stories from Ganesha goes to lunch, but I like you chose the lesser known stories. (I can only read about Rama and Sita so many times) It also sounds like these two letters could apply to many hermits in the Indian Epics. I also really like that link you put in your intro. More links like that either to the places you talk about or with other cultural tidbits would be awesome! I wish your stories were a little longer, but other than that everything looks great.
This is cool! I don't really know Barney's character very well, only vaguely from popular pop-culture references, so I still feel that your writing provided a really good sense of who he was as a person! I really appreciated in your introduction that you linked to Achkan, since I actually didn't know what it was called, I've just seen it a lot!
Edits: Under "Findings" number 2. Mithila, "I think Rama immediately felt for her." I think you were trying to say fell for her, but spellchecker didn't catch it?
Between 2. Mithila and 3.Dandaka, did I miss something? Rama falls for Sita, then he loses his wife? I know the story, but if I didn't, I would be a little confused here that Rama had been two-timing behind his wife's back while in Mithila!
5. River Yamuna -- this is actually really funny and to the point. Doesn't the girl who ferries people across the river actually get pregnant by a god before she's ever married? I think I researched/learned that this semester....
I love the customized letter image on Barney's Mail Sack Page!
Great concept, well executed throughout the whole StoryBook!
YES. I am choosing storybooks to review for the week and I instantly picked yours because of the title. I am so sad I have not gotten to experience this storybook before. The fact that this entire storybook is from the perspective of Barney is enough to make me absolutely hooked. You have done such a great job in really getting into the character of Barney in this blog. I truly feel like I am reading something he would write! I think the mail sack portion was my favorite. The names that Barney comes up for this people as he replies to these letters is absolutely spot on. I love it! I think the amount of creativity that comes with these questions is pretty amazing. I would have never thought of having these questions sent in to Barney be based on stories that we've gone over in this class. It is such a unique idea. Thank you for making clear author notes after these posts so I can line up the stories and also get a great idea of your inspiration. Great work!
Morghan, I love the idea for this storybook as a blog from Barney! I feel like all of the posts fit together really well and as a whole complete each other in portraying what I think is really significant about Barney—that he’s a womanizer. It is definitely interesting to see such a unique perspective on these stories from a modern-day womanizer because I think a lot of the students in our class have read these stories and felt a little appalled at the treatment of women and I know several, including myself, have written stories that correct these wrongs. However, your storybook takes a completely different approach and in my opinion, does a great job of pointing out a problem that spans generations and still has much room to be improved upon. I like that in your last story/post you included Barney’s reactions to different guys’ problems as well and portrayed him as still having a relatively shallow outlook, regardless of gender.
I really enjoyed this Storybook idea! I think it was hilarious and had lots of unique ideas that I could never have thought of. My favorite part of your storybook was the mail sack! I think the advice he was giving and the questions he was receiving was hilarious. Overall I think you did an amazing job and should keep up with the blog. Its a good comedic relief with such serious stories that we have read in this class this semester. Even though it was great me being a girl it was a little harder for me to relate to because it was very male oriented. If I have any advice it is to make it a little more relatable to the girls that read this. Whether that is having more females write in to the mail section or just have him try to think like a girl throughout the storybook. Other than that small detail I think you did a great job!
Morghan, your storybook always continues to amaze me! Every single time I read it, I always crack up! You capture the essence of Barney in every single story that you write. It feels as though I'm watching How I Met Your Mother and hearing Neil Patrick Harris speaking through your storybook. I really enjoy how you incorporated the Indian epics into your playbook, and your "anti-playbook" if you will. The Indian epics are a great way to find some good plays to use of people because sometimes they are so crazy they just may work, but most of the time they end in disaster. I also love the concept of the Barney mail. It was so clever to use some of the stories and make them into a "Dear Abby" sort of feel. Plus, I love all the sarcasm that you use in them. Like I said, I hear Barney when I'm reading you stories. Once again, great job! I've really enjoyed reading your storybook this semester!!
This is my favorite storybook, so I had to some see what you had added for my free choice this week. Since I last visited, you have added the “Barney’s Mail Sack” and “Plays Gone Wrong”. I really enjoyed reading both of them! I loved the mail sack one because it was easy for me to identify some of the readings that you were basing the letters off of. Again, I was so impressed how you are able to incorporate the themes of the Indian stories and still make Barney’s character so apparent. I watch a lot of How I Met Your Mother and when I read your stories, I can actually picture Barney saying all of these things.
For “Plays Gone Wrong”, I liked that you revisited the playbook but put a different twist on it. The playbook is signature to the Barney theme, so I was excited to see that it was making another appearance. I like that you decide to make plays that went wrong. Of course, a lot of Barney’s plays go wrong so you might as well include that aspect here!
Again, I think your storybook is my favorite. I can tell you put a lot of hard work into it over the semester and it turned out great!!
Hi Morghan! I really like the idea for your new story you just added, “Plays Gone Wrong.” Since I have not read either of the stories that this story is based on, the author’s note was really helpful in providing the context of the original stories. I like the fact that this story takes one of your previous entries where you describe plays that go well for Barney and reverses it so that you can describe some of Barney’s failures. The only thing I might add to this story for your storybook is some pictures to highlight the setting for both plays. Since both of these are stories that I have not read, I think these extra pictures could really provide readers with a concise, but descriptive portrayal of the action taking place in these stories. However, I do think that your author’s note did a good job of explaining the original stories.
I have really enjoyed your storybook this semester! It was such a unique idea and I found it incredibly entertaining. It was definitely one of the more lighthearted storybooks and it worked out so well! I didn’t see any grammar problems throughout the storybook, which is always great, although there were a few small things you might take a second look at. In Barney’s Mail Sack, the spacing got a little weird. It’s not exactly detrimental, but it kind of messed with me trying to keep track of which parts were the “Dear Barney” and which were the “Dear whoever” from a visual standpoint. You might also bold the ‘Steps’ in the Plays Gone Wrong section to make it match the New Plays chapter. Again, more of an aesthetic thing, but might make it read easier. I hope you have a fantastic end to the semester and that all your finals go well!
I can't believe the storybooks are wrapping up and coming to an end! I throughly enjoyed reading yours throughout the semester. With the last storybook post I noticed what I found to be your greatest strength in this exercise, and you really capture the tone of voice perfectly. I thought that "Step 6: Princess agrees to come visit your fake kingdom with her father, who already loves you." was just perfect and totally Barney. I personally think it's really difficult to write in the mindset of an already established character, because it's already been done and created, but you were able to continue his personality and nail it every time. Great job! I loved the takes you made through the Jataka tales, it was so creative!
Oh my gosh, this is my first time visiting your storybook and it is absolutely perfect! I love Neil Patrick Harris (even though I've never seen How I Met Your Mother) and this is so hilarious! I love the way you incorporated the myths into Barney's tone and life! It works out really well and doesn't clash very much at all. I especially love the posts about his playbook! I also really like all the different stories you incorporated as well. I hadn't heard of any of them so it was really nice to hear some new stories. I especially liked the one about the princess falling in love with the hermit's son. It sounds so sweet! I also really like the pictures and layout of the website. You did a really good job designing how the blog would like with the high-five and no-five images, haha, and the setup with the mail sack looked fantastic as well! Great job on the storybook! It was a blast!
I came back to read the rest of your stories. I should have known this was your storybook! It's such a creative idea and written exactly as Barney would. I like the variety of stories and characters that you've included here. On your successful playbook page I had some comments though. Does Rama really meet Thataka in a desert? I thought most of India was forest and jungle. Also, I don't know if you already knew this when you were writing, but Rama stayed in the rainy Dandaka forest for numerous years! All of your stories still work, but I was just wondering if you knew. Everything else looks great.I really like that you found a way to replicate the show with scrolls of the play names. I also like the sections where you include references to characters from the show. Maybe you could do even more of those in your final edits.
I think it's really interesting that you went with the storybook idea. I personally chose the Portfolio option because it seemed like it would be easier to work around, but it's nice to see some other people take the storybook option. I really hope it goes well for you! I'm interested to see where you end up going with it this semester.
ReplyDeleteI like your concept that you have chosen for the storybook idea. After reading your introduction I am very curious as to how you are going to present your stories. You do not give away all of the details which is good, because it keeps the readers wanting to come back and read the rest of your stories. I loved how you wrote it in Barney's point of view, and it sounds exactly like something he would say. I like your idea of using the playbook as you main thing because now you can read it and have the rest of your stories in it. I also like the pictures you have chosen to out in your storybook, and your design is straight to the point. This way you have no distractions from the main focus, which are your stories. The eye does not go anywhere but to the stories. I look forward to reading your stories as you add them to your storybook
ReplyDeleteThe Playbook is a nice twist on the ordinary Storybook, one which sounds like it'll give you a whole lot of leeway to lampoon some of the epic romances you might have had a problem with. Barney feels like a pretty good character for exploring stories like Rama's and Arjuna's, too, since we're used to him inserting himself into outlandish tales. Hopefully, you can use his attitude to bring enough of an "outside perspective" to spice up all the original tales. I definitely think you do a good job of channeling Barney's personal vernacular (hope you liked the "bro-cation"). Sticking with his character, I think, will be key in your coming posts.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the prologue goes, there were a few parts that were unclear to me. Your reference to "Barney's Mail 'Sack'" left me wondering, why is "Sack" in quotes? I didn't catch the Krisha/Radhi reference either, but I'll chalk that up to my having read different stories. The challenge for this story might be staying in Barney's tone, but still getting all the details of the stories in there clearly. Can't wait to see where it goes!
Hi Morghan! Wow, what an introduction to your storybook! I loved how you took all the problems that were encountered in the Mahabharata and translated them into a modern version. By doing this, I think you will be able to make the storyline much more interesting. I wonder what made Barney want to help people in the first place. Was it because he had gone through many experiences himself? Was it because in that time, he wished someone was there to help him along the way? Maybe you could include a little backstory on when Barney started to want to help people. Barney does come off as a very confident character. By adding a little insight as to why he is the way he is today, you can help the audience understand and therefore help them to feel a closer connection to him. I really love the clean and crisp looking layout of your storybook, it matches the dressing style of Barney very well. Keep up the good work because I look forward to see that else you have in store.
ReplyDeleteI love HIMYM and I'm so glad you're using a character like Barney Stinson to approach retellings of the Indian epics. I think you did a really great job of capturing his style of speech, and including small details like his newest Nehru-collared achkan. I think that that kind of attitude is perfect for looking critically at the epics, while also adding a good amount of humor.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely a cultural gap between the customs of people in the time of the Kurukshetra War and modern-day America, so I'm really looking forward to how you take apart some of the romances that Barney's already mentioned. I'm particularly interested in what you have to say about "Burning Love," which I'm assuming is Rama and Sita.
As far as improvements go, my suggestions are mainly with the site design. It looks nice and simple right now, but if you're approaching it as a blog/playbook put together by Barney, what kind of site do you think he would create? Would it have any fun themes or patterns or would it remain very plain? It's up to you, and the possibilities are endless!
This is a very cute blog. I love that you are telling the story from a single perspective, and will be keeping to a single theme. There are so many aspects you are adding to you blog, such as the daily mail, that make this reading very diverse. There was great transition in your work from one topic to another. I was not confused on any part of the text. I also enjoyed the side comments that were made in parenthesis. This made the article feel more authentic. I also found it interesting how you divided the stories into categories, and not by chronological order. This makes it easier to compare different peoples story. I love how incorporated a link to
ReplyDelete"achkan". Not only does this make your post sharp, but allows a clear description of what you wanted others to imagine while reading this introduction. I cannot wait to keep up with your blog, and continue the good work.
I absolutely love this idea for a storybook! I really enjoy stories that mix the present and the past, so this is great. I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen much of How I Met Your Mother, but I’m slowly working my way through it in my (nonexistent) free time. I like that you kind of laid out the types of posts you’re going to do for Barney’s blog, so I know what to look forward to!
ReplyDeleteThere were some grammatical errors throughout the post, but they didn’t interrupt the flow of the writing. A quick read-through should catch most of them. Most of them seemed to be where you changed sentences or maybe copy-and-pasted something in and forgot to delete the extra words. Like I said, doesn’t really cause problems in the reading and are easy fixes.
I really look forward to keeping up with your storybook this semester. It promises to be fun and entertaining to read!
First of all, I love that you are writing about Barney. I like the first paragraph and the illusions it draws to the show. The comments sound eerily similar to things Barney would say in the show so props to you on the creativity. I like the detail you provide in the second paragraph about the different locations that Barney visits. The pros and cons idea was a unique approach to the introduction. The final paragraph was especially entertaining to me due to all the references to “How I met your Mother.” It is clear that you are passionate about this show and know your stuff. You did a fantastic job writing as if you are Barney which is a writing style I don’t think that I could do. Overall this was a very well written introduction and it left me excited to read your stories in the future. I hope that they are high five worthy and legen…. Hope you aren’t lactose intolerant because this last part is…… dary.
ReplyDeleteHi Morghan! I love this twist that you've given to all of the Indian epics that we are reading! It's very fun and will provide some good entertainment! In your introduction, you really capture the talk that Barney uses in How I Met Your Mother. It sounds like Barney actually went to India and is writing this...very impressive! It is also hilarious that instead of Barney's traditional suit, you have Barney wearing an Achkan. Just looking at your storybook, it doesn't look very "Barney-sque"...maybe you could change up the theme to something very classy that Barney would approve of? That would make it seem even more like Barney's playbook. Overall, this is an awesome storybook and I can't wait to continue reading it and see the final product! I think you will make Barney very proud. I hope that there is a slap bet somewhere within the final product(; Very good job!
ReplyDeletePlease tell me someone will threaten to slap Barney in your first story, and then it'll pay off in one of the last ones! Is this going to be before or after his breakup with Robbin? Either way works, I'm just curious. The breakup could be his reason for going on this adventure.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the idea someone mentioned above, about making the whole site look like it was made by Barney. I would love to give you advice, but I have no idea how to do that. Maybe make it look like a book or a journal? What you have isn't bad or anything, I just agree that pretending Barney made it would be funny.
I also like that you gave hints to future stories too. You didn't reaveal too much, but you gave a bit of a preview. It left me wanting more at least. I don't know if you saw all the announcements, but there's a link to help "trim the fat" from stories. I'm not saying your stories are too long. I plan on using the tool (and grammarly) because I assume they'll help me a lot. Here's the link in case you didn't see it: http://writersdiet.com/?page_id=4
Also, holy hot tamales do you have a lot of comments on your storybook for week one! I guess we know who the popular kid in class is now!
Hi again, I have read your introduction before but I wanted to see how you started your story. I think that it is great how you are incorporating How I Met Your Mother and the indian epics into one. IT gives the readers something that they are familiar with along with something new, so they are not totally confused as to what is going on in the stories. I really liked your first story, it gave the bases of all of the places and I enjoyed how you used his suits and how upset he got when his silk suit was almost burned. That is something that he would definitely have a problem with so I enjoyed that you have meshed both of these stories and the characters together. I think if you had included some images of the places that would have helped us see it for ourselves too, but your description was good too.
ReplyDeleteHi Morghan! Once again, so glad I decided to read your storybook. Each time I read it I crack up because I would have never thought to retell Indian Epics from Barney Stinson's point of view! It is just so clever. Plus, you just really capture Barney's voice and thought process...I think I'm actually reading a blog by him. I think one of the funniest things you wrote was when you were talking about the Pandavas and how they are sharing one girl. The best part about it was that then you went a step farther and said she was maybe a seven. Absolutely hilarious! You put so much detail into the first four locations and wrote just one sentence for the last location. I wish that there was more information on what Barney thinks about the River Yamuna, especially since he gave it a high five. Once again, I love this story and I can't wait to come back and read more!
ReplyDeleteI think your decision to create a sort of travel guide is interesting. Diary entries are interesting, but this would give you the ability to see places with a more critical eye. What's great about Lanka? What should travelers avoid when they're on that island?
ReplyDeleteThe personality of the narrator is really distinct. It's easy to picture Barney writing about this or talking with one of his friends about it.
One thing I would suggest is separating some of the narrative sections from the ratings section. Right now, it feels a bit cluttered. Maybe you could write a narrative section and follow that by reviews of the several different places.
In terms of formatting, I'm not sure if the Findings section is supposed to be before the Introduction section. Either way, it might be better to switch their places. In the Findings section, it would be easier to read if you made the names of the places bold or made them more distinct from the body of text.
I love your take on this storybook project! I think your approach was really creative. Having seen, and loved, the entire series, I imagine this is exactly how Barney would think if he was living these epics. You wrote this wonderfully. The only big problem I noticed would be that some people haven't seen How I Met Your Mother, so they might not be able to enjoy this as much as we do. I think a few sentences explaining who Barney Stinson is and what the play book actually is would be a good addition. You could maybe add in how the playbook has helped Barney personally. With this background information, he would be able to build his credibility not only for himself but also this blog he's creating. Other than that input, I think you did a really great job with your storybook. I can't wait to see where this goes!
ReplyDeleteHey Morghan! I think that using Barney’s Playbook as a guide for your Storybook was brilliant! I have seen so many creative ways to approach the Storybook, and this has to be one of my favorites. I loved HIMYM and seeing this come to life will be a blast. I look forward to reading more of your stories throughout the semester. The introduction does a really good job of introducing your characters for the future stories, but a limited job of introducing Barney to those who might not watch HIMYM. You could do a brief information section on him and make it almost like a dating profile for future bros to copy! I think that your writing style suits this perfectly (no pun intended). You give enough to tease us into reading more and piqued my interest with how Barney will approach these stories! I can’t wait to come back and read more!
ReplyDeleteOn the "Findings" post:
ReplyDeleteJust like the Introduction, this first post has some moments where it really nails the quintessential "Barney" tone and comments. One of my favorites was his takeaway from Rama's battle with Thataka in the desert: "It's like nobody can tell that this is silk."
Sometime's, though, Barney's two-track mind (suits and women) can leave the reader hanging a little on the details. I would be really interested to hear more of how Barney sees & describes some of the scenes and events we're already somewhat familiar with from the tales.
As you know, the review structure you use here gives you a lot of freedom in terms of what topics to pick and talk about--skipping over months and cities--but it's also an inherently less connected form than, say, a traditional story or diary entry. So when a connection presents itself, be sure to bring it out and help the reader along! The wife Rama loses is the same woman we glimpsed in Mithila, right? Mentioning that might help the transition between reviews and travel episodes.
Can't wait for the next installment. Thanks for the travel guide!
I have actually never watched How I Met Your Mother, so I'm sure if I had I would get it a bit more! But I know a lot of people that do watch the show that just RAVE about how hilarious it is. I really liked your idea for your storybook. I feel like you really had to think out of the box for this one. I thought telling your story in a blog post type format was really cool. Thought the description of each place was perfect. You did a great job at modernizing both The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. It was great that you were able to add him as another characters to the stories, this allowed for a whole other perspective! I found your post to be very comical but loved that you were also able to stick to the original stories! Great job with your storybook so far!
ReplyDeleteOkay WOW, your blog might be my absolute favorite so far! I love How I Met Your Mother and I think you totally hit the nail on the head with this one.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I was skeptical on how you could mix Barney’s character with Indian epics, but you totally nailed it. Your blog was written exactly how Barney would write. You did a great job of making his character and attitude shine through and I think that is the most important part. The personality is just flowing out of your writing and that is what makes it so fun to read. I really enjoyed both your Introduction and Findings.
I loved your high five/no high five thing. It was so fun to read and it tied in the epics perfectly. I’m so amazed how well you put together these two vastly different ideas. I can’t wait to come back and read the rest of your stories!
You definitely picked a very creative idea for your storybook. It's been an awesome read so far. It really feel like it could be a mini-episode of HIMYM. Making a post entirely about the high-five system was great. There are some things that I think would be cool to see like a slap coundown, a "challenge accepted," a McLaren's (spelling? kind of bar, a bet, or if you could somehow fit lazer tag into an ancient epic that'd be great too. You're probably already going over those ideas though. You've definitely got plently of HIMYM knowledge to go off of. Really the best advice I can think of is to make the stories like you have been.
ReplyDeleteI was so excited to be returning to your storybook this week. I honestly think it might be my favorite tv-fairytale/epic mashup that I’ve read between Myth and Folklore and Indian Epics. It’s just such an amazing idea and a brilliant execution!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I really liked that you just did brief little snippets about the different locations that our heroes have visited and then gave them a rating. It makes me view those stories in a slightly different light now! In your FINDINGS story, I didn’t see anything that really needed fixing. The grammar is fine and the flow is great. My only suggestion is for the last sentence of the Dandaka Forest. I think it might flow a little better with this wording: “I don’t know which made this rating worse, the rain or Rama’s sulking for months on end.”
I’m really looking forward to delving into your other stories later in the semester!!!
Okay I am obsessed with your storybook! The creativity it took to mix such different sources is amazing! I never would have imagined mixing Barney in with the Ramayana but oh my goodness I am so glad you did! I was laughing all throughout your storybook. You really captured Barney's voice. I was surprised how well the "playbook" format fit in with retelling the stories. It was a concise and easy way to tell the stories and made for a great laugh. I’m glad I stumbled upon this. I see that you were playing around with different formats with regard to the “Findings” and the “New Plays from the Playbook.” Are you going to keep switching it up or will the rest be purely playbook-like entries? I ask because I am using different layouts for each story and was curious if other people in the class are doing the same. I’ll definitely be returning to see what tricks Barney has up his sleeve.
ReplyDeleteI love this concept! How I Met Your Mother is far and away one of my favorite shows and I think that Barney's perspective is such a unique and fun one to take on, especially considering how much romance goes awry in these epics. Could you maybe write a story where a woman tricks Barney? Maye Ravana's sister? That could certainly make for an interesting story. I'd also love to see a bit more writing about the women that Barney sleeps within these various locations. Maybe they could be characters from the epics or just variations on the epics. What if Barney started sleepings with some of the Indian deities and then they put some kind of curse on him for being a bit of a scuzz? There are so many ways that you could take this and I really look forward to reading what you decide to write about!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I'm back! The progression of your storybook is coming along very nicely! You're really succeeding in capturing Barney's tone of voice. I don't really watch HIMYM very much (I know, I know, sue me.) but I can definitely pick out this character through your writing. I absolutely LOVE the small icons you're using. That's very, very clever. I'm wondering if there will be any conflict introduced into the storybook? Like, what if a Goddess found his blog? Overall I just think this is a fantastic storybook. I'll be back!
ReplyDeleteWell Hello again. It's fun to see how this has grown since I read through it last. Well done so far! I've never watched "How I met Your Mother" so I'm a bit out of the loop on some of it but from looking online, it seems like you've done a great job of imitating the form of the original character's speaking style. You do a very good job with character development here and I'm a big fan of the small, little icons you've been using. I agree with Cassandra with this one and I wonder if we could perhaps see some more conflict with the piece. Stories always need some kind of conflict to move the piece forward and they need a resolution that leaves the piece permanently and irrevocably changed. Thus far, this a great storybook so far. You've done a great job with it. Good luck with it for the rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteHaha, when I read your title I thought you were going to be telling stories from Barney the dinosaur Barney, not How I Met Your Mother Barney. I am much more excited now that I know which Barney it is. You manage to keep an excellent Barney-esque voice through the entire introduction, which I am very impressed by. I also like that you make it seem like this blog existed before. I know that is such a small simple detail but it really makes me think that the stories are more real! I enjoy the fact that you make the characters from the epics seem like your casual average Joe that anyone could meet on the street. It really helps continue with the personable feel that most casual blogs give. "At first, I was sad that I no longer had Ted's love life to analyze and critique." I had to set down my drink from giggling so much at this line Wonderful job, can't wait to read more!
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DeleteI love this rating style to tell stories. Some places were easy to recognize because of the similarities that were detailed in your post. I don't want "How I met your mother", but your explanation in your introduction and Author's Note helped a lot. There was just somethings that caught my eye when reading your post. For example, " Rama immediately felt for her." could be " Rama immediately fell for her." Other than that there was nothing. I like how you include other characters emotion as well, I totally felt Rama's heartbreak. The Playbook I found to be hilarious, and on point with what Soorpanaka did. I enjoy this post the best from all your post. I found resemblance in the post and the original stories very quickly. Your picture fit well with the story. I knew exactly what you were about to talk about. After the Author's Note I got a better understanding about why the trick didn't won't on Rama.
ReplyDeleteOnce again Morghan, you amazed me! Your storybook gets better and better each time I read it. Every single time you add in a new story, I chuckle while I read it. The way you are telling it is just so realistic for me since I've watch How I Met Your Mother (and obviously loved it!). I think that the playbook is a perfect way to retell some of the great stories of love and other things found within different epics. While reading the different plays, it was like I could see these events taking place inside MacLaren's! They could definitely be happening alongside everyone's favorite, "Haveeeee you met Ted?" I also really enjoy how you are almost implying that Sita didn't stay pure while being held captive by Ravana. Walking through a fire to prove you've been faithful to your husband is a little weird, don't you think? It's almost like she has something to hide...
ReplyDeleteAnyway. Once again, great job! I'm excited to continue reading and see what else Barney experienced while in India!
Your storybook is definitely one of my absolute favorites! I picked it as my free choice this week because I was so excited to read more. I loved the addition of the Playbook story. The Playbook was an absolute must! I’m glad you chose to include it. The story continues to show Barney’s personality to perfection and also flawlessly incorporates the stories from the Ramayana. I’m mind-blown that you thought of this idea. The thought of telling the stories from the Ramayana from the point of view of a player/womanizer is hilarious. You have been able to do it seamlessly! Your stories stay very true to the original epics and that has been my favorite part. Hearing them in a totally different way has been very fun to read. I like that you continue to change up the style that the stories are written in. From the rating to the steps in the playbook. It has kept readers on their toes. I can’t wait to see what else you decide to incorporate. I will definitely be back for more! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHey Morghan!
ReplyDeleteI really loved your blog! "How I Met Your Mother" is one of my favorite shows. I have watched every single episode and still catch it on T.V. when I have some time. Barney was one of my favorite characters. He had a very unique voice. You loved him despite everything that he chose to say or do. I think you have done a remarkable job recreating his voice! I can't wait to see what else you come up with. I adore the fact that I can hear his voice when I read your blog and imagine him reading these lines. The only thing I am hoping for is that you continue to have a wide variety of ideas available to you. I think that makes it even better. The only flaw would be if it starts to get a little repetitive, but I highly doubt that will happen! Great job!
I Morghan, first time reader here! Sadly I have not watched much of "How I Met Your Mother" but I think it is fantastic you are able to incorporate a modern character into ancient writings. Barney most definitely has a casual sense about him which lightens up at the drama from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. I read your "introduction" and "Findings" post this week and hopefully will find my way back to finish the rest of the stories as the semester comes to an end.
ReplyDeleteYour blog layout is very easy to follow which is much appreciated! Along with your author's note. Since I am not a "How I Met Your Mother" watcher the story made much more sense after reading it!
Just a small grammatical error in Findings
--> "It turns out, her name is Sita and Rama immediately felt for her."
I think you mean, "fell" here.
Other than that I thought everything looked great!
I love this idea! I don't know how I haven't read your storybook until now. It's so fun and I think that you embody Barney's character very well. I didn't know that there was a Barney blog, but it doesn't surprise me in the least. I read your introduction and Mail Sack fully, but I did browse through the other two stories as well. I had not heard about the two stories from Ganesha goes to lunch, but I like you chose the lesser known stories. (I can only read about Rama and Sita so many times) It also sounds like these two letters could apply to many hermits in the Indian Epics. I also really like that link you put in your intro. More links like that either to the places you talk about or with other cultural tidbits would be awesome! I wish your stories were a little longer, but other than that everything looks great.
ReplyDeleteThis is cool! I don't really know Barney's character very well, only vaguely from popular pop-culture references, so I still feel that your writing provided a really good sense of who he was as a person! I really appreciated in your introduction that you linked to Achkan, since I actually didn't know what it was called, I've just seen it a lot!
ReplyDeleteEdits: Under "Findings" number 2. Mithila, "I think Rama immediately felt for her." I think you were trying to say fell for her, but spellchecker didn't catch it?
Between 2. Mithila and 3.Dandaka, did I miss something? Rama falls for Sita, then he loses his wife? I know the story, but if I didn't, I would be a little confused here that Rama had been two-timing behind his wife's back while in Mithila!
5. River Yamuna -- this is actually really funny and to the point. Doesn't the girl who ferries people across the river actually get pregnant by a god before she's ever married? I think I researched/learned that this semester....
I love the customized letter image on Barney's Mail Sack Page!
Great concept, well executed throughout the whole StoryBook!
YES. I am choosing storybooks to review for the week and I instantly picked yours because of the title. I am so sad I have not gotten to experience this storybook before. The fact that this entire storybook is from the perspective of Barney is enough to make me absolutely hooked. You have done such a great job in really getting into the character of Barney in this blog. I truly feel like I am reading something he would write! I think the mail sack portion was my favorite. The names that Barney comes up for this people as he replies to these letters is absolutely spot on. I love it! I think the amount of creativity that comes with these questions is pretty amazing. I would have never thought of having these questions sent in to Barney be based on stories that we've gone over in this class. It is such a unique idea. Thank you for making clear author notes after these posts so I can line up the stories and also get a great idea of your inspiration. Great work!
ReplyDeleteMorghan, I love the idea for this storybook as a blog from Barney! I feel like all of the posts fit together really well and as a whole complete each other in portraying what I think is really significant about Barney—that he’s a womanizer. It is definitely interesting to see such a unique perspective on these stories from a modern-day womanizer because I think a lot of the students in our class have read these stories and felt a little appalled at the treatment of women and I know several, including myself, have written stories that correct these wrongs. However, your storybook takes a completely different approach and in my opinion, does a great job of pointing out a problem that spans generations and still has much room to be improved upon. I like that in your last story/post you included Barney’s reactions to different guys’ problems as well and portrayed him as still having a relatively shallow outlook, regardless of gender.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this Storybook idea! I think it was hilarious and had lots of unique ideas that I could never have thought of. My favorite part of your storybook was the mail sack! I think the advice he was giving and the questions he was receiving was hilarious. Overall I think you did an amazing job and should keep up with the blog. Its a good comedic relief with such serious stories that we have read in this class this semester. Even though it was great me being a girl it was a little harder for me to relate to because it was very male oriented. If I have any advice it is to make it a little more relatable to the girls that read this. Whether that is having more females write in to the mail section or just have him try to think like a girl throughout the storybook. Other than that small detail I think you did a great job!
ReplyDeleteMorghan, your storybook always continues to amaze me! Every single time I read it, I always crack up! You capture the essence of Barney in every single story that you write. It feels as though I'm watching How I Met Your Mother and hearing Neil Patrick Harris speaking through your storybook. I really enjoy how you incorporated the Indian epics into your playbook, and your "anti-playbook" if you will. The Indian epics are a great way to find some good plays to use of people because sometimes they are so crazy they just may work, but most of the time they end in disaster. I also love the concept of the Barney mail. It was so clever to use some of the stories and make them into a "Dear Abby" sort of feel. Plus, I love all the sarcasm that you use in them. Like I said, I hear Barney when I'm reading you stories. Once again, great job! I've really enjoyed reading your storybook this semester!!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite storybook, so I had to some see what you had added for my free choice this week. Since I last visited, you have added the “Barney’s Mail Sack” and “Plays Gone Wrong”. I really enjoyed reading both of them! I loved the mail sack one because it was easy for me to identify some of the readings that you were basing the letters off of. Again, I was so impressed how you are able to incorporate the themes of the Indian stories and still make Barney’s character so apparent. I watch a lot of How I Met Your Mother and when I read your stories, I can actually picture Barney saying all of these things.
ReplyDeleteFor “Plays Gone Wrong”, I liked that you revisited the playbook but put a different twist on it. The playbook is signature to the Barney theme, so I was excited to see that it was making another appearance. I like that you decide to make plays that went wrong. Of course, a lot of Barney’s plays go wrong so you might as well include that aspect here!
Again, I think your storybook is my favorite. I can tell you put a lot of hard work into it over the semester and it turned out great!!
Hi Morghan! I really like the idea for your new story you just added, “Plays Gone Wrong.” Since I have not read either of the stories that this story is based on, the author’s note was really helpful in providing the context of the original stories. I like the fact that this story takes one of your previous entries where you describe plays that go well for Barney and reverses it so that you can describe some of Barney’s failures. The only thing I might add to this story for your storybook is some pictures to highlight the setting for both plays. Since both of these are stories that I have not read, I think these extra pictures could really provide readers with a concise, but descriptive portrayal of the action taking place in these stories. However, I do think that your author’s note did a good job of explaining the original stories.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed your storybook this semester! It was such a unique idea and I found it incredibly entertaining. It was definitely one of the more lighthearted storybooks and it worked out so well! I didn’t see any grammar problems throughout the storybook, which is always great, although there were a few small things you might take a second look at.
ReplyDeleteIn Barney’s Mail Sack, the spacing got a little weird. It’s not exactly detrimental, but it kind of messed with me trying to keep track of which parts were the “Dear Barney” and which were the “Dear whoever” from a visual standpoint. You might also bold the ‘Steps’ in the Plays Gone Wrong section to make it match the New Plays chapter. Again, more of an aesthetic thing, but might make it read easier.
I hope you have a fantastic end to the semester and that all your finals go well!
I can't believe the storybooks are wrapping up and coming to an end! I throughly enjoyed reading yours throughout the semester. With the last storybook post I noticed what I found to be your greatest strength in this exercise, and you really capture the tone of voice perfectly. I thought that "Step 6: Princess agrees to come visit your fake kingdom with her father, who already loves you." was just perfect and totally Barney. I personally think it's really difficult to write in the mindset of an already established character, because it's already been done and created, but you were able to continue his personality and nail it every time. Great job! I loved the takes you made through the Jataka tales, it was so creative!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, this is my first time visiting your storybook and it is absolutely perfect! I love Neil Patrick Harris (even though I've never seen How I Met Your Mother) and this is so hilarious! I love the way you incorporated the myths into Barney's tone and life! It works out really well and doesn't clash very much at all. I especially love the posts about his playbook! I also really like all the different stories you incorporated as well. I hadn't heard of any of them so it was really nice to hear some new stories. I especially liked the one about the princess falling in love with the hermit's son. It sounds so sweet! I also really like the pictures and layout of the website. You did a really good job designing how the blog would like with the high-five and no-five images, haha, and the setup with the mail sack looked fantastic as well! Great job on the storybook! It was a blast!
ReplyDeleteI came back to read the rest of your stories. I should have known this was your storybook! It's such a creative idea and written exactly as Barney would. I like the variety of stories and characters that you've included here. On your successful playbook page I had some comments though. Does Rama really meet Thataka in a desert? I thought most of India was forest and jungle. Also, I don't know if you already knew this when you were writing, but Rama stayed in the rainy Dandaka forest for numerous years! All of your stories still work, but I was just wondering if you knew. Everything else looks great.I really like that you found a way to replicate the show with scrolls of the play names. I also like the sections where you include references to characters from the show. Maybe you could do even more of those in your final edits.
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