Storybook: Storybook Project Assignment: Brainstorm Topics 

Last week, you looked at some of the Storybooks from previous semesters in this class, which I hope gave you a general sense of how this project works. This week your task is to brainstorm about FOUR possible Storybook Project topics that you might like to write about. You will choose your four possible topics from this list of Storybook Project Topics. Then, after you get my feedback, you can decide which one you will choose for your project.

Browse the list of possible topics. So, start by taking a look at this list of Storybook Project Topics in order to get some ideas. For each topic there is a very brief blurb about the topic, with a link to a page where you will find additional information. Look for a topic that interests you, then click on the link to learn more about the topic and see a list of suggested stories, along with suggestions about how to do your preliminary research for this assignment.

Choose four topics that interest you. You might choose a topic because it is something you are already familiar with, or you might choose topics that are completely new to you. Since each topic can be developed in so many different ways, it's absolutely fine if several people in class do the same topic, or if you choose a topic that several people have done in the past. Because of all the possible stories and storytelling styles, each Storybook is unique - you don't need to worry about whether or not you are choosing the same topic as someone else in class.

BE SPECIFIC. The Storybook Project Topics are very general; use them to get ideas, but then zoom in on something more specific. The Hindu gods is a general topic, so you need to zoom in on a specific god (stories about Indra, for example) or else you need a specific theme to use in putting together a Storybook about four different gods ("battles of the gods," for example, where you show the different gods engaged in warfare). Karma is a general topic, so you will need to think of a specific aspect of karma you want to explore, such as the way in which karma is a form of justice, or the way that karma can act in surprising ways, or the ways in which karmic consequences can have a humorous element. The more specific you can be in the Storybook you propose, the easier it will be for me to give you feedback about your ideas.

If you have some idea for a topic that is not already on this list, please let me know - you can send me a quick email with your idea for a new topic, and I'll write you back with some information about how to do the preliminary research.

 

Do some preliminary research for each topic. Each suggested topic has a page of its own, with lists of possible stories, along with links to previous Storybooks students have done on that topic. You may also find some links to pages at the course webpage or other pages on the Internet where you can learn more about the topic. Make sure you spend 10-15 minutes for each topic doing some preliminary research and reading.

Write a paragraph about EACH of the four topics. You need to write 100-200 words about each topic, for a total word length of 400-800 words for this assignment. For each of your four topics, please provide the following information:

• possible topic: explain why you are interested in the topic, what you know already about this topic, and what you would like to learn by working on this topic
• research so far: summarize the research you did so far on this topic (i.e., reading some webpages at the course website, or on the Internet, or by looking at previous Storybooks on the topic) 

=== SEE THIS SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT ===

When you are done, send the assignment to the instructor in an email. Please give the email a subject line that says Indian Epics: Storybook Topics. Please do not send a document attachment. Just cut-and-paste the assignment into the message body of the email.