Author: jenaetoupin

Bringing the Pages to Life

Post author By jenaetoupin
Post date November 29, 2020
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Two and a half years ago, I got to live out a childhood dream and be immersed in the magical world of Harry Potter, at Universal Studios Orlando. It was as if you had actually stepped right into the story and into the book, to the real Wizarding World. It was mesmerizing.

It was all just how I had imaged… Taking the Hogwarts express, walking down Diagon Alley, enjoying a nice cold butter beer at the Leaky Cauldron; even taking in the Village of Hogsmeade. It was an unforgettable, immersive experience, a definite can’t miss for any Harry Potter fan.

We started the day like many others new to Hogwarts, making our way down Diagon Alley to get our supplies for our trip to Hogwarts. There we picked out our wands (or rather our wands picked us) and we had our first butter beer of the day at the Leaky Cauldron.

From there we continued on to find Platform 9 3/4 and officially make our way on the Hogwarts Express. The train ride itself was better than imagined; you were fully immersed in a fantastical ride that was taking you to an even more magical place. It was the perfect way to continue to build excitement for what was to come.

Upon arrival, we leisurely strolled through the Village of Hogsmeade, taking in the sights and shops, which of course included a stop at the famous Honeydukes Sweet Shop to get our sugar quills, and possibly another butter beer.

Finally it was time for the main event, the whole reason for the whole trip… Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was just as amazing as I had always imagined. So many small details taken right from the books and movies. I was so fascinated that I have to admit, I barely took any pictures inside. Being so overwhelmed, I just tried my best to take it all in.

As our day ended and we put Hogwarts into our rear view, we helped ease the pain with, what else but another butter beer; knowing full well that we would never be able to recreate it at home, we have to take full advantage of the magic while we still could.

Truly it was an amazing and unforgettable experience, filled the with magic and wonder that only the Wizarding World of Harry Potter could bring out.

“For in dreams we enter a world that is truly our own”

– Albus Dumbledore

Tags Butter Beer, Harry Potter, Mischief Managed

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The Story Spine

To develop a successful story, you need to look at the story spine; think of it as the bare backbone of a story, which you then fill in with details to flush out the story.

This spine can be seen in almost every story, but is perhaps most apparent in a story like “Lord of the Rings”, as shown below.

The Beginning – “Once upon a time…” – where the world and main character’s routine is introduced.

Frodo lives a quiet life with other hobbits in the Shire.

The Event – “But one day…” – the main character’s routine is broken.

Frodo’s uncle leaves him the One Ring, which must be destroyed.

The Middle – “Because of that…” – the consequences of breaking the routine; it is unclear what will happen to the characters.

Frodo must embark on a perilous journey across Middle Earth to Mount Doom and destroy the Ring.

They form the Fellowship of the Ring which helps Frodo traverse Middle Earth and through the challenges he faces along the way.

The Climax – “Until finally…” – where the main character embarks on either their success or failure; often the height of the storyline.

Frodo finally reaches Mount Doom but struggles both internal and external forces to destroy the Ring.

The End – “And, ever since then…” – the main character either succeeds or fails and a new routine is established, whether for better or worse.

Frodo destroys the Ring, saves Middle Earth, and returns to the Shire with the other hobbits, until he decides to depart Middle Earth.

This story spine can be used for any kind of story, whether a fantastical quest through a new world or a short marketing campaign for a business. When it doubt, it is a great starting point for any author.

Tags Lord of the Rings, Story Spine

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Trick or Treat

Since this Halloween is going to be different this year, I decided to make some Halloween themed cupcakes this morning and live tweet along the way.

It started out just like normal… my dog is always super interested if there is food involves, but quickly loses interests when he realizes its not for him.

The batter making itself is not too exciting, so I purposely did not show any pictures of that; also I wanted to build a bit of mystery as to what kind I was making and what they will look like at the end.

Then the hardest part for me is always the waiting… I have never been a very patient person. It always seems to take forever for them to bake and cool enough to ice them.

Finally they are ready for icing, which I have never liked, and then a bit of Halloween decoration. And viola, homemade Halloween cupcakes.

To see the finished product, check out my live twitter thread from the very beginning below.

https://twitter.com/Jenae42215498/status/1322551581116489728

Tags cupcakes, halloween

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The Boy Who Lived

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”
-J.K Rowling

The task of picking a favourite story was daunting, as an avid lifelong reader, it was near impossible. But then I thought of the above quote in J.K. Rowling’s fantasy series, Harry Potter; words are amazing and with them, people are able to create whole new worlds and stories that bring people out of their normal lives and into something, well, magical, which is exactly what J.K. Rowling did for me when I was young.

The story of Harry Potter is well known around the world. On his eleventh birthday, a young boy named Harry Potter discovers that he is a wizard and possesses the ability to use magic.

He is then introduced to the Wizarding World, where unbeknownst to him, he is already famous for being the Boy Who Lived, having survived a killing curse as a baby from the powerful dark wizard, known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

To harness his new found abilities, Harry goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a boarding school in which young witches and wizards are sorted into houses based on their qualities. There he encounters new friends (and enemies) and find a place in which he finally feels he truly belongs.

Throughout their six years at Hogwarts, Harry and his friends find themselves continually drawn into the struggle against Lord Voldemort, while still navigating the challenges of adolescence and well as understanding and growing their magical abilities. This journey’s story concludes with an epic war between the forces of good and evil at Hogwarts with the final showdown of Harry and Lord Voldemort.

The saga of Harry Potter is one that so clearly follows the rules of storytelling. The story is simple and focused: Harry must defeat Lord Voldemort for the Wizarding World to survive. The characters are highly relatable, as it is easy to find something of yourself in each of them so inevitably you want to keep rooting for them. They also never give up, despite being so young and having many obstacles thrown at them, they persevere and move forward. Yet they each have their own opinions and are not scared to show it; they understand that they all bring something unique to the table that an ultimately help.

“To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”
– J.K. Rowling

The main theme that resonated with me through all seven books was that of love. Harry’s mother was able to protect him because of the love she had for him, even though she was gone; Harry’s friends continually risk their lives for one another because of the love they share. And even Snape, one of the most despised characters throughout the series, is heartbreakingly redeemed (in my opinion) by love.

The love that is seeped into the whole series is what makes it a great story; it brought purpose, gave the characters a reason to continue fighting, and made the story relatable, even though it’s set in a fantasy world that we can only envision. It is also what brings people back to the story and what audiences will remember when its over.

Tags Harry Potter, literary, Love, the boy who lived