I’d like to say I’ve always been a reader, but that would be a big lie. Remember those reading logs in elementary school that teachers would have your parents sign for reading 2-3 hours a day? Yeah, I forged my parents’ signatures on ALL of them. I despised the idea of sitting all day reading words on paper, but then I discovered an exception: Percy Jackson.
The Moment My Obsession Began
I recall the exact moment my obsession with Percy Jackson began. My two older siblings both read the entire series and couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it was. Of course, as the youngest child, I felt a little left out, which gave me the opportunity to discover the wonderful world of Greek Mythology and literary indulgence.
I don’t think there’s a number for how many books I’ve read in my 19 years of life, but it’s a lot. I have definitely experienced my fair share of crazy plots, settings, and adventures in fiction, ranging from historical fiction to romance and fantasy to thrillers- and I thank this journey to my 12 year old self who decided to pick up Percy Jackson.
What Reading Means To Me Now
I quit reading for a while, not because I lost interest, but rather because I was too busy. It was a pretty long break. But, I definitely caught up with my years of slacking.
Since 2021, I’ve roughly read 5-6 books per month. The ability of books to take me to new worlds, locations and points of view offers an escape from the difficulties of everyday life. Reading opens doors to other realities where the ordinary gives way to the mythical and the mundane to the magical. I’m able to escape the constraints of reality and lose myself in the beauty of fiction while I am wrapped up in a beautifully crafted book.
Truly- reading an exceptional book is an unexplainable experience that should be exposed to everyone at least once in a lifetime. Here’s a video I crafted that takes on that sort of feeling of reading a breathtaking story:
I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with reading. There are a ton of new books published each year, which means there are a ton of diverse plots and memories to cling to. Additionally, the books I have already indulged in will definitely hold an everlasting connection to me that I hope I will never forget.
Storytelling has the enchanting ability to inspire, transform, and bring people together by bringing light on our experiences and creating connections between minds and hearts of broad audiences.
But what exactly qualifies as “good” storytelling?
The list of possibilities when talking about “good storytelling” is probably limitless. However, there are a few that stand out for me. From ensuring a story has a clear structure is just as important as appealing to a wide variety of audiences and triggering strong emotions regarding its individual elements. To read a story that is visually captivating and imaginable even without the use of real images- to create tension and dynamic that stimulates the reader’s interest. These principles are important to keep in mind when discussing the concept of storytelling.
Since I haven’t had much opportunity to get out of the house this past week due to illness, I thought I would rewatch Suzanne Collins’ film “The Hunger Games”!
This Twitter Thread is a live-tweeting commentary on my rewatch of this movie. I gave a brief overview of the storytelling components and filmmaking methods. I also underlined my favourite scenes from the film and how they have stuck with me ever since I watched “The Hunger Games” for the first time!
Twitter Thread:
In honour of 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" releasing this past week, I decided to kick off my yearly (more like monthly) 'Hunger Games' rewatch!! #TheHungerGames#EXSM3989pic.twitter.com/YQ3MpIdaRK
As I was creating this thread, I was careful to use language that was equivalent to the way that I talk! According to The Non-Writers’ Guide To Writing Better Social Media Copy, writing in the same language and tone that you would typically use to communicate makes your writing seem more genuine and natural. Since it makes a piece of writing more enjoyable and easier to read, I made sure to incorporate this idea throughout my thread.
Additionally, I used GIFS to make my thread more visually appealing and fun for the reader, maintaining the reader’s short attention span with images that are relevant to the message I’m trying to convey, creating a more entertaining piece. Using hashtags related to the story is also a technique I used to reach maximum impact and to target the sort of demographic I was attempting to capture.
In conclusion, I loved the idea of live-tweeting a Twitter thread to showcase my experience of rewatching ‘The Hunger Games’! The use of Twitter allows authors to write in shorter chunks, creating a more engaging platform to tell stories on! I would definitely consider embarking on this journey again and live-tweet some of my other experiences.
“My aunt used to say, if you don’t fit in, fool everyone until you do.
She also said to keep your passport renewed, to pair red wines with meat and whites with everything else, to find work that is fulfilling to your heart as well as your head, to never forget to fall in love whenever you can find it because love is nothing if not a matter of timing, and to chase the moon. Always, always chase the moon.”
Poston, A. (2023). The Seven Year slip. Berkley Romance.
Following her aunt’s death, Clementine inherits her magic apartment, which grants her the ability to travel back in time and enter either the past or the future by seven years. Since Clementine’s aunt only left her with memories and the two rules regarding the apartment, living in her aunt’s past home serves as a constant reminder of her loss:
Rule One: Always take your shoes off by the door and.. Two: Never fall in love.
Isn’t that simple? That is, until Clementine comes home one day and realizes she has been transported back seven years, discovering a complete stranger named Iwan standing in her aunt’s kitchen.
“I loved how a book, a story, a set of words in a sentence organized in the exact right order, made you miss places you’ve never visited, and people you’ve never met.”
Poston, A. (2023). The Seven Year slip. Berkley Romance.
Consider me a bookworm, but out of the 113 books I have read this year, ‘The Seven Year Slip‘ may hold the title of my favourite story.
This book was utterly enchanting. I loved every element of it: the characters, the plot, the messages, the storyline- all of it was exceptionally well-crafted. I felt as though I could pick apart specific elements of the book and still visualize how the story’s spine developed into this whimsical journey. Ashley Poston truly struck the mark and perfectly embodied what creating a good story is all about.
That being said…
What exactly made me fall completely in love with this book?
1. Relatability
Relatability is one of the first things I take note of when I open up a novel. A book’s tendency of relatability allows readers to gain a deeper connection towards the plot, theme and characters of the story- allowing the audience to feel a strong connection and exhibit stronger emotions throughout.
The main character of ‘The Seven Year Slip,’ Clementine West, did just that. Honestly, I was surprised that I could relate to a character as much as I did while I was reading this book. Reading about Clementine’s journey made me feel as though I was dreaming about an adventure that I wish I had the courage to take. This story beautifully and deeply tackled themes of loss and grief; I felt as though I was sharing Clementine’s emotions as she told stories about her aunt, making me- the reader- feel as though I was an old friend of hers.
2. Visualizing Words On Paper
This story not only captivated me on an emotional level, but it also gave me the feeling that I was watching a movie play inside my mind. I believe one of the more important principles of creating a good story is the ability to take words on paper and mentally create pictures in your mind, feeling as though you’re living alongside the characters. This book perfectly embodied this principle through the descriptive and persuasive writing of Ashley Poston.
Corresponding to “The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar“, one of the rules that was mentioned includes the idea that there should be a why in a story that revolves around a burning belief. It also underlined how crucial a theme is and how we don’t fully understand it until the very end of a story.
In ‘The Seven Year Slip,’ the why was constantly changing. For me, this book captures the honesty of heart break and loss, but highlights the acceptance of moving on even when we don’t think we should. For half of the book- mostly focusing on Clementine’s aunt- it illustrated the idea that because our loved ones are always present in the little things we do every day, we never truly say goodbye to them. While on the contrary- relating to the romance aspect of the story- it emphasized that we can fall in love with a person for who they were in the past, accept that people change, and that we can continue to love them every day as they become a little more themselves.
“Because the things that mattered the most never really left. The love stays. The love always stays, and so do we.”
Poston, A. (2023). The Seven Year slip. Berkley Romance.
This is now my new favourite book
Comforting, whimsical, touching and sweet. ‘The Seven Year Slip’ is not just some silly romcom, it’s a story about finding yourself and pursuing happiness in a world full of change, loss and grief. This book has touched me like no other story has before. Not only was it emotionally relatable, but it also made it possible for me to visualize this story as though I was stood in Clementine’s apartment, seeing everything from a firsthand perspective. It had deep and emotional themes that would inspire anyone who comes across this story, including me. Now, like Clementine, I’ll always be chasing the moon.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 