When most people find out I have three cats at home, they often act surprised and ask "why so many?" And my immediate response is something like this… pic.twitter.com/SPvlmkD69J
One of the best things about having cats are the funny situations they get themselves into.
For example, Christmas is an extremely eventful time around our apartment. The Christmas tree is a big attraction for them. Willa’s first Christmas was especially eventful for her. She decided to pretend to be an ornament… Let me show you what I mean…
What a weirdo…
Or, let’s talk about the time Lilah sat in the dryer… For no reason…
Ever wanted to know what principles constitute good storytelling? Keep reading and find out!
Principles of Good Storytelling
Following Pixar’s Principles for Good Storytelling
As we can learn from the above infographic, the 4 key principles, as determined by Pixar, to good storytelling are,
universality
clear structure and purpose
simplicity
a character to root for
Consider this, can we really tell a good story if one of those aspects is missing? I suppose a story can still be told… But, will it resonate with the desired audience? Will it achieve what the storyteller is trying to achieve?
The Design
You may be asking, if I am using Pixar’s principles of storytelling, shouldn’t this infographic be much more colourful? (as expected of Pixar related content)
I wanted the design to be simple (as one of the storytelling principles is). I wanted the content to speak – rather than the colours. I suppose I also wanted to mirror my own aesthetic, which is often muted rather than colourful.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed this little post and my infographic.
I’ve been searching all week for a moment worth live-tweeting. I never expected it would come from my cats.
As you can see by the first few tweets, a bit of back story was necessary. I often find that when telling stories about our cats, people often ask, “How in the world did you end up with three cats?” and the answer is quite simple:
This morning was no different than any other Sunday morning. Breakfast, coffee, and Netflix on the couch were all in order. That is until we pulled out the catnip spray.
As I mentioned in my Twitter story, three cats mean plenty of toys and accessories – which our cats don’t always want to use… So, the catnip spray became a tool for us to encourage them to use the things that we spend our hard-earned money on.
Normally, they lay and roll around the area that the spray touches, but today we experienced this…
Well, as the internet has proven to us many a time, cat lovers love to watch other people’s cat do funny things. Trust me, catnip spray makes cats all the more entertaining to watch.
This post is beginning to sound a tad like a paid advertisement, but I can assure you that the catnip spray company is not paying me to write this (although, how cool would that be?).
As we learned last week, a good story is relatable and evokes emotion in its readers. While pet owners may definitely relate to this, those who do not own any pets, or perhaps own a different pet, may not find this as close to heart as some. Well… I at least hope seeing my cat obssessively lick her scratching post made you giggle.
In conclusion…
They have resumed their regularly scheduled activities. Lounging, relaxing, and attempting to fit in spaces that don’t exactly seem the most comfortable. #EXSM3989pic.twitter.com/rSK3eoSMWB
Oh to be a cat… After a solid 30 minutes of independent play time the ladies were exhasuted. They proceeded to find their favourite spots in the living room and settled in for a nap (at 11:15am, but who am I to judge?!).
On an unrelated note, those of you who may have been paying attention to the TV in the background may have noticed Love is Blind Season 2 on the screen. Bad but addicting Netflix reality TV shows are a favourite in our home.
Do you have any pets that do funny things like this? Who is your favourite Love is Blind couple? Leave me a comment below! 🙂
When sixteen-year-old Lorelai Gilmore finds out she’s pregnant, she runs away from her well-established family home and raises her daughter all by herself.
Through hard work and determination, she supports the two of them and gives them the most wonderful life filled with an array of fantastic opportunities and new friends. Rory grows up to be an educated, independent, and worldly woman – a journalist. Through ups and downs, family drama, and lots more theGilmore Girls begin and end their journey as the best of friends.
Of course, that’s not all of it, there are seven seasons to the show! But, let’s put that in the Story Spine,
Once upon a time…
There was a sixteen-year-old girl named Lorelai Gilmore.
Every day…
She was forced by her parents to fit into their rich and lavish lifestyle which she did not feel comfortable in.
But, one day…
She got pregnant!
Because of that…
She ran away from home to a small town called Stars Hollow and sought shelter at the local Inn where she worked as a maid.
Because of that…
As her daughter, Rory, grew up, she continued to work hard and support the two of them and eventually made it up the ranks to be the inn manager.
Because of that…
She and Rory learned to dream big. Rory went to private school and eventually, Yale University and Lorelai opened her own inn.
Until finally…
She needed her family’s help with school tuition for Rory.
And, ever since then…
While Lorelai and Rory had a new family in Stars Hollow, there was enough room for Lorelai’s parents in their life as well.
While there is so much more to the series than just the brief description above, ultimately, Gilmore Girls is the story of a hardworking single mother and her bookworm daughter navigating life in what has been referred to as “The Best Mother-Daughter Relationship Ever…”.
A Dollop of Familiarity and a Hint of Comfort
The story of Gilmore Girls is a universal story. It is simple, funny, and extremely relatable. Aya Tsintziras points out that “while not everyone grew up with a cool single mom who felt like a peer, many fans can still relate to much of Gilmore Girls… Whether it was the show’s smart depiction of high school life or the way that the mother/daughter duo acted in their academic/professional and personal lives, there were many Gilmore Girls storylines that made a lot of sense to viewers”. Simply put, the interwoven storylines presented real-life scenarios that resonated with its audience. There was no indication of a far-fetched reality, but rather one that is familiar to all.
As Ashley Fell mentions in her TEDx talk, an important characteristic of a good story is a main character you can identify with. ‘Gilmore Girls’ gives its audience two main characters of different age groups (adult and teen) who are undergoing different challenges in their lives. Challenges that mirror those the audience might go through in their own respective lives.
I saw a lot of myself in Rory. Just like Rory, I am a reader, a writer, and a girl with big dreams. Just like her, I wanted to go to University and eventually end up writing for a living. Ironic, isn’t it?
A good story also gives its audience a character to root for and appeals to their deepest emotions. Shannon Carlin points out that the series “has always made fans cry… Sometimes, these were happy tears; other times, not so much. But if there’s one thing fans already know about this show, it’s that it definitely requires you to keep the tissues handy”. The down-to-earth atmosphere of the story and characters makes it easy for the average viewer to connect with and root for the main characters. This then leads to a strong emotional response when the characters either succeed or fail at something that the audience feels like they have been a part of.
You may be asking yourself, “Why Gilmore Girls?”. Well, I first watched Gilmore Girls with pure curiosity. I never realized the story would be so similar to that of my own. Just like Lorelai, my mom had me at a young age (not at sixteen but she was still young) and raised me primarily on her own. When I was five years old, we had lost my father and for a while, it was just the two of us against the world. Like Lorelai, who takes on a job as a maid at an inn, my mom took on many different jobs to support the two of us and provide us with a life we could both enjoy.
After years of seeing happy large families on TV, there was finally something that represented me. This story, while not directly related to me in any way, made me feel heard. It spoke to my own life story, upbringing, and even future goals.
Just like Lorelai and Rory, it’s always been me and my mom!
Do you have a television series that speaks to your heart? Leave a comment below!
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 