map of Northern Africa in the year 1900
source: Qala Bist
Sinbad and his adventures will certainly be the basis of a
story of mine this semester, but currently with midterms underway it would
appear I do not have the time I wish I did to dedicate toward crafting a proper
adventure story in the style I want to. The first person perspective that his
adventures are portrayed in is an interesting style to attack this writing
assignment in. As mentioned before I think it would be different and
entertaining to present the first-person perspective through journal entries
that Sinbad could have been keeping while he is undergoing his adventure.
Traditionally he has been a sailor in a majority of the tales involving him,
rather than continue forward with this I am considering a more explorer/ adventurer
approach similar to the main character of Sahara,
or the classic Hollywood adventurer Indiana Jones. Dividing the story into
15-20 different journal entries with corresponding dates and locations within
the Sahara region of northern Africa. This presentation style is one that is
perfect for the usage of sketched images being used rather than photographs or
paintings. The sketches can be added to the occasional journal entry, possibly
to emphasize in Sinbad’s writings for the specific day on an interesting
location that was passed or a clue that was discovered that was a visual aid
rather than verbal. The story could begin in the Egyptian city of Cairo moving
westward into the desert. The group of individuals joining Sinbad on his
expedition would be no more than ten totally, and it is likely that some would
be lost along the way working toward their final goal of discovering a lost
treasure of antiquity. The story would be set in the later half of the 19th
century, possibly in the early years of the 20th when the British
still held a major influence in the region, one that Sinbad could be working
against to preserve the lost item for his own region and culture. The real
challenge going forward with a period story is making certain I have the proper
names and boundaries for the era of time I have chosen to write my story in. Wikipedia and other sources will be a huge aid in researching the geography of the region during this time.
Bibliography: The Voyages of Sinbad
I like the concept you have laid out for your story! I think that setting Sinbad up as an Indiana Jones type character would be really cool. The journal entry idea is a good one too! That would make it easier to have progress in your story without have awkward time jumps in between. I think that the average reader probably wouldn’t realize that you weren’t consistent with your geography throughout the story. Unless it was really obvious. However, I like that you are going to make sure that you pay attention to those little details!
ReplyDeleteCole, what a super cool way to incorporate a story. I can't really think of any other sources that have structured a story as journal entries, so I think it has a lot of potential to be an interesting exploration. It also seems like your very interested in the subject, which helps to make your stories better, as you are more invested. Good luck with your writing!
ReplyDeleteMackenzie
Cole,
ReplyDeleteI think that you have a lot of good ideas to create a story! I am not entirely familiar with Sinbad, but I like what you have going so far. I am also not very good at geography, so making sure things are correct sounds good! A journal entry could be a good concept for the story! What perspective are you going to write the story from? Sinbad or one of his friends that goes with him? I like that Sinbad would be working to preserve his culture and religion. It makes me wonder about all the other cultures and religions that were lost before our time. I think you have some really good ideas and I can't wait to read the final product!