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Here is the link to my storybook website!
A screen capture of my storybook website homepage.
Stay tuned for Alice in Wonderland -- with a twist!
Stay tuned for Alice in Wonderland -- with a twist!
Introduction to a Future Olivia Pope*
Hi everyone, my name is Demery Pennington (pronounced like Emery, but with a D)! I am a junior public relations student at the University of Oklahoma. For those that don't know, PR helps companies keep a positive reputation, helps companies rely on ethics in decision-making and helps companies listen and and adapt to the needs of the public(s) that the company affects. I love PR because, as a very social person, it is very relationship and communication driven. Although I was born in the random place that is Helena, Montana, I have grown up most of my life in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, I attended Union High School and met some of my very best friends. Growing up, gymnastics and cheerleading had a huge impact on my life. After doing gymnastics from age 3-14, I switched over to cheerleading in high school. My senior year I cheered competitively with both Union Varsity Cheer and Twist & Shout Diamonds , which took up a ton of my time (click on that link to see my competitive chee
Are you mixing Alice in Wonderland with Scandal? Because that's the vibe that I'm getting, and let me tell you, I am here for it. Your Introduction post works really well to set up where you're going from here, so I've just included a number of questions and ideas I had when reading it that might help to inspire you!
ReplyDelete1. Does Wonderland Wi-Fi distort some of the information received? I imagine those signals having to go through the Caterpillar's smoke, among other things, might cause some confusion...
2. Is Alive having an affair with the Queen of Hearts a la Fitz and Olivia? What a fun exploration that could be...
3. Because Alive is a human in Wonderland, does she have unique abilities or ways of perception that other members of Wonderland don't?
4. Does everyone in Wonderland have a wonderphone? What about those that don't? Can they still access Wonderland Reputation Management, LLC.?
Can't wait to read the next installment!
Hi! I love your idea of remixing such a well known story and incorporating modern technology and PR techniques. I would love to see further development of Alice's character. Your Introduction implies that she is not the same young girl dreaming of wonderland. Now she has knowledge and the technology needed to validate her Wonderland. I would also love to hear the backstory behind the introduction of technology in Wonderland. Was it Alice who brought the "Wonder-phones" and "Wonder-wifi" or was it because of another reason? Wonderland is such a whimsical place that I think you have a lot of room to introduce a really exciting premise for why Wonderland now has access to technology. I also think it would be fun to introduce some type of whacky technology that is only available in Wonderland. Overall, I think you've written a great start your Storybook. I love that you're so passionate about your major that you're incorporating it into your story. I can't wait to read more! Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi! It's cool how you're able to incorporate your major into your story. I feel like that will make for a really unique take on the story telling, as well as helping you keep up interest in the story, since you're writing about something that's important to you. I also feel like I might learn a little about PR by reading this story, which is great because I love when the things I read also have some insight into something in the real world that I don't know that much about. I'm interested to see how Alice responds to dealing with those characters from Wonderland that were frightening or antagonistic during her first visit to Wonderland. Will she still be willing to help them with their image problems despite the way they treated her as a little girl? And how do the characters who disliked or looked down on her feel about having to ask for her help? I can't wait to find out what happens!
ReplyDeleteHey Demery! I love the theme for your storybook! It's cool that you are relating it to your major in Public Relations. I think that is a great idea! You already know a lot about PR and how it works. I think that is so cool that are doing that because you can incorporate what you have learned from your coursework and your classes about PR into your storybook.
ReplyDeleteI love how you started off the introduction to your storybook with Alice speaking as though she is talking directly the audience. Will Alice be the narrator for every story within your storybook? Also, I have a few more questions because I am curious about how Alice ended up managing this PR company in Wonderland. Did Alice move to Wonderland? Is she living there now since she is managing the Wonderland Reputation Management, LLC? Are her only clients the creatures of Wonderland or does she have human clientele too? Maybe consider mentioning how Alice ends up back in Wonderland and if she moved there to open her PR firm.
Hi! I really enjoyed reading your introduction to your storybook and am really fond of the theme! Its really neat that you are taking a classic novel and combining technology into it. Was the original novel written from Alice's perspective, or was that something you modified? Regardless, I think that worked really well as I felt that Alice was talking directly to me, as a reader. I did have a few questions regarding wonderphone:
ReplyDelete1. Was it something she found in Wonderland itself or is it a regular phone that she had with her that turned into a wonderphone when she entered wonderland? Is she the only person with a wonderphone? Do the creatures in Wonderland have them as well?
2. Where does she find these Wonderland WiFi hotspots? Are they at iconic places from the original novel, or does it span the entire wonderland like a cell service? Do other people have access to it?
3. How did Alice end up working for the Wonderland Reputation Management, LLC? Who else works there? Who do they serve? Is she old enough to work a job?
Each of these questions, if answered, can provide some great context for the reader and make the story that much more enjoyable!
Demery,
ReplyDeleteI wrote a really long comment about your storybook and as I was posting it, my internet went out and deleted the whole thing! So excuse my shortness in this comment :)
I love your storybook so far! Your banner image is beautiful really drew me in. I think is really neat how you are connecting your major and this project to further apply your knowledge of PR!
I really enjoyed your introduction. It was pleasant to read and the humor was very enjoyable. I think it you added a few transition words between sentences and paragraphs it would be a little easier to follow!
Can you elaborate on Wonderland Reputation, LLC? and what kind of "fixing" does Alice do in Wonderland?
Great job and I'm looking forward to reading more!
Hi again Demery. I'm really excited by the premise that you set up in your introduction, and I think it's cool that you were able to tie the story you're telling to something that you're passionate about. I'm definitely thinking of all the ways that Alice's PR company could work for the residents of Wonderland and I think that there's a lot of opportunity there (which I'm sure is why you chose the topic!). I think one way you could use the introduction to foreshadow the later stories in your storybook would be to describe other Wonderland characters and how they've had to adapt to technology for better or worse, or how their reputations have been suffering for whatever reason. That could be a little teaser for how Alice comes in and helps them out later with her PR firm.
ReplyDeleteI think this is going to be a really cool storybook and I think you're off to a creative start!
Hi Demery!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I just want to say that you set up your home page so well! I am also doing my storybook around Alice in Wonderland, so I was instantly intrigued by your posts. I really like how you identified why you chose what you did on your home page, and relating it directly with your PR major. It is always interesting learning about how people came up with their ideas. The photo you chose was really bright and cheerful, which is something that will definitely draw people in. Your title - Alice in Relations - is also very clever!
For your introduction, I thought you did a really good job giving a fictional character some humanizing qualities. You really used your imagination to bring Alice to life, especially by using technology as a way to relate her in today's society. The overall amount of creativity that you are starting your project off with is great! I really look forward to keeping up with your story in the coming weeks.
Hey Dem!
ReplyDeleteI love how you're already tying in PR as a big component of your story. I think that means you'll be very passionate about the writing and the parts of the project. It's almost easier to complete a project when you're so passionate about it and you know that the work will be successful in the long run. When I was a kid, I was really scared of Alice and Wonderland, I may still even be. I think the story has a lot of evil and crazy parts. But I think that shows there's a lot from the story you can work with. Will you use a lot of the same characters or maybe use the same concept of characters but different variations? I like how you're also going to incorporate technology into it, that makes it so relatable for us readers and could be very challenging! I'm excited to read it!
Hi! I really like how you took a story everyone knows and most likely read and brought in technology we are all using. It puts into perspective how reliant we are on technology. I also like how you are involving your major in your story. It shows how much you really like your major and that you are going to do great things for whatever company hires you. Adding in spotty Wonderland Wi-Fi was a great idea because it is prevalent in most of our lives. Everyone is always taking pictures and trying to upload them and not truly appreciating what is and who are around them. Are all the characters going to have phones? And what other technology are they going to have? Are you going to add in some technology that has not been created yet?
ReplyDeleteOverall, I truly enjoyed the introduction and I look forward to your first story and cannot wait to read it!
Hello Demery! Your preface on the home page really allowed for me, as a reader, to immediately connect with you as an engaged writer. Public Relations sounds like it will be a really fun and successive career for you. Your modern take on the stories of Alice in Wonderland is quite humorous and interesting; I especially like how you have used it to apply to your field of promoting a product, like the Wonderphone. It is a really clever name that applies to the plot and connects well with the story, allowing for an association between the phone and Wonderland. I also really enjoyed envisioning Alice as a fixer. In the movies, especially in the newer ones, that is certainly the role that Alice seems to fulfill - she is managing and helping the people of Wonderland to fix their problems (aka, The Red Queen). This sounds like it will be an amazingly fun read and I can't wait to see the stories that you publish!
ReplyDeleteHi Demery! This is such a solid introduction! I appreciated your author's preface as well. I haven't seen many storybooks that have included a preface (mine included). I like that this storybook is being told from the first person perspective of Alice. In children's stories and fairytales, I feel like it is most common to have it told by a narrator or from a third person perspective. The major disadvantage of that, however, is that the characters don't often get to justify their actions and such. I look forward to seeing how Alice explains herself! Furthermore, I think it is totally unique to take this story from long before modern technology and add the technology! I love that you took a cellphone and made it Wonderland specific, the WonderPhone. Alice sounds like a real boss here! In the original, she just seems to keep getting swept away and manipulated. I am looking forward to a stronger and more independent Alice. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi, Demery!
ReplyDeleteYour Introduction post was captivating, and I cannot wait to read more of your work this semester. The Thomas Kinkade artwork you selected for your header is beautiful, and clearly recounts to readers the nature of your writing. I am fascinated by your merging of Alice in Wonderland with Public Relations, and think that you make a great case for why the inhabitants of Wonderland could use personality consultants, or a "fixer." Do you intend to write Alice as fixing familiar Wonderland stories, such as the painting of the white roses, or will she be putting a positive spin on new episodes in the citizens' lives?
Obviously, your writing is at least partially inspired by Scandal, which I consider an exciting touch! If you’re looking for more inspiration for a modern Wonderland, you might also consider ABC’s Once Upon a Time, and the SyFy miniseries Alice. Both present interesting reinterpretations of Wonderland, and would help to extend your television influences.
I am looking forward to reading more of Alice in Relations!
Hey Demery! First of all I want to say that I love the home page of your site. I am a huge fan of happy bright colors! I also like how you included the author's preface. This allowed me to become more familiar with who you are and what your vision is for the story book. This is my first time visiting it and I can already tell I will be visiting it a lot throughout the rest of the semester. I did not ever watch Alice in Wonderland as a child and I have not even seen the newer version of it, but I am excited to learn more about it through your stories. I love how your introduction helps to inform the reader of what will be going on in the story book and what the main theme of your story book. I am also very impressed that your story book is going to incorporate parts of scandal as well. This is a show that I have watched and I am very interested to see your twist on it and Alice and Wonderland. Also, I love that you are using your education as a public relations major to further these stories into stories with great detail.
ReplyDeleteHi Demery! I really like your home page. Imagery of Disney's Alice in Wonderland frames your love of the topic well. I also enjoyed having that preface to frame the narrative. I think a tech filled wonderland would be really cool, adding a nice science fiction element to the story. As soon as Alice described herself as a fixer, I just imagined her as Olivia Pope. I really hope that's the direction you are taking this because that would be so interesting. The Queen of Hearts having Alice hired on to manage her public reputation, to transform her to a loved and feared ruler, instead of just feared. The Mad Hatter could hire her to help manage the aftermath of his public break down. Oh this is just such a cool idea and I am so excited to see where you take this. I really look forward to reading your stories as they develop.
ReplyDeleteHi, Demery!
ReplyDeleteI just read Wonder[Phone]Land, and truly enjoyed it! My reading left me with several questions about the direction your writing will take in the next few weeks.
First, in this story, Alice came off as confused and naive. She is surprised to see that the rabbit has a watch, and does not seem overly panicked to be falling for miles. Essentially, her character in Wonder[Phone]Land is that of the imaginative child. However, in your introduction, Alice seemed to be a master of Wonderland, excellent at fixing problems and placing a positive spin on any situation. She is a strong and intelligent woman, who has clearly had diverse experiences.To me, such differences in Alice's characterizations mean that Alice must grow significantly during her time visiting Wonderland. I am eager to see how you illustrate Alice's changes through your writing!
Second, I loved that you introduced the Tech Master. Can we expect this to be a new character, maybe inspired by Lewis Carroll? Or, will the Tech Master be a surprising spin on one of Wonderland's familiar residents?
I cannot wait to see how your story moves on through the semester!
Hey Dem!
ReplyDeleteI still love this theme and idea and think it's super interesting! I am really excited to see what all your other stories are going to look like. Sometimes, you jump around with your tenses. If you are saying something is in the past, make sure that's the tense you're using throughout your whole story. If you are going to change tenses throughout the story, make it distinct so the audience really knows what is going on. I like it when the character is talking out loud with emotion, she is not hiding how she's feeling and I really love that. I like how you got creative with the "key" transition. Using a WonderPhone makes the story way more modern and even gives a futuristic approach to where phones have the ability to open doors! I like how that is the introduction to the technologic aspect of the storybook as well. Great job and I can't wait to read more!
Hey Demery. I love how you're already tying in PR as a big component of your story. I think that means you'll be very passionate about the writing and the parts of the project. It's almost easier to complete a project when you're so passionate about it and you know that the work will be successful in the long run. When I was a kid, I was frightened by parts of Alice and Wonderland. I think the story has a lot of evil and crazy parts. But I think that shows there's a lot from the story you can work with. Will you use a lot of the same characters or maybe use the same concept of characters but different variations? I like how you're also going to incorporate technology into it, that makes it so relatable for us readers and could be very challenging! I'm excited to read it!
ReplyDeleteHello Demery. Just from my initial reaction of your storybook, I can tell you put in a good amount of work into it. I enjoyed reading why you chose the stories you did and how it relates to your life. It is always good to put a personal touch in order to connect to the readers on a different level. The author's preface was a good choice. I have not seen one that I remember off the top of my head. I like the way you made Alice more relate-able and casual when it comes to her character and the way she portrays herself. Reading your introduction, I can tell you related yourself to the character in the public relations sense. You did a great job so far.
ReplyDeleteDemery,
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool twist on a classic! I absolutely love how you are incorporating technology and Public Relations into your storybook. I am excited to see what sort of things Alice’s WonderPhone can do!
I like how this is from the first-person perspective of Alice, although sometimes I would get lost in her inner monologue, which I guess is something Alice did as well. I Wonder how it is that Alice knows what technology is, and even some phones, but not a smart phone? Perhaps this is set before smart phones were a thing. I also found myself thinking about what sort of “apps” might be in the WonderPhone and how those might impact the story. I think it might be an interesting concept, if you haven’t considered it already, of course!
This story looks like it is going to be a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to read more about it!
Hey Demery! This is not my first time visiting your storybook. I actually used my free choice to come back to your storybook because I have not visited it in awhile and I remembered that I loved the idea behind it. After reading your new stories, I am definitely not disappointed. I can tell you have been putting in a lot of work! I am going to focus on your second story because it is the most recent one that you have uploaded. The thing that stuck out to me the most was that Alice helped the caterpillar with his PR skills and how to handle himself in front of people. I liked this because I know you are a PR major and it is awesome to see how you incorporated that into your story. I even learned some things from the story! Overall, really great job! I'm sure I will be visiting your site in the future to see the progress you have made and the new creative stories you have come up with.
ReplyDeleteDemery,
ReplyDeleteHey! I haven't checked in on your project since you wrote the introduction, so I was pretty excited to keep reading this week for my free choice project and see what happens next with Alice, the fixer! Your first two stories were great! Your retelling of Alice Down the Rabbit Hole was really cute and I thought it was a great bridge from your introduction into your stories. For people who aren't familiar with Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, it will be really helpful in explaining how she gets there! I also thought your second story was very clever! I really liked your spin on how Alice helps the Caperpillar with his PR skills to add a twist on how she gets the mushroom to shrink her size. And adding the background info that the Mad Hatter also doesn't like him, was really nice! Great job and I'm looking forward to see what will happen next!
Demery, all of your photos are so awesome! They totally set the tone for your stories and make the storybook look amazing. The idea of your storybook is so clever and unique, and I think the voice you give for Alice is just perfect. She is kind of sassy and confident, and I can see her talking as I am reading. I love how you incorporated the Wonderphone into the story, but still kept some of the original aspects of the plot. There is also some mystery in your story which is great. I think the first story is very well written. The way you are incorporating PR skills into Wonderland characters is super cute, and I really don't have anything negative to say about any of your stories. The writing is well suited for writing about such a fantastical land, and I can't wait to see where else Alice goes!
ReplyDeleteHi Demery! I am back again to look into your story book and see how it is coming along. This week I used my "visit a storybook you have already visited" choice to come back to your story book. I am excited to see the new additions!
ReplyDeleteI am going to focus my comments on your last story named Power of True. I really like that you kind of embedded in a life lesson into the story. Lying is never a good thing and never will be. The details that you put into your writing is really awesome. I feel like I can picture everything in my head, which helps me stay interested throughout all of your stories. Also, I liked how this story had an intensity building from the start. We did not know where Alice was going or what she wanted to do which kept me guessing as to what was going to happen. As you can tell, I really like your story book. Keep up the good work!
Hey there Demery! It's nice to come back to your page to see the progress you've made. I am really impressed with how well you've been taking all the advice from your fellow classmates and using it to improve your writing ability.
ReplyDeleteI also like how you have included some continuity between your stories. The constant appearance of PR in your stories is simultaneously entertaining and immersive. I want to congratulate you on how well you have managed to take one part of writing and use it so well across many different stories.
I also wanted to say how much I enjoyed the way you wrote Alice. Her character is just a joy to read about and I always look forward to getting to see what adventure she will next find herself in. Good luck with the rest of your stories and revisions and I hope you have fun in the rest of the class.
Hey there, Demery! How is your semester going? I think it is crazy that we are so far along in the semester and we are still meeting new people in our classes! I really enjoyed visiting your website, especially since you are in the other class. I love visiting the other class’ website because it is new and fresh information.
ReplyDeleteYour website is so cool! You have done such a great job with your theme and I really love Alice in Wonderland! I love that you chose that. I also think it was such a good idea to include some modern things like the WonderPhone. That really spices up the story and makes it more interesting. Also, I am very impressed with your use of images. I really think that the images help the reader to picture the setting and to help them understand the story so much better. Great job!
Hi Demery!
ReplyDeleteIt was so cool to come back and read your project again after several weeks have passed; I loved seeing how it has changed and grown! I still think that this topic is so interesting, and am always surprised by how well you are able to tie everything together. For my reading, I chose to focus on Bad Reputation, and liked it very much overall. I think the Caterpillar is an often-forgotten character in Alice in Wonderland, so it was cool to see you develop him a bit more. I would have loved to have read more about how Alice used the WonderPhone to help Absolem, or the specific details she gave him about turning his reputation around. I think if you wanted to add more emphasis to the PR aspects of this project, more PR specifics is definitely the way to do it! I would love to see Absolem appear again in the story, just to learn how things turned out for him!
This is a really neat idea! I like the mixing of technology with Alice in Wonderland, adding a neat new aspect to the story.
ReplyDeleteThe first-person narration in Wonder[Phone]Land is also a big difference that I think works very well for that story. It makes sense for Alice's thoughts during her adventures to be very rapid, and the comments on everything work well for communicating her reactions to everything. It also lets you control how much description you give - if you want something to not be noticed, you just need Alice to not notice it.
The rules on the WonderPhone in Wonder[Phone]Land are interesting. I wonder if people just see her holding onto thin air when she uses it, since it can't be seen by anyone else unless they have one. However, the last two rules seem to conflict with each other slightly. Documents taken on the phone can be used in court, but Alice has to deny any use of the WonderPhone if it's seen. Wouldn't using it in court require that it be shown?
Otherwise, I really like what you've done with the story! Alice going around helping people with the power of technology and honesty is a great idea, and you've done it well.
Hi Demery! I really like your twist on Alice in Wonderland in that now she manages Wonderland Reputation Management LLC. These WonderPhones that you have added to the story will make a great plot device. I loved your introduction! It was almost like another story in that it was so detailed and really draws the reader in. You have some very specific rules on the use case of the Wonderland Phone. A question that some readers would have is why did you include that the contents of the phone must be shown in court? It seems a bit confusing to me that you would add that and not have a story occur in a court house where a character has to show the court what is on their Wonderland Phone. Maybe you planned another story that does take place in a court? That part was just a tad confusing and I would elaborate a bit more on that. Other than that however your story was great!
ReplyDelete