Introduction
For the Narrative Unit, we explored descriptive storytelling and deepened our knowledge of fiction writing fundamentals. In English, we learned to utilize various rhetorical devices, such as vivid imagery and symbolic meaning, to convey character arcs in flash fiction stories. In Design, we learned to use Adobe Illustrator to create narrative digital art that visually communicates our stories. We used symbolism to create illustrations that represent our protagonists and linear perspective backgrounds that fit the settings of our stories. In Digital Media, we expanded our skills in audio production by recording our story and adding sound effects and music to it in Pro Tools.
Through the Narrative projects, I was able to improve my skills in storytelling. I learned how to give depth to a character by viewing them as a metaphor and how to create an interesting story arc by following a plot map. I also learned how to use Adobe Illustrator to create illustrations that visually communicate stories.
Story
In English, I learned to write a flash fiction story with a strong character arc and an interesting plot. I did this by identifying my protagonist’s want-need dynamic, defining their purpose, and giving them a personality and backstory. The goal was to have a protagonist who could act as a metaphor in the context of the story. I also followed a plot map to outline my story and make it interesting.
Writing the flash fiction taught me a lot about developing characters and building a story around a protagonist. As a person who is better inclined to nonfiction writing, this helped me improve a lot in my fiction writing abilities. I will carry the skills I learned from writing my flash fiction well into the future.
In Digital Media, I produced an audio version of my story. I did this by using a Tascam recorder to record myself reading it and by using Pro Tools to add sound effects and music. I focused on using sfx in important areas of the story that I wanted to emphasize.
Creating the audio version of my flash fiction story was a really enjoyable experience. Picking out the sound effects was lots of fun, and I liked the ones I chose for some of the more dramatic scenes. I still have room to grow with using Pro Tools, but after creating the audio production I feel more comfortable with it.
You can listen to the audio version of my flash fiction below:
Read my flash fiction story, Orange City, below:
Orange City
Every day is orange—from the rain to the river, from the fog to the sky. Orange makes the water burn my throat and the air sting my nose. It’s a constant reminder of the death sentence looming above my head. Maybe I will die tomorrow, maybe next week, or maybe I already died and find myself in Hell. My fate, penned by the Devil himself, is to trek a barren path of darkness for all of eternity in a world where everything is chipping away bit by bit until one day, nothing will be left but orange.
Most dawns, I wake up in beds of humus and under blankets of smog. Today is no different. I blink once to adjust my eyes to the painful glare of the rising Sun and stretch twice to ensure my limbs still function. As I gradually take in my surroundings, I feel many things: the scalding hot ground beneath my feet, the fierce gusts of wind against my back, and the warm air coming through my gas mask. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. My breathing doesn’t remind me that I am alive, but that there is the possibility of death. I fear my inevitable demise more than anything else, for it would be catastrophic to die before finding a purpose to live. To die with no meaning to one’s existence is a fate I do not wish on my worst enemy.
What could be my purpose as a human being on this Earth?
I contemplate this question as I begin my typical journey to the shop to purchase some water. I have not had a drop of water since yesterday morning, and I am dehydrated. I am afraid because I will die if I don’t get water soon.
I trudge along crumbling sidewalks and climb over abandoned cars in the streets. As I walk, I turn to observe the skyscrapers in the orange distance and notice that many of them are covered in overgrown vines. For a moment, I consider finding a purpose in saving the few buildings we have left from those wretched weeds, but I stop in my tracks when I see a rat gasping for air just where I am about to place my foot. It is at that moment that I remember that there is nothing on this planet that can be saved. I step on the rat until I see blood. Attempting to save anything is futile, and preserving the city’s buildings can’t be my purpose.
After walking for what seems like an hour, I feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead and my eyelids beginning to droop. I am tired, but I peel my eyes open anyway. The sun has fully risen by now, and its fiery glow is spread around every inch of the city. It’s too hot to walk further without stopping to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. I smell something thick and suffocating.
Is my gas mask broken?
Then it hits me.
Smoke. Something is burning.
I whip my head around in panic, trying desperately to locate the fire. It could be anywhere, and if I go the wrong way, I could be turned to ashes in an instant. I see smoke coming out of a short brown building not too far from where I stand.
The shop is on fire. The shop is on fire, and I need water.
I let out a wail. There is no other drinkable water for miles. If I wait any longer, I am sure I will die of dehydration. I anxiously stand in silence for a moment. I am hyperaware of the burn in my throat and the sting in my nose.
I need water.
I surprise myself as I use my last bit of energy to run towards and into the shop. Flames lick at me as soon as I enter, and I feel dizzy from the heat. Inside the shop, there are few shelves and little stock still standing. Much of everything else is burning away.
I need water.
I see a shelf with bottled water just two steps away from me. I move one shaky foot forward. Then I move the other. I reach for the water bottle and let out a sigh of relief. I nearly forget about the fire around me as I dump the water down my throat. It feels good, and just for a minute, I am at peace.
I will live.
I hear something crack above me and look up. A chunk of the roof has broken away. I try to run but it lands on top of my legs and is too heavy for me to pull off. I gasp for air as the smoke clogs up my mask. My legs are crushed, and they are bleeding. The image of the rat I stepped on this morning flashes in my mind, and I feel a pang of guilt. I scream for help, but no one is here to save me. After all, attempting to save anything is futile.
My death is nearer than ever before, and tears prick my eyes. I feel something crawl onto my chest.
A rat?
It’s smaller than the one from the morning, but it gasps for air just the same. I realize that it breathes like I do and feels pain like I do. It moves towards my water.
It must be thirsty.
I muster enough energy to pour some water onto the ground. The rat laps it up quickly, so I pour it some more. It seems to be in less pain now, and I smile for the first time in a while.
My purpose is to be human.
I see orange, then everything goes black.
Illustrations
I used Adobe Illustrator to create several custom illustrations throughout this unit.
Stickers
In Digital Media, I created a custom sticker sheet using my own illustrations.
As a child, I was captivated by fairies and magical tales. That fondness stuck with me as I grew older, and led me to form a collection of fairy-themed items, from figurines to tea sets. Common themes across my fairy collection are dainty sparkles, feminine colors, and lots of flowers and butterflies. These elements were the main inspiration for Fairy Dreams, my sticker sheet, and I incorporated many of them into the designs.
I designed my sticker sheet in Adobe Illustrator. I began by coming up with an overarching theme, fairytale elements, and creating a few simple outlines based on it. I then created a pastel color palette inspired by flower gardens and used it to color my outlines. My biggest struggle throughout the process was coloring, because I didn’t have enough practice with shading in Illustrator before this project. I ended up using gradients to make the designs look as if they were slightly shaded. I also think some of the colors showed up too light once printed, and I’d make them a bit darker if I were to do this project again. I am most proud of my teacup design because I think it fits the theme perfectly but is also unique. If I had the chance, I’d like to turn it into a real teacup someday. After completing this project, I want to try designing more stickers in Illustrator and improve my illustration skills.
Album Cover Art
This is the album cover art I created for my short story audio production. I used an orange gradient for the background to match the description of the orange sky in my story. I also drew a gas mask because it is an object that holds significance to the protagonist.
Exquisite Corpse
For the Exquisite Corpse project, I worked with two other students to create a combined illustration. We did not plan the illustration, but we decided on where each drawing should start and end so they would all connect. My illustration is the third one, and I blended different colors to create a gradient bubble effect in Illustrator.
Music
In Digital Media, we produced a parody song using original lyrics, Adobe Audition, and recording equipment. I worked with Leo B to create a parody of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. When writing our original parody lyrics, we decided that we wanted them to be about the experience of having a panic attack, and titled it “Don’t Talk To Me.” We tried to keep our lyrics lighthearted and fun even though the song was about a heavy topic so that it would fit the theme of a parody. Neither of us can sing, but we think that adds to the humorous nature of a parody song! Our final step was using Audition to mix our vocals and edit the song. You can listen to “Don’t Talk To Me” below:
Don’t Talk To Me
Verse 1:
I’m a nervous wreck, crying on the floor like a child
Ignoring anybody trying to help me
I’m an anxious mess, my mind’s full of clutter and loud thoughts
Leave me alone, no, no, please don’t talk to me
[Pre-Chorus]
I’m having a panic attack, yeah
Freaking the heck out, I think I might actually die
My heart’s beating at the speed of light
I wanna be alone, and take a break from you
Chorus:
(Don’t talk to me)
I’m having such a hard time, I don’t wanna talk
(Don’t talk to me)
Yes, I’m having a very bad time, I need a stress ball
(don’t talk to me)
‘Cause I’m having a hard time
(Don’t talk to me)
Yes, I’m having a hard time
I don’t wanna talk at all, no
Verse 2:
I’m hyperventilating on my bedroom floor,
I want to be alone
I am a frazzled mess, I’m out of control
I’m falling apart, my heart is going to
explode right this minute
Leave me alone, no, no, please don’t talk to me
[Pre-Chorus]
I’m having a panic attack, yeah
Freaking the heck out, I think I might actually die
My heart’s beating at the speed of light
I wanna be alone, and take a break from you
Design
In Design, we were tasked with representing the protagonists of our flash fiction stories through illustration and photography. I used Adobe Illustrator to illustrate a fictional animal that symbolized the personality traits of my character as well as a linear perspective background that matched the setting of my story. I also used professional lighting equipment to photograph a model in a specific scene from my story. Creating these projects for design taught me how to visually communicate a story, and I’ll use the technical skills I gained in many more projects in the future.
Illustration
Moonbeaked Leolin is a hybrid animal representation of the protagonist from my short story, Orange City. The illustration is of a world that’s just about to succumb to climate change, with orange-hued skies, few plants, and empty streets.
Orange City takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and follows the protagonist as they voyage through an abandoned city to find water while contemplating the purpose of their life. Along the way, they meet a struggling rat and have the opportunity to save it. However, they instead choose to kill it, citing their belief that saving anything in a barren land is futile. When they eventually reach their destination, a small abandoned shop with water, they are met with a fire. As they take their final breaths, they see another rat and, as they slowly accept their death, they find the ability to empathize with it and treat it with care.
I completed this project using Adobe Illustrator. I used a one-point outdoor perspective for the background and utilized Illustrator effects to achieve the look of fur on my hybrid animal. My hybrid animal is a combination of a rufous hummingbird to represent antisocial behavior, a moon jellyfish to represent apathy, a pangolin to represent perseverance, a cicada killer wasp to represent self-centeredness, and an Indochinese leopard to represent an observant nature. All of these traits are exhibited by the protagonist in Orange City. One of the challenges I faced with this project was deciding which animals to use to represent the protagonist. I ended up choosing a mixture of animals with positive and negative traits, and some that exhibited a mixture of both aggression and care. If I were to do this project again, I would make the unique aspects of some of the creatures more obvious in the illustration (such as the rufous hummingbird’s feathers).
Photography
Unquenchable Thirst is a photo of the protagonist from Orange City, my short story. They are a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world and journeyed through a broken city to an abandoned grocery store to get water, contemplating their life purpose as they did so. Along the way, they were faced with a decision to either save or kill a rat. They deemed that there was no worth in saving any living thing in such a barren land, and killed it. However, once they eventually reached their destination at the grocery store, they were met with a roaring fire. This photo is the final scene of the story, where the protagonist took their final sip of water surrounded by flames and perished, meeting a similar fate to the rat they killed.
To create this portrait, I had my model lay on the ground as if they were struggling to breathe and on the brink of death. I had them wear a mask because the air quality in this world makes it difficult to breathe. I used red-orange lighting to replicate the look of light from a fire and took the portrait in a dark room to match the lack of electricity in a post-apocalyptic world. Then, I used a curves adjustment and slightly increased the exposure in Photoshop to make the “fire” seem brighter, especially in the areas where the light reflected off of my model’s face. The biggest challenge I faced when taking this portrait was deciding on the pose for my model. I wanted them to look like they were about to die, but it was hard to make it appear natural and as if they had no strength. If I could change one thing about this portrait, I would take it in a different location. The smoothness of the hardwood floor in the photo doesn’t show signs of damage, and I think it is unrealistic for the setting of my story.