(picture of a page from a Harry Potter book. Image information: Deviant art)
Below I've included a video of The BBC Proms' version of Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter. Since this is a Harry Potter themed blog, I thought this would be perfect! I also really enjoyed watching the orchestra play this because I used to be in band in both middle school and high school. Enjoy!
Caitlin, I love the name you chose for your blog, and further than that the quote with it is absolutely perfect. I know your big on writing and reading and it is easy to see that everything you write is really well thought threw; this blog is no different. The design you chose for your blog is also really appealing and it makes all your posts fun to read. Can't wait to see more posts from you!
ReplyDeleteHi Madison--thank you so much for the kind comments! It really means a lot to me that you like my blog so much. That makes my day!
DeleteI really enjoyed the prologue to your storybook! I decided to do a portfolio, so it was interesting to see the creative direction that you chose to go with your storybook! I would have never thought of doing a crime scene investigation! It was so fun to read! I loved feeling like I was really immersed in the action and like my opinion would actually matter when the outcome of the case was determined. I really liked that the character introductions had a mix of hard facts about them and gossip from what others might generally think. I did get a little confused with some of the character introductions/descriptions because the style that you used in each character's blurb was a little inconsistent, but that's fairly easy to get over since the concept was so interesting! I was really drawn in to the storybook, and I can't wait to see what the next portion tells the reader!
ReplyDeleteHi Alexandra, thank you for the comments! I am so glad that you actually will care how the case is determined--that is exactly how I wanted my readers to feel. I wanted them to feel like they are partially responsible for how the case is carried out. Stay tuned for more interviews of the pilgrims!
DeleteThis storybook is really neat Caitlin! It is the first storybook i have read so far so I was very impressed. I love the creativity you used in coming up with the theme for your book. I feel like I could never come up with something that creative, I’m jealous haha! Your Prologue sets up the rest of the book very well, and it will be interesting to read more stories about each of the suspects. I wonder who will end up being the convicted criminal in the end?? Or will we ever find out?? I also like the formatting you used for your storybook blog page. It goes well with the CSI theme. It was also a great choice to show a picture of each of the characters. The picture gave us a great description in itself about who each of the characters are and what they look like.
ReplyDeleteHi Macey, thank you for the comments! You will find out in the very end who committed the crime so stay tuned!
DeleteYour storybook is the first storybook I have read, and I loved it! I loved how you decided to do a CSI theme. I know that you will be able to do a lot and have all different kinds of stories with this! I also really enjoyed your first story! It makes the readers really pay attention and think about who did the crime. They both seem innocent, but also guilty at the same time. I like how much intensity the stories have in them and how well thought out they are. I don't really have any suggestions because I liked it that much! I am excited to read more from your Storybook and to see what other crimes we'll have to figure out!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Claire, for the sweet comments! It means so much to me that you really like my Storybook so far!
DeleteHello Caitlin!
ReplyDeleteI like that you included a video for your comment wall! I haven't seen someone do that yet. I really like the setup of your storybook. It's really unique and I like how you interact with the reader by including them in the process of solving the crime. That's a really great idea and keeps the readers connected and feel like they have a part in these stories. Plus, it's a really good way to reel in the readers and to continue reading the stories that you write. I liked how you included so many different profiles of the passengers. I'm really excited to read more stories so I can get closer into figuring out who was the murderer. Just one small note, I think whenever Mrs. Bath was explaining who she saw talking to the merchant, you wrote "merchant" again but it should of been the Friar. Small fix! Other than that, everything looks great!
Thank you so much for the comments! I'm so glad that you like my Storybook so much. You will find out who the murderer is at the end so stay tuned!
DeleteI love how Harry Pottery your blog is! From the background image, to the heading font and the quote, I just love it. :) If this were a book, I would pick it up and read it. I definitely want to use that fond now, and I love how everything is very cohesive. The colors work well with the "feel" of the blog, and so do the images!
ReplyDeleteHi, Chandler-- thank you so much for the comments. I actually worked hours on changing the layout on my blog...I wanted it to feel as Harry Potter-ish as I could. I'm so glad that you love it!
DeleteYour background of hogwarts and the title and description is absolutely AWESOME! How did you find the picture for your background? It's great!
ReplyDeleteJasmine-- thank you so much for the kind comments! I actually don't remember how I stumbled upon this picture...I think I just did a Google image search one day. I think this is actually a picture of somewhere in Hogsmeade.
DeleteI really like the layout of your blog. It’s fantastic. I particularly enjoy the title of your blog though. It’s a unique title. I (like most people) was very generic with mine. I only used Maisy’s Myths. I don’t know what background you used but I love it. The purple is nice and I like the buildings on the side. One of my biggest problems with some people’s blogs is how difficult it is to read what they wrote. Despite both the text and the background being purple, it’s actually pretty easy to read, there are variations on purple and the white/black on the side and top. Someone said the background was Hogwarts, is it??? I’m going to have to say that if it is Hogwarts, I love it a million times more!
ReplyDeleteHi Maisy--thank you so much for the nice comments! It really means a lot to me that you like my blog. I believe this picture is of somewhere in Hogsmeade!
DeleteSigh. Again. Your blog. Totally my favorite. Just hearing this song makes me happy. It makes me want to call up my best friend, pop in one of the DVDs, grab some popcorn and relive all of the magic. Now I also wish I was an awesome instrumentalist and could play this song! It’s amazing how a simple tune like this can be so well written and applied to movies that a few notes takes us into a whole new world!
ReplyDeleteHi Chandler, thank you so much for the sweet comments! It really makes my day that you love my blog. I'm so glad that my blog can bring back memories for you--that is priceless!
DeleteHEDWIG'S THEME!! YES!! The Harry Potter movies have some of my favorite soundtracks on it. Actually, I think it's just John Williams. If I remember correctly, he also did the soundtrack for the Lord of the Rings movies, and those are my go-to study music. He did the Imperial March too, I think. When looking for blogs to comment on, I immediately knew I'd find something good here, and I did!! Have a good spring break!
ReplyDeleteJasmine--thank you so much for the nice comments again! I agree with you, I love listening to the Harry Potter soundtracks while I am studying. I also love listening to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks as well--those are also great to study along to. I also hope you had a great break!
DeleteFirst off let me just say props on choosing Hedwig's theme! This song always brings me chills! As for your story book, I love it! I read through the prologue and it was very nicely written. I liked how you made it into a CSI theme with a description of all the suspects. Your story actually reminded me of the board game clue. Have you ever played it? It's so much fun! The funniest part of your story was the description of the friar. The fact that he accepts bribes was mind blowing. You would think a friar would be pure and full of wisdom over right and wrong. It looks like you have a strong plot to work with and your character development is on point. I wonder if there will be a twist in the story where it turns out one of the characters you introduced is actually the murderer. But I guess I have to read more to find that out! Your storybook is really intriguing and does a great job at capturing the reader's attention. I'll be back to read more!
ReplyDeleteNicole--thank you so much for the kind comments! Yes, my Storybook is based off of Clue and CSI, but mainly CSI. I thought it would be cool if I tied in my readers to see who they think the murderer is along the way...like Clue! It means a lot to me that you like my Storybook so much. Comments like yours want me to think of ways of how I can constantly improve my stories!
DeleteHarry potter music is so fantastic. I was in band throughout high school and it made me miss it! Now I just want to go watch of the Harry Potter movies! It has been far too long since I have seen them. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars are probably my 3 favorite sound tracks of all time, so thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Nathan--thank you for the kind comments! I totally agree with you, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars have great soundtracks! I think John Williams is brilliant--it amazes me how he just comes up with all of these amazing theme songs!! Wouldn't it be cool to meet him some day?!
DeleteCaitlin, I loved reading your introduction and first story! Your storybook reminds me so much of Clue! Maybe you could even throw in some aspects of the board game into your storybook? I love how creative your book is! You can practically make it go anyway you want and totally take the reader by surprise and make it someone we would never expect! I really like the fact that you are making your book an investigation. Who doesn't like a good mystery? Your title grabbed my attention to be honest. When I saw "CSI" I immediately clicked on your storybook. I knew I would be interested, considering I love investigation shows and mysteries. I also like how you ask for the reader's help at the end of the story. It makes it seem as if we are a part of the story we are reading. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your story and I can't wait to read more and find out who committed the murder!
ReplyDeleteHi, Austin--thank you for the kind comments. It means a lot to me that you like my Storybook! You will definitely find out who committed the murder, but I guess you will have to see who you think is the most guilty in the mean time!
DeleteI really like your storybook idea! I used to like watching CSI when I was in high school. I would get home from school and usually watch it as I was having a snack. Your idea to place it way back in time was a really creative idea. It kind of makes me think of a mix of CSI and the movie "Amadeus" (movie about Mozart). I always tell people I think it would be so crazy and interesting to go back into time to that era. Life seems so much more different back then compared to now. I read your first story and I like the style you did it in a lot. I definitely got the idea that I was in a investigation room watching it all unfold. I could see the the Friar sweating profusely and talking very jumpy. I wonder what the investigation room might have looked like back then? The background you chose for the storybook is perfect! I just noticed how well it helps to set the scene. The Friar makes me wonder what priests were like back then too. I hear all these bad stories from media outlets about how priests end up doing all these awful things. I wonder what the culture of priests is like back then. I am excited to read more and see more of the characters involved in the mystery! Great job on the storybook so far!
ReplyDeleteHi, Steven! Thank you for the nice comments. Now that you mentioned it, I think I will add some more details in my future interviews about what the investigation room looks like. Thanks for helping me improve my writing!
DeleteHi Caitlin! Your storybook idea is very interesting! I have never actually seen CSI before, just snippets of it here and there. I tried to watch them but there were too many seasons to catch up on. I do watch Criminal Minds though, so I am a little familiar with how these crime things work. I thought it was very creative for you to edit in those boards that they hold up in mug shots to the pictures of these old victorian looking people. It made it seem even more real, that they are suspects to this crime. Your first story was great as well! I can't decide who is lying though, I mean, the wife smirked when she talked about the friar, and the friar was sweating when he was brought in, but that could be for any reason. I look forward to reading the rest of your storybook!
ReplyDeleteHi Jasmine--thank you for the kind comments! I guess you will have to read the interviews I post in the upcoming weeks to decide who you think is the most guilty!
DeleteHey Caitlyn,
ReplyDeleteI thought the set-up of your storybook was really neat and creative! I especially like the profiles of the suspects in the introduction, and how you said the Wife of Bath enjoys arguing on the ship.
…and I just noticed the criminal numbers on their portraits, too! Nice touch!
Smart idea putting two interviews in one story. You get to have more characters that way!
I was a little confused by the way it was written…maybe just because I’ve never read anything like it before. Lines like, “You notice she smiles.” But the first part was written by the chief, so it’s almost like he’s telling me as a reader what I’m noticing? And that seemed strange to me. I like the chief’s intro parts, but I might suggest changing the regular narrative (like the dialogue tags and such) to a regular omnipotent narrator, so it just reads something like, “Mrs. Bath says as a smile creeps to her face.” You wrote most of it this way, so maybe just take out the few lines that say things like “you notice”?
I love the idea and the layout! I’m interested to see where it goes!
Hi Chandler, thanks for the comments! I wrote "you notice" so my readers can feel like they are part of the story. I thought it would be cool to include my readers in the story so they can feel like they are partially responsible for finding out who committed the crime.
DeleteHey Caitlin! I really enjoyed checking out your storybook site this week. I love watching mystery/crime shows like CSI so I chose to read your storybook about seven pilgrims! I love the images you included in the prologue; it is so cool that the storybook is like an ongoing investigation to identify the murderer. If I had one piece of advice, it might be to center these images of the suspects in the prologue.
ReplyDeleteIt was so neat reading about the Wife of Bath because I actually got to visit Bath last year in May! We even stayed at the Avon Hotel.
I think the interview storytelling style was very appropriate considering the crime investigation!
I am curious to see which suspect ends up being the murderer! I love stories that leave questions and make you want to keep reading further.
Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing the finished storybook in the next couple of weeks!
Hi Maddie, thank you so much for the kind comments! You will find out who committed the crime soon!
DeleteI was immediately drawn to your storybook when I saw it was about CSI. Those are my favorite shows to binge watch, so I was excited to read your story. Your intro was great and gave a lot of background information, and really got the reader ready for what was to come. I like that you are using each story as a questioning of the suspects because it makes the outcome more suspenseful, and lets the reader take guesses at who they think will be the murderer. I am really curious as to how you will reveal who committed the crime since it seems as though each story will be a questioning. I can’t wait to see if there are any interesting plot twists in your future stories, or if someone will have seen something incriminating. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your storybook when it is finished!
ReplyDeleteHi Ali, thank you so much for the kind comments! I plan on revealing who committed the crime in the last half on the last page on my site so stay tuned!
DeleteHey Caitlin! The title of your storybook caught my attention right away when looking at the class storybook list! Pilgrims and CSI all in one? So creative, I had to read! Using interviews between police and possible subjects is the perfect way to guide and tell your stories! It is simple, yet very effective and easy to understand! Also, it moves the story along quickly without any extra fluff that might create confusion or unnecessary information! It made me feel like I was watching an episode of CSI or listening to a conversation! Great job using this interview technique. I wonder if the Friar is lying or if Wife of Bath is lying?! The Wife of Bath claims she isn't lying and the Friar is deemed as so trustworthy so it makes it so interesting! I can’t wait to continue to read the following stories in your book so solve the mystery of the murder! Fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteHi Bailey, thank you so much for the comments! You will find out who committed the crime soon--and I am so glad that you like my Storybook! That means a lot to me!
DeleteYour storybook immediately caught my eye because I'm obsessed with anything that is CSI. It's awesome that your introduction is an email/letter to the CSI units in different places. It makes it really fun to read! It's also good that you gave insight into each of the characters. That'll really help understand the story and figure out who might be a suspect. I also like that you continued the police chief into the first story. It was very well written and I think you did a great job in describing how the wife of bath was interviewed! I like that everything was in dialogue format because it made it super easy to read and keep up with! You really made it feel like an actual investigation, which is definitely important for your theme! You did a great job overall and I'm excited to read more of your stories in your storybook!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica, that you so much for your kind comments! It means so much to me that you like my Storybook!
DeleteHey! Just read your intro and first story! I really enjoy your murder mystery theme! It is such a fun theme to read and is way underused in this class! I also love your use of the Canterbury Tales. I just read those stories and they were so good! I actually used one with a mystery theme as well for my storytelling that week! I really enjoyed how you set up each character in your introduction. That really helps the reader to be ready for the interviews that follow. Also good work on adding in the comments about sweat on his brow and smirk on her face. It is the little visuals like that which help bring suspense to the story. Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Caitlin! So I have to admit that I really did hope we would find out who committed the crime, but I really enjoyed reading your Storybook anyway! It was really creative of you to decide to use CSI as a model and stick in the characters from the Canterbury Tales--I especially enjoyed the profiles in the beginning! And all the twists in the interviews--they ALL seemed guilty, but I'm sure you put some clues in that would make sense if we had all the rest of the information...anyway, I also liked how you chose a second person voice, but I thought that at times it was kind of confusing whether or not the "you" was being used for multiple people or single, so if you have time/want to you might want to look at that and see if you can clear things up a bit...anyway, great job, and good luck as you finish up the rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoying come to see your blog because of your background! I remember reading your storybook before, and it was quite an interesting take on the original. I hope the rest of your semester goes well, and don't forget to go see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when it's released!
ReplyDeleteCaitlin,
ReplyDeleteWow, I am so glad I got the change to read your storybook before the end of this class. You are such a talented story teller. I was enthralled by your story the entire time! I love CSI, Law and Order and other crime related shows so this type of story telling as right up my alley. However, what made your's stand out form other mystery styled stories was how you involved the reader. You made me feel as if I was sitting in that interrogation room with Police Chief Geoffrey Chaucer. You gave such detailed physical descriptions of the characters I could actually picture them in my mind. Just reading your introduction got me hooked into this story. Without a doubt, if I have time after completing my necessary assignments, I would love to come back and finish reading what you've written. Mainly because now I'm interested to see how it will end!