OwnVoices, in my own opinion, is something I feel shouldn’t really be a problem, but turns out to be something controversial people feud about. A brief summary of what OwnVoices is about, is that it is an argument of whether who has the right to write about other races and people of different backgrounds.

My take on this is that people should have the right to write whatever they want, but they should have a degree of understanding about what they write about and how it affects the people they are writing about. For example, Ursula le Guin’s Wizard of Earthsea is a good example of an author of an author of a different race writing about a different race. She expertly writes about her characters with minimal regards to race based stereotypes and mostly focuses on story and world building. Her story was so loosely based on race that many people around the world failed to see the other race besides as white, which most books dictate their characters to be. This stunning revelation is a good example of how many publishers want books to have white characters and how it affects people reading these books as they will automatically imagine many characters to be white people if descriptions are not provided.

Let’s take another book series The Lightning Thief. This book series written by Rick Riordan, a white male, is able to integrate people of many races into books and still keep it engaging with no stereotypes mentioned with at all. I used this book series as an example of my view point on OwnVoices as I feel that Riordan is writing a book series that he imagined, but also takes character’s races and culture into account and writes it so nothing offensive is written about them. OwnVoices should be about sharing literature with each other and other people should be able to take other cultures/races and put a spin on it. People sharing their understanding about other people and how they interpret their culture can be something great and enjoyable to read. People and culture should not be something fixed or put up to a standard by everyone because, simply put it, not everyone will be able to comprehend a culture as well as those living in it. If people write about other people and their cultures it can allow those not exposed to the cultures to learn and understand it so they don’t directly assume something wrong about it. I find it important that this should be seen through as it can lead to a lot less conflict and racial shaming in general.

All in all, people should be able to write what they want and about any thing as long as they keep in mind what they write can and will affect those being written about. Writing this way can be a double edge sword as people can take it the wrong way and assume that it is racial slander, but other can take it as a learning opportunity or simply something that is enjoyable to read. People can have their own viewpoints on OwnVoices and I won’t hold them to it, but I believe that people are able to write about other people with a conscious mind , it can possibly change how people think.

Twilight is a novel I thought I wouldn’t find to be somewhat enjoyable to read, but it still isn’t something I’d complete as a novel. The novel has utilized many literary devices to cater to the younger and more angsty teens. 

One such device to cater to such an audience is the use of attitude within the novel. The novel being catered to teens subjects the main character to be similar to the target audience and dealing with issues that most can relate to. For example, Bella utilizes snarky remakes to respond to her dad in chapter one, using words like “Wow” and then following with a sarcastic. “free.”  

Another device I found is that the novel is growing more to be a melodramatic novel as a lot of the scenarios in the book don’t exactly correlate to real life. For example, the building tension with Edward and Bella in chapter 2 seems a bit exaggerated and not really something people would do in real life. 

The novel utilizes expositions in a lot of places as Bella tries to explain the life she lives in Forks, Washington. For example, in chapter one she has a whole monologue of how she got to Forks from Phoenix and she also has a monologue of her dreading the first day of school, describing how she cried in bed the night before. 

The novel utilizes cliche to describe a lot of what Bella experiences in Washington. For example, Washington is described to be coated in a “thick fog” and to be “too green” which most parts of Washington are characterized to look like. The novel also has cliches within the character themselves. Mike is characterized to be the typical “nice” guy and Edward is characterized to be the distant love interest within the novel. 

Another device, Syntax I thought was interesting and was utilized to fit with our main character. The syntax in the novel mirror the main character’s persona and age as a lot of the words are similar to a teen her age would say. 

Sarcasm is a device that goes hand in hand with syntax as there are a lot of sarcastic comments in the novel. For example, in chapter one when Bella remarks the car to be “free” or when she speaks to Edward, saying how she “you have no idea” after responding to a question. 

The book also utilizes a lot of personification to describe the characters. For example, it is used to describe Edward’s eyes when she first meets him in chapter one and again in chapter two. 

Meiosis is something Bella utilizes a lot within this novel. For example, the comment about the weather when Edward ask her in Chapter two it is Meiosis as it is an understatement to the grander conversation. 

When I was little I gave up reading Harry Potter after the first page of the first book. It bore me so much it left a bad stigma for me and kept me away from reading any of books. However, reading it now, I truly missed out on a great novel and wonderful narrative that my younger self would had enjoyed. There are many uses of literary devices in this novel, such as caricature, and it adds to the story and character. Caricature is found in the novel to describes the Dursleys in the first couple of pages. Caricature is use of exaggerated descriptions to make something silly, for example “Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck,” or “Mr. Dursley . . . was a big beefy man with hardly any neck…” Another device is hubris or the state of being so arrogant it leads to your own demise, in which Mr. Dursley is the subject of. His arrogant mind, has him believing he can escape the letters, but in the end he is found by Hagrid in a shack by the ocean. Mr. Dursley’s hubris brings the family motto of being rich and arrogant to the fullest and their own choices led to their discovery, which also reveals more about who Mr. Dursley is as a person. Ambiguity is also used in the novel to describe Voldemort. As Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall discuss the disappearance of Voldemort and leave little to be known about him. For example, when they first speak of him they say “you know who,” instead of Voldemort. This has us wondering who he is and why is he such a threat in the wizarding world. The wizard jargon in the book is an example of enticing the audience into being curious about the novel and its characters. For example, the Put-Outter is a device which takes light from surrounding sources. This item is a gateway item in which draws in readers to wonder about the other gadget wizards has and entices them to read the novel even further. Irony is also used in the novel to bring some humor and show the contrast to what character believes and what is really being shown. For example, Mrs. Dursley calls Dudley an angel which in fact is the complete opposite. This is somewhat humorous as Mrs. Dursley’s blind favoritism doesn’t see who he really is as a person. The dialogue is another device in which it builds characters in the novel to be who they are. The use of outer dialogue allows the readers to view the personality of the Dursleys and Harry as they bring details that the narrator cannot. For example, Harry’s wittiness wouldn’t been able to be seen if his jokes towards Dudley were not told via dialogue. The use of conflict in the novel unearths the dire situation and terrible life Harry lives as a boy. He was put into conflict the moment he was born as Voldemort kills his parents and attempts to kill him, but fails. While as a boy he has external conflicts with Dudley and his gang, and the Dursleys in general. There is also foreshadowing utilized in the first three chapters as Harry being a wizard and “the boy who lived,” foreshadows the mystical things that will happen to him as he grows. For example, Harry living the murderous Voldemort foreshadows who his villain his and what he has to deal with in the future. While being a wizard foreshadows the weird thing that may come due to his existence, for example the letters that magically come or the people he runs into the street as a kid. All in all, Harry Potter is looking to be a definite read for me as it captivated me from the second chapter and I regret not reading it as a boy.

Reflection: 

My world is not that unique and I’d say it’s pretty meta when it comes to a dystopian steampunk world. In creating this world my inspiration was from the game Bioshock Infinite and the steampunk genre. I took the cities above the cloud idea from Bioshock and took a twist on it. My world will be called Xenith where there are three distinct levels in this world: the Skylands, the midground, and the below. The world is built like this because I wanted to show distinct districts in the world that would show each district class and level of importance in the world. The whole idea of the world is to show the struggle of class and show how people can segregate others just by their race and class. The world will also inhabit people with mystical properties. For example, the Xandians are the winged people of the Skylands who have the highest rank within the world. They are considered to be godly and they seemingly came out of nowhere. There are also people in the below who possess magical abilities but were put in the below by the Xandians due to their fear of the other race’s power. The world being steampunk means that everything is somewhat technologically advanced with all the machines and gadgets run off the magic power called stream. The stream is connected to the plant’s core and is what allows things like floating cities to exist. My thought process on this was that it is kinda like climate change in our world where the world utilizes the stream for everything, but the overuse of it causes problems for all people within the world such as the decay of life in forest, oceans, etc. All the races in Xenith, besides the humans, can harness the stream naturally as if it was out of thin air. However, the Xandians are one of the few races to draw upon the stream naturally, but they are blinded by the effects of overuse and utilize large quantities. Races like the Xadnars, a race of humanoids who split from the human evolution tree millenniums ago, utilize the stream to the bare minimum and utilize their natural affinity to the stream with great caution as they seem to have a stronger connection to it compared to other races. However, the Xadians banished the Xadnars and other races to the below due to ensure there are no possibilities for an overthrow of power. They also have taken or slaughtered those with an affinity to the stream to further dwindle the chances of an uprising. By doing this not only is an overthrow of the Xandians and humans impossible, but the knowledge of power within the other races will be forgotten over time as future generations will not know of their race’s past affliction to the stream. The Xadnars is an example of a race equivalent to the minorities in our world in which are mostly silenced and have little power to anything within the world of Xenith. The conflict in this world is supposed to mirror race inequality and class struggle as people in the upper parts of the world can represent those in upper-middle to high-class people of our society. The Xandians are equivalent to the top 1% in our world in which they have high status and can sway politics easily due to their status. My world again isn’t that unique as many of the things here most-likely has been done before, but I just want to take my spin on these issues and add a magical spin to it.

Geography: 

There are three parts of this world: the Skylands (cloud cities), midground (landmasses we live on), and the below (ocean or subterranean). The people in the Skylands are the top of society in this world where people have power over all politics in the world and control the stream the most. Life in the Skylands is exuberant and eccentric with everything from buildings to everyday park chairs being decked out with rare stream minerals called stagnites, a mineral made of pure stream energy, and all the wealth going towards benefitting society in the Skylands. The landscape of the Skylands is not very interesting as it’s like an ocean island where it isn’t too big or has too many features, but each island is unique. The floating islands are connected by land bridges where people can travel by foot or take a small vehicle on. However, the sky islands are pretty spread out, except in metropolitan areas, where it seems like an open ocean of clouds. The people in the midground are considered the people of the middle class where they are the average people of the planet. The midground mostly resembles continents on our planet where there are 4 main continents that make up the midground: Trophum, Facixus, Lognius, and Vivitar. Each continent revolves around a specific task that the people do there and produce most of what Xenith uses. The people below are the lower class of this world and are made up of the races who were put there by the Xandians and humans. The below has two main places to inhabit: the caverns called Magna Caverna or the ocean. The races here have created small communities called Complexes where each race lives in separate communities consisting of their individual race. However, it doesn’t mean each Complex isn’t open to accepting people from other races or allowing other races to come trade. Each race has limited use of the stream and operates the low-level jobs which no one wants to do. The world runs off a mystical power called the stream and is linked to the world’s life force. The world’s stream is being overused and causes issues all over the world. For example, the forests are dying and the oceans are growing barren. In order to combat this, the world utilizes natural events and conjures monsters deep within the world to try to stop the use of the stream. 

Ecology: 

The people in the Skylands are almost all Xadians and humans where both races are known to be selfish and arrogant. They mostly dress in regal colors like royal blue or purple or even gold, but white is what everyone wears as it’s a symbol of their wealth and status. For the midground, the 4 continents each have a life of their own. Trophum is the continent where agriculture and farming are specialized. Each citizen of Trophum is tasked to produce food and resources for the world of Xenith. The people can specialize in growing massive trees full of stream energy cleverly called Stream Tree (Dendrium Dynamus) or specialize in farming large fish from the ocean that resembles tuna called Thunnus Largum or Spindle Fish. The people here usually dress in natural colors such as brown or green and wear materials that are similar to cotton. The people of Facixus specialize in creating things across Xenith. These people are known to invent technology from the floating vehicles on the Skylands to the sturdy chair made from stream trees in your homes. The people of Fracixus are strong and innovative with a good sense of what is a good material for building. These people wear a wide variety of clothing, but what makes them unique is their apron lined with a metal stronger than steel. The people of the Lognius are the thinkers and educators of the world, they also are the law of this part of the world. While the Skylands have their own individual legislative system, the one in the midground only pertains to the midground as this is their own source of power in the world in Xenith. The people here are intellectual and wear colors like white and red to symbolize their status, a mini Skyland basically. In Vivitar it is a continent to house all the people of the midground. This continent is nothing more than metropolitan areas and the suburbs. The people here are a hodgepodge of people from the other continents looking for someplace to live and a place to call their own. In the below, all the other races were put down here to live in fear and be segregated from the world. All of the races here work in plants or mines to the power of gather materials of the midground and Skylands. These people work the longest and hardest out of all of the other races on the planet. The races here co-exist with one another to make life in the below more liveable. The people here trade with each other and establish communities to ensure the well being of all those who live here. However, people grow restless as centuries of banishment have fueled a flame within these people with will erupt soon. Some of the races who live here are the Xadnars and a race of rock people called the Geonauts. The Geonauts are a race of rock people who live in caves and mountains and who once specialized in mining and the harvesting of rare earth materials. The world surrounding civilization is somewhat vibrant but is slowly dying due to the overuse of the stream. The forest which holds mythical creatures and once was wild and lush is slowly dying and the creatures seem to be more aggressive as their numbers dwindle. The people and the creature used to be in harmony but after the abuse of the stream and the technological advancements the world is slowly dying. There are different races on this planet which live in secret from the rest of society, such as people who live in the sea called the Seafarers, but there is even a sub-race called the Abyssals which are a race that lives deep within the oceans. These sea races are separate from those below as they live far from land and in the open ocean. There are also races who live in the forest that can turn invisible at will and are one of the most distant races on the planet. This race has no common name, but are called “the ones in the leaves” as they look like humanoid life forms covered in leaves and can turn invisible. However, most of the races have been pushed to the below and there some races out in the world who are in hiding due to the Xadians. The wildlife on this planet once was plentiful, but now dwindle due to the harming of the planet. In the great plains of Xenith, for example, use to live a species of massive dear called Staggering Deer as they stood 9 feet tall with antlers 8 feet in length. There used to be a species of cave bear called Giganta Urserus or the Giant Hazel Bear which used to live in the mountains but since have gone missing from the world. Countless other species like this use to roam the planet, but after the conflict between races and the use of the stream most have gone missing or died out as a result. Since then, a terror rises from the earth and deep within the sea which came out of nowhere. These creatures are alien-like and have blue and purple coloration. These creatures came after the planet started feeling the effects of the overused stream and have been wreaking havoc on societies around the world. There aren’t names for them yet, but people called them the “Voidlings.” 

History: 

The world of Xenith was once was a peaceful place where mystical creatures reside and all races lived in harmony. However, the humans who possess no affliction to the stream growing fearful of the creatures and other races as they seemingly can wipe out the existence of humans in an instant. In order to combat this, humans develop technology that can harness the stream artificially and begin their conquest to create “peace.” This was only possible due to one Xandian who helped the humans take down the other races and rise to power. Ever since then, humans have predominantly dominated the world with Xandians who allied with the humans co-existing with them. However, in recent times the races below grow restless and so does the planet as creatures of the “void” have shown up to seemingly stop humans from harming the planet any further.  

Culture: 

Those who live in the Skylands have the most luxurious life and dictate life in the world of Xenith. They have immense wealth and have the most technological advancements in the world but also use most of the stream’s energy. The Xandians in the Skylands are seen to be arrogant and have the most power as they are seen as the superior race and almost godly. The people in the midground are mostly humans with other races intermingled here and there. The people are seen as the middle class of this world and utilize the stream on an average. They obey the people of the above as they write the world of the land and dictate what can be done and what can’t. The people at this level work most of the jobs on the planet and sustain the economy within the world. The people below are the lower-class humans and all the other races and minorities. These people and races run all the other jobs, for example, stream plants, water cleaning, expansion, mining, etc. The people here utilize the stream for the bare necessity and are thought to be the most dangerous at times. 

Politics: 

The people in the Skylands manage all the politics with little power given to the people in the midground and none to the below. The Skylanders create all the legislation and class rights. For example, there will be laws regulating how much of the stream people can use in the middle and below, but barely any to those in the Skylands. There are also laws that govern how each person at each level can live and if they can move between different societies. For example, the midground people can upgrade their status to live in the Skylands, but only if they are important or have done something important to the expansion of Xenith, like conquesting or inventing an item to make the quality of life better. On rare occasions, people also have moved status due to marriage or inheritance. The laws governing the below are harsher than all the other laws. The people of the below can barely use the stream and cannot advance to other societies, only very rarely can 1 person advance. The people in the below work long hours and can barely make enough to support a household. There are people who can channel the stream here, but all those who can are taken or killed by decree of law. Laws are so heavily regulated in the below it causes most people to turn to crime in the below, only fueling their bad rep. 

Magic/Religion:

Magic in this world is called the stream and those who can use or channel it can cast some spells or alter something in the world. The stream can be used as a weapon or a utility. It can be used to cast strong magic that shoots lightning or can create land bridges to cross a river. The use of the stream is seemingly limitless, however, if one channels the stream too much you can be inflicted with stream illness which can deteriorate the body slowly. Some races have better control of the stream so the stream illness isn’t a large issue for them. Religion is something that isn’t big in this world. However, people do worship some gods that control a specific aspect of the stream. For example, the god Tanaidus, Brewer of the Sea, can channel the stream to cause huge waves that can destroy the coastline. Other gods like Fulgurus, God of the Storms, can summon large storms and fire thousands of lightning bolts in seconds. There are different Pantheons in this world, but most have been lost after the human/Xandian conflict. For example, each level of the world believes in different Gods within the world. The races in the Skylands and midground conform to one religion in which they believe in the holy Solatire and Largus who were believed to be the Xandian and human who brought “peace” to the lands. While the races below, believe in a wide array of gods from the aforementioned Tanaidus and Fulgarus to the life god, Vitarian, who people pray upon for well-being. Ever since the conflict long ago, people stop believing in the Pantheons and Gods and just live life with the Skylands and Xadians being their “god.”

The Hobbit is a fantastic book written by J.R.R Tolkien and is a fantasy book with lots of depth and story as is there are dwarfs in Bilbo’s home. I really enjoyed the novel this far as Bilbo was an interesting character with a background I didn’t know he had until the novel. Knowing he is a son of a predestined-adventure family made sense in why he was chosen to go with Gandalf in the movie and novel. It is not to mention in-depth of the characters Tolkien has brought us really adds to the story as each individual dwarf is unique and has a personality that is fun to read about. I have watched the 3 movies about the Hobbit and thought they were as great as the Lord of the Rings. Reading the novel thus far has added to my excitement to finish it through in the future and will have me wondering what will happen next. As for the rhetoric in the novel, there were very noticeable ones in the first three chapters. First off, Tolkien makes us empathize with Bilbo as he was put into an adventuring party without his will and is forced to care for 12 dwarfs and Gandalf unbeknownst to him. The use of pathos makes us sympathizes with Bilbo’s situation as we understand what it is like to have unwanted guests and needing to take care of them as a good host, but also it makes us curious about what will happen next in the book. The novel also has small details that build upon the world Bilbo inhabits. For example, in the beginning, the author describes the hobbit hole to great detail such as the door to his house being “perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle.” This amount of detail draws in the reader and provides a basis for what we are dealing with and unearths the author’s attention detail when it comes to writing. The author also utilizes kairos to establish who Bilbo is and how he is dragged into the adventure. Bilbo expects to have tea with Gandalf on Wednesday, however, instead he is met with 12 dwarfs and Gandalf. This trait in Bilbo sets up for himself to be duped by Gandalf as instead of meeting with Gandalf out of his own generosity, he is dragged into an adventure. This novel is building up to be a great story with lots of great characters and plot. I hope to finish it in the future and perhaps rewatch the movies.

My initial thought of Children of Blood and Bone was that it wasn’t going something I like or enjoy to read. Hey, but thats why people said don’t judge a book by its cover. For starters, I was truly amazed on how it captivated me in the first chapter. Without knowing anything about the world or its people it brought you in as soon as you read the first couple of pages. Though meant for younger audiences, the book’s writing style and world really captivated me and made me want to dive deeper into the story. I was surprised on how they utilized magic in the novel and I like how they utilized things like white hair to symbolize the ability to use magic in this world, it was quite unique.

I believe a lot of what I felt about this novel is attributed to the rhetoric and writing style of the author. Many motifs and devices were used to have me relate to many of the characters and feel their struggle as they experience it. For example, the author utilizes pathos in the moments when Zelie’s father is drowning to reveal the dread and suffering Zelie feels as her father’s life is at risk. This allows us to live through that moment with her and understand the weight of the situation and her actions as she neglects her duties to watch over her father. I also think the author’s message and use of kairos mingles very well as in chapter 1 and 3 it connects the story of the Magi and how the people grow to fear them. In chapter 1, Mama explains the ordeal the diviners face as the Magi were taken from their families and sent off to camps in fear of their powers. This is then reinforced in chapter 3 as the royal family and especially King Savan as the royal family avidly tries to hide their diviner ancestry and the king slays the princess’ fellow friend as her magic is unlocked at the touch of the relic. This really brings out the message of fear the people have of the Magi and how they are condemned in their society. I feel that this novel will continue to get more intriguing and continue to captivate me if I keep reading. The story is great and is comparable to the The Lightning Thief in enjoyability.

My idea for my fantasy story and world was one inspired from the mystical world of Bioshock Infinite and steampunk in a way. However, this was my first idea and doesn’t mean it is concrete. Both my inspirations are out of this world and utilize somewhat futuristic technology and a magical element, whether it be magic it self or powerful concoctions that grant immense power. For the most part, my assignment is going to be a free write with my own twist. As for main themes and such, it won’t be too basic and linear, however, some ideas i’ll be using may be used already. For example, the geology would be something probably overused, floating islands and a main land. However, what may be different is that where you live is where your status in my world is. (i.e if you live on a floating island you’re above all, literally) For rhetoric methods, I will utilize a sub-genre leaning more towards magical realism or low-fantasy. The steampunk realm my world is in is close enough to something real, but the magic and people within my realm stray from complete realism enough to be counted a fantasy. My world will also face topics such class and how where you’re born determines who you are, and also to some degree segregation and potentially racism. My intended audience is most-likely young to mature adults as some topics may relate to them more, while some mature children may read it too. Hopefully, my world will be an interesting one and something fun to delve into.

Hello I am Collin Gaja. I am a first year student and I am studying Broadcast Journalism and Documentary and hoping to double major in Psychology. I have read fantasy books since I was an elementary school student and fell in love with the genre. Fantasy has stood out to me more as a creative outlet for me and a place to enjoy writing for what it is, rather than just diction or repeating the thesis. I have written a few papers and stories based on the fantasy genre, but I haven’t written any sort of papers as of recent times. I’d love to write more about fantasy and explore the possibilities of rhetoric plays into how a fantasy story is made.

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