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  1. Hey Melanie! Your story, Therapy Session, was a really enjoyable read, and it made me reflect more on the Ramayana and overlooked details. Your introductory paragraph’s descriptive details really drew me in and allowed me to imagine the scene as a whole. Those small details went far in making the dialogue and overall atmosphere of the story feel more real. I also really like how Sita’s dialogue wasn’t grandiose or pushed a plot forward, but instead gave us more insight on how Sita is coping with her abduction and her life after the abduction. I definitely agree that the Ramayana omitted the trauma after Sita’s abduction; she was held captive and lived in perpetual fear, so adjusting back to normal life would be really difficult. I like how your ending leaves room to continue with the story and make the narrative span more of the Ramayana. Perhaps we could see Sita’s perspective on this marriage and some potential struggles her and Rama face? Your creative approach allows for more stories to be told with this perspective, and I really enjoy the overall writing!

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  2. Hi Melanie! Your whole layout was very easy to navigate and I am really appreciative of that because I am not the most tech savvy person out there. I really found it interesting in your introduction how you explained that each of your stories would be mimicking therapy sessions in order to truly understand the characters feelings. This approach is very different and gives a personal connection between the reader and the characters. Adjusting the story to present time also made the story a lot more enjoyable at least for myself. It is very relatable that after such a traumatic event that Sita can go back to normal life, and I think that is what makes your story relatable because many people have gone through traumatic event and struggle to return to their normal life. I think since that story was left a little open ended it would be interesting to talk perhaps about how Rama feels.

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  3. Hey Melanie. I really like the idea of framing your stories in terms of therapy sessions - a lot of the characters in these stories could use some, after all! I'm especially fond of Sita talking about her feelings on the whole kidnapping thing, and shifting it into the perspective of a modern relationship is a nice touch as well.
    Your layout is nice and the background (at least for this first story) complements the story quite well. I don't know that Blogger allows for this, but it might be worth checking through the Tech Tips to see if you can embed that ambient tabletop fountain music into the page somehow, that would really complete the experience. I'm curious to see what other characters you put in the chaise lounge (those really are just the best.)

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  4. When I clicked on section 1, the first thing I noticed was the beautiful aesthetic! It looked so pretty that it made me want to read what was written. I am writing this as I read through your story. So, some comments might be in the present tense. I really liked how set the scene in the first paragraph. I could really picture it in my mind. I loved that you actually specified what plants were in the room and didn't leave it vague. Oh god, the therapist in your story is Parvati?! That is such a great idea! Including things like watching wonder woman, and going on the date at the park makes Sita more relatable to the reader, which is great. I am very much liking the details that you put in to make the story seem more real. Things like what Sita thought about the movie and such. These things are making Sita feel less distant. I can only imagine the PTSD Sita would have after such a scary incident. YOU MADE RAVANA RAMA'S BUSINESS RIVAL??!! This is great! I love where it is going. Your Parvati seems to be such an empathetic and nice therapist. Sita talking about her trauma is very well written. I wonder if Ravana and Sita had some dialogue before she was chained to the wall because you said Ravana wanted Rama's life. So, that should have made him treat Sita as his "wife." I also understand that Sita might not really want to go inn details, as the memory is too painful. Sita is a wedding planner?? Ahahaha, the role actually does fit her! I love how Parvati is slowly guiding Sita and overwhelming her with everything at once. Very thoughtful. I really liked the way you tell your stories. I am looking forward to reading more stories by you!

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  5. Hi Melanie! I loved the picture you have included on your introduction page! I really enjoy the concept that your stories are written like “therapy sessions”. Regarding your first session, the story of Sita you depicted was very creative! I liked how you related it to a very important topic that needs to be discussed more. I like how you depicted Sita speaking about her experience on her abduction by Ravana, to her therapist – Parvathi! The back and forth between a therapist – Parvathi and Sita were done well! The way Parvathi comforted her and made her feelings seemed valid was done amazingly! I also enjoyed the way you depicted Sita speaking about her emotions! Created a very emotional appeal. I would have never thought of doing this! And you are doing justice with this concept! Overall, the theme of your storybook is amazing, and I really look forward to reading more of your “therapy session” topics.

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  6. Hi Melanie!
    I have not read any of your stories before, so I went ahead and read your "Session 1." I love that you made your stories into therapy sessions, as it is such a unique idea as well as a beneficial thing that everyone could learn from! I will start of with saying that I love your imagery that you use. The description of the room, for example, with all of the plants made me feel like I was truly there. I also really appreciated the use of dialogue instead of just talking about the session itself. One question I have for you is would Sita be okay with being patient after all of this time? If she is this traumatized from a 1 week experience, maybe she would be impatient that she still has these feelings after six months. I feel like Parvati could say something about the importance of patience and healing that Sita could relate to. However, your story is great and shows how great therapy truly is.

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  7. Hi Melanie! I immediately noticed your layout and I really enjoyed your site! Both of the sections have similar layouts and I like your theme overall. I like how it represents the original story but also has elements that make it more aesthetically pleasing. In the first session I immediately liked how you were forming the setting by being descriptive. I also liked the elements of the story. By writing the story as though it is in a therapy session you make it modern and relatable. I like how you incorporated all of the original events and used them to establish the base and then moved from there. The writing also gave a lot of credit to Sita and her feelings around what happens. I also like how it centers on the after effects. Most all stories end with the end of conflict which makes this one more unique and interesting!

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  8. Hey Melanie!

    I think your concept of the characters being in a therapy session is very interesting. We will finally be able to understand how these characters felt throughout their lives. I just read session 1, and I was shocked. It is written so well. It is like I am reading from a book. You made the characters have such lively personalities. Sita seems like a sweetheart! I liked how you made Ravana as Rama’s business rival who just happened to want Rama’s exact life, no biggie. It is so important that you included Sita’s PTSD. PTSD can seriously mess you up for a long time which is why it is good to get help as soon as one is comfortable. Your second session was very entertaining. I just love how you have given life to these characters. It is just so realistic. I cannot wait for your third session and if we are lucky maybe your fourth. Keep up the wonderful job!

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  9. Hi Melanie!

    I like your story a lot because it seems like I was reading a novel. I think you can even write a whole book and I will definitely read it. I think that you did such a great job putting a real life problem into your story. It musts difficult and I can't imagine how you were able to speak so well about PTSD. I love the fact that I can relate to the character in the story. You brought them to motion with real emotions and thoughts process. From the conversation, the nightmare, the cold routine everything seems real like it just happened a few days ago. I wonder what it would be like if you were writing more about Sita's journey of recovering. PTSD is a real thing and you even included a few way to comfort those who are suffering with PTSD in your story like validate their feeling and just listen to their thoughts.

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  10. Hi Melanie,

    I have read your "Session 1" story and really enjoyed it, so I came back this week to read "Session 2!" I love that it was continued on from "Session 1" with Sita leaving and thus going into the next story with Draupadi in the waiting room. Having the Pandavas be the five potential fathers like Donna with the three men in Mamma Mia made me laugh! I thought it was interesting that you made them fight each other to be the father instead of the other way around. Usually it is depicted that men do NOT want to be the father! This aspect of the story actually tied into how you started the story, which I thought was very clever. One point I thought I might mention is how far along is Draupadi supposed to be? You stated that she told Parvati she was expecting a week ago; however, you would not be able to tell if you are having twins at only one week pregnant. I think having how far along she is with the pregnancy would really help clarify details as well as help the reader imagine how far along Draupadi is and what she looks like. I thought it also might be fun to give a name to Draupadi's supposedly "best friend." Overall, great job!

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  11. Hi Melanie,

    Wow! How did you decide to do this type of storybook!? It is so well thought out especially with the different sessions. Your layout was so beautiful! The website is so well done as well. I love how the pictures that you have for each story is paired with a picture of the characters in different scenarios. I love that you gave three different ladies with some rough stories to unpack in a therapeutic setting as well. These poor ladies have some trauma for sure. You were able to handle it in a very good way and express how concerning their situations were especially out of context! I also love how at the bottom of the page you were able to put your authors note with a different background and give your sources and bibliography. I love how you laid this out, and it is so impressive that you have finished your book already!

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  12. Hey Melanie!
    Therapy sessions are a fascinating way to expand upon the stories we’ve been reading. I really like the design of your website. The background art adds a nice touch to the stories and looks really nice. I think you did a great job in giving more life to the characters. It was also interesting to see that you included real techniques for dealing with PTSD in the Session 1 story. A detail about your stories that I found fun is that they all take place back to back, the entire story book is over the course of a single day. In Session 2, I wonder why the men are trying so hard to compete against each other? It seems like their main interest is whether or not they are the father, but their competition won’t change who the father is. Are they more interested in presenting themselves as a good potential husband regardless of whether or not they end up being the father?

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  13. Hi Melanie,
    I think the whole style of your project is so creative! I never would have thought to frame my stories as therapy sessions, but I think this made it so much more interesting. I also like how you made it very realistic by really defining the characters and providing real, applicable information about dealing with mental disorders. I also like how you titled your stories as sessions instead of stories. I also love the whole design of your website and I think that is is pretty and easy to navigate.

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  14. Hi Melanie!

    First off, let me just say WOW. That's to everything, the concept of your project, the design, and the witty way you wrote these stories. We're supposed to focus on design feedback this week, so let me just tell you that I absolutely love the design of your site. In fact I would love to know how you did it, the pictures on the edge of the stories. I just thought those were really cool and gave the entire project so much personality.

    As for your retellings, I love modern retellings so much so I loved what you did here. I also have felt that the epics didn't focus enough on the emotions of the women in them, so I appreciated that we literally got to sit in on their therapy sessions and see just what they're feeling about everything they're going through. I'm really glad you chose this creative way to tell the stories of Sita, Draupadi, and Savitri.

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  15. Hello Melanie, first of your I thought your introduction was short and sweet. I feel as if it still included a good amount of information as well between a little bit of background information and what you are going to talk about in your stories. Next, I read Session 1 and I thought that the way you took this from Ramayana and turned it into a therapy session was brilliant! One thing you might add in is how long that Sita has been going and speaking with Parvati for therapy. This could just show how far Sita has actually come. One thing I suggest it to edit your Author’s note a little bit. The last little bit of it is kind of hard to read due the picture background behind it. Overall, great job and I look forward to reading the rest of your stories!

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  16. Hi Melanie! I read through your storybook, and I really enjoyed it. I think incorporating therapy into Parvati's story is an excellent idea. I don't think the stories focus too much on the women involved, so it was interesting reading from her point of view! I like how easy your website is to navigate as well, I didn't have any trouble finding anything.

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  17. Hello Melanie, I read the Introduction and Session 1 a couple weeks ago. I really enjoyed them so I was eager to go and read the rest of your stories. I read Session 2 and loved how you incorporated Mamma Mia into this story, I thought it was very clever and unique. Does Draupadi know when she got pregnant or have any idea of who’s they could be? Could she secretly know whose babies they are but not be saying anything because she wants them to fight over it? I also really enjoyed reading Session 3, I thought it was so sweet and heartfelt. One suggestion I have is including how much Savitri had grown or how much she and Pavarotti had grown together. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your storybook and wish you luck on the rest of the semester!

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  18. Hi Melanie! I have read Session 1 and Session 2 of your storybook and have really enjoyed both. However, this week I am focusing on giving feedback on the Author's Note for your stories. One thing I would like to say that is not really crucial on your writing is that I really like how you have formatted the Author's Note! I really like the different background it has because it separates the therapy session from your own thoughts. Overall, I think you do a great job in writing your Author's Notes. They contain the information relating to the story as well as your thoughts and how you came to write the story you did. I noticed that your Author's Note seems more organized in Session 3. You talk about the story, the movie you thought about while writing it, and then your personal thoughts on the characters. I think that is a great format for your Author's Notes based on the stories you are writing. Great Job!

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  19. Hi Melanie! I really liked the concept behind these stories, and thought that you also did a really good job in your execution. Your author's note was super detailed, and I was very glad to see that you had actually researched the advice that you have Parvati giving to Sita. In the authors note, you say that you include a link to the post traumatic stress research that you did, but I don't think that that link actually made it into the author's note (at least I cannot access it). This might be something to look into. I am exited to read more of your stories. At the end of your author's note you make an interesting point that, although Rama is helping Sita with her recovery, he may, in fact, be part of the reason that she is in therapy. I am exited to see how you explore this in future "sessions".

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  20. Hi Melanie, I read Session 1 and the introduction to your storybook few weeks back, and absolutely loved the setting. I just finished reading Session 2 and 3. I enjoyed reading both Draupadi's story as well as Savitri's. While reading Session 2, it felt like Draupadi was enjoying the li'l fight these men were having about the babies. Also, twins! That was turn I did not expect. I'm glad all the men want to be there though. In both of the Author's note, you do explain the plot of the movies and the stories very well. I have not seen The Vow but now I am very intrigued! I had no issues with understanding the plot as someone who does not know a lot about Savitri or about the movie. I must say that your storybook looks amazing. All the colors and background images go together beautifully! I cannot really think of any more improvements. Good luck!

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  21. Hi Melanie!
    I am here once again to read "Session 3." I have really enjoyed reading your stories, so I thought I would check back in and read another one of your stories! One thing I love about your latest story is that you talk more about Parvati, which is something that is not really in your other stories! I also like that this story is a lot happier and has a happy ending. As I am assuming that this is your last story, it is a nice way to bring your storybook to close. One thing I have always enjoyed about your stories is the way you use the dialogue. It is very fluid and makes your stories really interesting to read. I could also definitely tell the influence you found from The Vow, but it didn't feel like you were just copying the plot or anything. You made it your own! Overall, great job!

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  22. Hi Melanie! I have visited your storybook more than once because it is such a beautiful theme! I just wanted to read all the “sessions” because the perspective you gave on the stories were amazing! First off! I love the font and the layout you have used on your welcome page – it looks so realistic! And by crossing of the word “good” it shows that realistic effect! On your last story, “Session 3” it differed from the other two in the sense that you wrote it from Parvathi’s perspective. I just appreciate the attention to detail you give. Even the smallest of details in the dialogues created such a picturesque scene in my mind. In a therapy session the two people involved do have two perspectives and I liked how you included that in your storybook! Once again, the continuation of the layout into the sessions was amazing! Overall, well done!

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  23. Hi Melanie!
    What a fantastic storybook! I included so much detail in every story, from the color of the sofa and smell in the room to what was going through each character's mind. I felt like I was in the room with them. Your attention to detail was truly amazing. Also, I love that you gave each patient a distinct personality. It is easy to fall into what we are comfortable with when it comes to writing, and that could mean not giving different characters unique personalities or not developing personalities at all, so well done on that end as well. I also love the overlap you did for Sita and Draupadi, so maybe you could consider adding something that ties Draupadi's and Savitri's sessions together. Your second and final story are both based on movies; is there an inspiration for aspects of your first story as well, like the rival business owners part? This was one of my favorite storybooks I have read, so amazing job!

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