(Untitled)

[readingredhead]

I was realizing I very rarely share my original fiction with people via this journal anymore, but I really like this particular little story and feel like it's self-contained and not horrendously written...and also it wouldn't fit in a comment, so I had to link to it from somewhere. :)

Title: Untitled at the moment, because I can't come up with

Comments

[daria234]

I adore this! Thanks so much for writing this!

I love the way you set the mood, where they have an intimacy but also that sense of anticipation, where they are in love but still cautious about it. I LOVE that she is a mercenary type who pretends to be a naive girl and that now they BOTH have to transform into something else and learn to do it together. LOVE it!!!

[readingredhead]

Yay I'm so glad you like it! I'm not gonna lie, I now sort of want to rewrite Beauty and the Beast with this conceit -- that the "beauty" had this prior life she isn't telling anyone about. Because it does seem abrupt to me at the end and I want it to be AWESOME. :)

[daria234]

Yes, please tell me if you expand it! I love this story :)

[readingredhead]

Hee, probably not something I'll get around to for a WHILE (school being what it is, not to mention that I have my own pet project sort-of Beauty and the Beast rewrite that I would want to complete first), but if it bites, and I write more, I promise I'll let you know! And, of course, credit your awesomeness in prompting it. :)

Also, random question: are you on Archive of Our Own? Because I did cross-post this story there and if you have an account I'd love to list you officially as a "recipient" :)

[cosmic_llin]

Ooh, this is a really interesting idea! I especially like the last part, with the story-within-the-story.

[readingredhead]

Yay, glad you like! :) I wasn't sure about the story-within-a-story bit at first because it seemed a little gimmicky but I love that line about "once upon a time" covering all manner of sins, and decided it needed to stay as it was.

(Also, I have been loving that icon of yours since the first time I saw you use it, and should inform you that it's awesome.)

[cosmic_llin]

I think it could have been gimmicky but I liked what you did with it, and yes, the 'all manner of sins' line was lovely.

(Isn't it great? I spent an entire afternoon searching for a new default icon that felt likeme.)

[ext_37496]

...Huh.

I really like the writing style. I really like the writing style.

But...I can't get over it not being the twist I wanted. It kind of came out of nowhere, and doesn't fit into the way she's portrayed in the original (though I haven't read the McKinley interpretation). I dunno.

And it's BELLE, not Beauty!

[readingredhead]

I really like the writing style too. The conceit just isn't given enough room to play itself out here, I think. If I rewrote the entire story with this as the expected ending, it would be very obviously different throughout. I still think it's doable, though, and I'm having a lot of fun imagining the kind of female knight-errant who has no family ties of her own but would agree to live with a beast in order to save the merchant's daughter and unborn grandchild. I suspect her plan was only to live with him until such time as she could discover his weakness and defeat him...but by the time she figures this out, things have changed

[ext_37496]

I still like Belle better than Beauty, but the intro does make it make sense...although clearly it's a different story! Three daughters? Eh?

I would love to read it, but probably shouldn't, even this early in the semester. Hm...

[readingredhead]

The original French fairytale has three daughters. In fact, instead of reading Beauty, you should go read the original.* Although if you are interested in going on a Beauty and the Beast retelling kick, let me tell you, I have been there and back (and enjoyed the journey!). Beauty is closest to the original tale, but my favorite reimagining is Juliet Marillier's Heart's Blood, because it is everything that my Beauty and the Beast meets Jane Eyre with werewolves story wants to be and isn't (yet).

*Technically Beaumont's telling is not the original, it's an abridgment/retelling of an earlier story by Villaneuve...but having read them both, I can safely recommend Beaumont's. It's a better read.

Great story

[anonymous]

Loved loved loved it, especially the story within story revelation that ties all of Beauty's thoughts together. Reminded me a lot of the Fables comic book, which is a good thing :)

Small critique: we don't know they're in the den/living room with its fireplace until the grate is mentioned, so they're sitting on a couch in an empty room.

-Teng

[pippins_smile]

I never told you I liked this, that you focused on the beautiful little details, that it felt real, and that I want to read that book now.