Fairy Tales

[silent_dreamer_]

I decided what I'm going to do for my honors project in fiction writing.  I'm going to take a fairy tale and retell it in as many different ways as possible, experimenting with various writing styles.  I'm going to do a modernization for sure, and I'll attempt a micronarrative, and maybe poetry.  I'm playing around with a bunch of other ideas as

Comments

[thelittlebudgie]

I've done stuff with the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and I'm working on something based somewhat on Cinderella, The Swan Princes and Taliesin's birth. Still, if you're not combining stuff, I'd stick away from Cinderella and the Pied Piper, since I've seen them done a lot. Maybe the other two?

[silent_dreamer_]

Definitely not doing Cinderella. It's way overdone. The others are possibilities, though. You just reminded me that when I was younger, I had a pet fish named Taliesin. :)

[subluxate]

Little Mermaid is a classic, but you might want to look at Red Shoes or similar. I'll take a look at my fairytale books after Geena wakes up and can grab them.

[silent_dreamer_]

The Little Mermaid is one of my favorites. It's on my list of possibilities.

I've never read Red Shoes before! Thanks for suggesting that; it's a good story.

[subluxate]

Bluebeard is also interesting. Frog Prince is classic and could have some variations on the theme--feminist perspective of forcing the princess, or the use and neglect of the frog prince. Elves and the Shoemaker (or tailor, or whatever) could be similar. Goldilocks is probably overdone, unfortunately. Molly Whuppie is hilariously awful and morbid, if you want to look at that. Snow Maiden is a sad one that could be really interesting.

...I took a class on fairy tales and mythology once and loved it. I think it shows.

[silent_dreamer_]

Lol, I'd love to take a class like that. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look up those stories.

[bacardibreezer7]

I'm not sure which one you should do but I read a really awesome version of Snow White a few years ago, written from the Wicked Stepmother's point of view. In this retelling, she wasn't wicked at all but was an unfortunate victim of some manipulation by a spoiled, pampered princess who managed to convince her people that their Queen was a witch - they then executed her by burning. It was actually really really good.

[silent_dreamer_]

If you can remember where you read that I would be interested in reading it myself.

I like the idea of making the villain the sympathetic character. I'm a big fan of Wicked. :)

[bacardibreezer7]

I desperately tried to find it on Google but with no luck! It's out there on the intarwebs somewhere though.

[silent_dreamer_]

Thanks for looking!