When I started to write my Once Upon A Princess series, I researched some of the common fairy tales like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. What I found was the original stories were not like the versions we might be more familiar with. Most stories were much darker and a HEA was not assured.
That made me realize that even though they might seem very simple, those stories are anything but. And they're not only for children's enjoyment. Many of them are more unsettling than heartwarming. They're filled with character archetypes and life lessons - which explains why they continue to be popular.
Here are five things that I like about reading (and writing) them,
1. As I mentioned, they have life lessons. Stories can show what happens when people are self-centered or cruel, or what their good deeds can accomplish. There's a lot to learn about how to show up and make your way in the world.
2. The characters aren't perfect. They have conflicts and make mistakes. But that's why we root for the character to get through the obstacles and win in the end. In the original stories they don't always win out (unfortunately) but of course if an author is retelling the story, they can create a different ending.
3. There's magic involved. This is what moves the story out of the everyday and into something unpredictable. Different rules apply so you can't be sure how events will unfold. There are creatures who don't exist in the "normal" world so literally anything can happen.
4. They can be interpreted in different ways. I was quite surprised to find how fairy tales originated and why. For instance, one reason for Beauty and the Beast was to show how a young bride-to-be might not know what type of husband she was marrying. A version of the story from 18th century France was written with that idea in mind. In some cultures the "beast" was the bride and there were other meanings behind those stories. My biggest surprise was reading about the origins of Sleeping Beauty. I'll just say that it had very little to do with the Disney version!
5. There's transformation. This is probably my favorite part. Characters have the potential to change from one form to another, usually with the help (or hindrance) of magic. The beast becomes a man again, the mermaid becomes human or the puppet becomes a boy. Through change they often have very hard lessons. But that's what readers can relate to because that's also how real life works.
Just as there are countless fairy tales and folk tales, there will always be new ways to retell those stories. I think that's why those stories will always be popular with readers and writers.
If you'd like to check out my Once Upon A Princess Trio, which includes three paranormal romance novellas, it's available at most online booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/4Dg5xA
No comments:
Post a Comment