Flash Fiction

I got some exciting news today. A flash fiction piece I wrote has been accepted for publication! I’m pretty stoked for this opportunity.

Some of you might be asking, “What is flash fiction?” It’s a form of writing that’s been gaining popularity over the last few years. It’s called flash fiction because it tells a story in 1,000 words or less.

You would think that writing a short piece would be easy, but it’s actually quite difficult to write a well-rounded story in so few words. You have to be very selective about what you say.

Speaking of things that move quickly, I am getting ready to take finals for the semester. I also turned in my application to graduate in a year. A YEAR! I’m practically done with school and I’ve started thinking about the future. It’s a little intimidating.

So these are essentially the ramblings of a mind worn out from studying. Please excuse them if they don’t make sense.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Fairy Tale Facts: The Goose Girl

Today I’ll introduce you to yet another Grimm’s fairy tale, The Goose Girl, first published in 1815.

What’s It About?

A young princess is being sent to a neighboring kingdom by her widowed mother to marry the prince there. She leaves with her maid and her magical horse, Falada. Along the way, the princess loses the magical handkerchief her mother gave her to protect her. The maid sees and forces the princess to switch places with her, making her promise to never tell under threat of death. The princess agrees and the maid rides Falada to the city wearing the princess’s clothes, leaving the princess to find her own way to the city. When the real princess finally arrives, the king sees her and takes pity on her, giving her a job helping the goose boy, Conrad. The fake princess has Falada killed, worried that the magical horse will reveal her secret. The horse’s head is mounted on the wall. The real princess passes by the head every day on her way to and speaks to it. One day, the king overhears their conversation. He asks the real princess to tell him her troubles, but she says that she can tell no person what has happened. He leaves her, suggesting that she tell her woes to a nearby stove. She does, not realizing that the king was eavesdropping. The king is outraged to find that a maid has been parading as a princess, but instead of exposing her right away, he sets a trap. He asks the fake princess various questions about justice, finally asking what should be done to a woman who pretends to be a princess. She responds that the pretender should be put in barrel, naked, and pulled through the streets by horses until she is killed. Then the king reveals the true princess and sentences the fake princess to the punishment she herself described. The real princess marries the prince and they live happily ever after.

The bond between a girl and her horse can be quite strong.

Fun Fact #1

The princess appears to have a talent for speaking to things; she talks to her horse (and the dead horse’s head), the magical handkerchief from her mother, the wind, and a stove. And funnily enough, all but the last thing speak back. Luckily, in fairy tales, we can just call that magic instead of craziness.

Fun Fact #2

I was just rereading the summary, and apparently the princess climbed into the stove to tell it about her problems. Seems like a little bit of an over-reaction.

Fun Fact #3

While being a goose girl, the princess liked to comb her hair. After Conrad, the goose boy, tried to take a few locks of her beautiful hair, she asked the wind to blow his hat away. He ended up chasing his hat for as long as she combed her hair.

If You’re Interested…

Check out Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl. Magic is a little more prominent, and the idea of a person being able to speak to animals or the wind is a little more normal.

Comment below with any fairy tales you’d like to see me cover here!

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

What Just Happened?

Guys I did it! I did the thing! You know the one, right? That means that I won the thing! Cause I did all the stuff!

Sorry, but my brain is having trouble wording right now. See, I just finished writing 50,ooo (yes, FIFTY THOUSAND) words in 30 DAYS!

I’m a little bit in shock.

In case you couldn’t tell, I just finished National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I wrote every day (some days, like today, more than others.). I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it. But thanks to some encouragement from friends and family, plus a mug of very hot tea, I have done something I have never done before! Well, several things, actually. Here’s a list:

#1: I wrote a book. Like, a full story. Granted, there’s still a lot I need to flesh out. But I wrote that whole dang story (minus the very end, but I have that all planned out). It is officially out of my head and on paper. Well, electronic paper.

#2: I wrote every day for a month straight. I usually do some sort of writing every day, whether for school or myself. But I don’t think I’ve ever written so consistently for a single project before. So I’m quite proud. Plus, the thought of not writing every day now seems rather odd. So yay for new habits!

#3: I made myself write when I didn’t think I had anything to say. Some would call it writer’s block. And this is something I’ve forced myself to do before, but never on such a large scale. There are pages of ramblings I probably won’t use, but they led to some pretty great stuff.

#4: I came to terms with the idea of a first draft. I’ve never considered myself a perfectionist, but I am when it comes to writing. I always want to wait until the story or scene is just right before I put it down in words. But I’ve come to realize that won’t happen unless I put it down in words. It will only get better once I have the chance to edit it. Besides, I often find the best things I write are the unplanned ones. They happen naturally as I’m writing. So don’t be afraid of first drafts. They’re called rough drafts for a reason.

So that’s my big news for the weekend! I hope those of you who celebrated it this last week had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I certainly did, spending time with family and participating in various family holiday traditions.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Also, if you want to see some of the steps I took to reach the goal, check out my Facebook page, here.

And look! I got this cool little badge!

Fairy Tale Facts: The Wild Swans

The Wild Swans is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, first published in 1838. I’ve recently discovered this story and I love it!

Swans

What’s it About?

The story follows a young princess with eleven older brothers. (Has anyone else noticed that in fairy tales, 12 seems to be a common number of children to have? I can’t imagine having that many siblings.) The king is sadly widowed and decides to remarry. He unfortunately chooses a witch as his second wife. The new queen dislikes the king’s children and casts a spell over his sons, turning them into swans. They become human again at night, but are driven out of the castle. When the wicked queen tries and fails to curse the princess, Elisa, she instead banishes her. Elisa finds the fairy queen, who tells her that she can break the spell on her brothers by knitting each of them a shirt of nettles. She must not say a word during her task, no matter what. Some time passes by and a king finds Elisa. As usually happens in fairy tales, he falls in love with her because she’s pretty. He invites her back to his castle, where she lives and continues to knit. The king wants to marry her, but the Archbishop is convinced she is a witch. She is put on trial and because she can’t speak to defend herself, she is found guilty of witchcraft. As they are preparing to burn her at the stake, her brothers arrive in bird form. Elisa, who has never stopped knitting, hurriedly throws the shirts over the birds and breaks the curse. She can speak again, the king apologizes and proposes again, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Fun Fact #1

Nettles are not happy plants. They are covered with tiny hairs that break off when touched, getting buried into skin. They also contain a chemical mix, which is not pleasant. So knitting eleven shirts out of nettles was no easy task. It was a true sacrifice on Elisa’s part.

Fun Fact #2

In some versions I’ve heard, the last shirt was incomplete, causing one prince to have a permanent wing. Rotten luck on his part.

Fun Fact #3

I’ve heard a rumor (and please don’t quote me on this, because it’s a RUMOR, not a FACT) that Disney might be planning on making Elisa the newest Disney Princess with a movie of her own.

If You’re Interested…

I’d highly recommend The Wild Swans by K.M. Shea. It’s wonderfully written.

Now, I have to ask. What would you find more difficult: a seemingly-impossible task (painful, yes, but I’d imagine you’d soon get used to the pain), or staying silent, even in the face of death? I personally think the silence bit would be harder for me.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

I Want to Hear from You!

Over the course of this semester in school, I’ve been taking a class that covers the use of social media to create a platform for writers. Part of that has been the creation (or in my case, adjusting) of a blog. I’ve tried some new things, like series, and changed the look a few times.

I really just want to hear from you. You, my wonderful readers, are kind of the reason I do this. I want to make sure you are seeing what you want. So I would absolutely love some feedback. Do you like the things I’ve been doing? Is there a topic you’d like to see me cover? Would you rather I do something else? How would you feel about video posts?

Suggestion Box

Basically, I just want to make sure I’m writing the sort of thing you want to read. So comment below and make me feel good about myself! Or, you know, tell me all the things I should be doing instead.

Until next time fellow wonderers!

Fairy Tale Facts: 12 Dancing Princesses

I’ve decided to start a new series! As I was working on my Evolution of Fairy Tales series, I realized that there are a lot of fairy tales that aren’t well known or haven’t changed too much since their appearance. So I’m going to use this new series to highlight these stories, as well as recommend adaptations I really like. I’ll start with ones I know, but if you have any you’d like me to highlight, let me know! I’m always on the lookout for new stories to enjoy.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Pointe

What’s it About?

The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a German fairy tale, written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. The story tells of twelve sisters, daughters of a king, who have a secret. They sleep in the same room and every morning their dancing slippers are worn through. The king, tired of paying for new shoes constantly, offers a reward to any man who can find out how the shoes get destroyed within three days and three nights. Many men, including princes, try, but all fail. A soldier, returning from war, decides to try his luck. On his way to the castle, he meets an old woman who gives him a cloak of invisibility (like in Harry Potter!) and some advice; he should not eat or drink anything the princesses offer. He arrives and settles in. When the princess offer the soldier wine before bed, he pretends to drink it and convinces the princesses he’s fallen asleep. He follows them, having donned the invisibility cloak, through a secret door to an enchanted forest. The princesses dance the night away while the soldier collects evidence. The same thing happens the next two nights and on his last day, the soldier presents the evidence to the King. The king happily offers the soldier the chance to marry any of his daughters and become his heir.

Fun Fact #1

In the early version of this story, it seems that the princesses enjoy their nightly escapades. Many of the adaptations I’ve read attribute their visits to the enchanted forest to a curse. It makes a little more sense to me. Some writers even go so far as to use magic to prevent the princesses from telling anyone.

Fun Fact #2

The twelve princesses meet twelve princes in the forest. In some versions, the princes are also cursed or enchanted. In other, the princes are…not quite human.

Fun Fact #3

In my research, I found a similar Scottish tale called Kate Crackernuts. It takes the reverse view; Kate, a princess, is trying to discover how to break a curse placed on her sister when she meets a prince, cursed to dance all night. She breaks both curses and marries the prince.

If You’re Interested…

I’ve come across two fantastic books that use The Twelve Dancing Princesses as inspiration; Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George and Entwined by Heather Dixon.

What other fairy tales should I cover here?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Recommendation: Beauty and the Beast

Today’s recommendation is not a direct adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. It’s an adaptation of a similar tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, a Norwegian fairy tale. It’s called East, by Edith Pattou.

DumpBear

The story follows Rose, a young girl from a poor family. A White Bear appears at her family’s door one day, promising to give her family riches if Rose will leave with him. She agrees, scared but determined. Rose soon loses her heart to the mystery man who lives in the castle the White Bear brings her to, but loses him just as quickly. She is determined to save him, even if it means going to the mythical land east of the sun and west of the moon.

I discovered this book years ago and it’s one I often come back to. A fun, sweet story, East is a timeless tale of love overcoming all odds.

What are some versions of Beauty and the Beast you enjoy?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Evolution of Fairy Tales: Beauty and the Beast

Alright! Today we get back to the Evolution of Fairy Tales series with Beauty and the Beast. I’ll compare the traditional 1756 French tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (shortened to Beaumont for time-saving purposes) to the 1991 Disney film.

Roses

The Story Begins

Beaumont: Belle is one of three sisters, daughters of a wealthy merchant. Her two older sisters are as beautiful as she is, but they are vain and wicked (sound like anyone we’ve talked about before?). Belle’s father tragically loses his wealth when his ships sink in a storm. He is forced to relocate his family to a cottage in the country to earn a living. No background is given about the Beast, though later versions say he was a prince who was left in the care of a fairy (who turned out to be evil). The fairy tried to seduce him when he became an adult. When he refused her, she turned him into a beast.

Disney: The narrator opens by telling about a selfish prince. A beggar woman comes to the castle, asking for shelter. She offers him a rose in exchange, but the young prince makes fun of her ugliness and turns her away. The woman reveals herself to be an enchantress and curses the prince by transforming him into a beast. She gives him the rose, telling him that if he can find love by the time the last petal falls, the spell will be broken. If he can’t, he will remain a beast forever. Ten years go by, and the focus shifts to Belle, a young girl living with her father in a small French village. Belle is tired of the slow pace of life, longing for adventure. She is alienated by most of the people in town, except for an unwanted suitor who won’t leave her alone.

A Rose for Belle

Beaumont: Belle’s father receives word that one of his ships has arrived in harbor. He hurries to see what wealth he can salvage. Before he leaves, he asks his daughters what to bring them, in case he has money again. The older two ask for jewels and fine clothes. Belle asks for a rose, a flower she hasn’t seen since moving to the country. The merchant arrives to find that only enough cargo has been saved to pay off his existing debt; there is nothing else.

Disney: Belle’s father, an eccentric inventor, is on his way to a fair when he loses his way in the woods. Lost and without a horse, he stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned castle. Animated furniture (and by animated, I mean alive, not just cartoon) serves him, making him comfortable.

Captive in a Castle

Beaumont: On his way home, Belle’s father finds a palace. He stays there for the night, and as he leaves, he sees a beautiful rose garden. He remembers Belle’s request and takes a rose. The Beast confronts him, telling him that because he stole the Beast’s most precious possession, the man must pay a high price. He agrees to let Belle’s father return home to give the rose to Belle if he will return to be the Beast’s prisoner. The merchant returns home with wealth from the Beast, trying not to let his daughters know of his plight. Belle pushes for information and insists on taking his place.

Disney: Belle grows worried when her father’s horse returns without him and she sets out to find him. She arrives at the Beast’s castle and discovers him in a cell, dying of a cold. She frantically offers to take his place and the Beast sends her father away. He has Belle shown to a room and tells her she will be his guest and demands she join him for dinner. They argue, leading Belle to attempt to defy and escape him.

Friendship

Beaumont: The Beast is polite to Belle from the start, giving her everything she wants. Every night at dinner, he asks Belle to marry him. She always replies no, because she only sees him as a friend. Every night, she dreams of a handsome prince who begs for her to save him.

Disney: Belle slowly comes to realize the Beast is kind, despite his fierce appearance and gruff nature. They spend time together and grow to be friends.

Returning Home

Beaumont: Belle grows homesick and asks to visit home. He agrees, as longs as she returns in one week. She leaves with an enchanted mirror and ring. The mirror will show her what is happening at the castle and the ring, when turned three times around her finger, would transport her back instantly. Belle’s sisters are surprised to see Belle not only alive but better off than they are. After hearing about the ‘savage’ Beast, they decide to delay Belle. They reason that if Belle stays, she can serve them again. If she returns late, the Beast will kill her in a rage.

Disney: Belle grows homesick and the Beast offers to let her use his magic mirror to see how her father is. She sees that he is sick, possibly dying. The Beast urges her to return to him, even though it means losing his only chance at breaking the curse, as the rose has bloomed for the last time. Belle returns to her father, who is being threatened by Belle’s old suitor. She tells the townspeople about the Beast and they decide to hunt him down. Seems reasonable, right?

The Broken Curse

Beaumont: Belle grows guilty, realizing she has stayed away longer than she promised and uses the mirror to check on the Beast. She sees him dying and rushes to his side, using the magic ring. She admits her love for him. As she cries over him, her tears transform him back into the prince he truly is, the prince from Belle’s dreams. They marry and live happily ever after.

Disney: Belle rushes to save the Beast from the crazed mob of Frenchmen, but he is badly injured in the fight. Belle tells him she loves him, breaking the spell. The Beast returns to his human form, along with his staff. He and Belle marry and live happily ever after, the end.

What’s your favorite part of Beauty and the Beast? Mine was always the library that Beast gave Belle in the Disney version.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

How to Survive a Writer’s Conference (Or an Introvert’s Guide to Being Social)

As I mentioned earlier this week, I attended a writer’s conference recently. This is the second one I’ve been to this year, and I like to think I’ve learned a few things about doing conferences well. Some of these things I’ve been told to do, others I’ve had to discover through trial and error. Hopefully they’ll help you in the event you go to one.

Don’t be scared. I know it sounds obvious, but I was still incredibly nervous going to my first conference. Knowing that all those editors and agents would be there, as well as writers who were more experienced and successful than I was, was intimidating. But I learned something crazy: they want me to succeed. Not only that, they want to help me succeed. The people at writer’s conferences aren’t competing, they are encouraging each other. So don’t be worried.

Rest. Conferences are packed full of activities. Don’t feel guilty if you need to skip a session in favor of a break. You need to be at your best, so take time to recharge your social battery.

Make an effort to connect. Don’t just observe the conference; actively engage. Talk shop with the other conferees during breaks. Stay after the workshops to ask the teachers questions. Hand out business cards. Sign up for as many one on one meetings as you can. Even if you don’t pitch at every one of them, you can still ask questions and make connections. After the conference, follow up on with the people you met. Send thank you notes. People will remember you.

Smile. Chances are, the people at the conference are as nervous as you are. Even something as simple as putting on a smile makes you more approachable.

I hope this advice was helpful! For those of you who have been to conferences, what sort of things have you found to be useful?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

P.S. If you’re missing the Evolution of Fairy Tales series, I’ll be resuming that next week.

Happy November!

I don’t have a recommendation today, as there aren’t many Frog Prince adaptations out there. Instead, I thought I’d give you a short update on what’s been going on in my life.

I spent two days at the end of October at the Indiana Faith and Writing Conference held at Anderson University. I had a great time meeting and learning from different agents, editors, and writers. I also got some valuable advice about pursuing a career in editing.

As some of you in the writing community may know, November is National Novel Writing Month. The basic idea is to write a full novel in 30 days. I have decided to take part this year. It’s exciting, but a little daunting. Unfortunately, I have gotten off to a slow start. Hopefully I’ll be able to make up for lost time.

Aside from all that, my life continues as usual. School, work, and friends. It’s pretty great.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!