Fairy Tales and Fantasy
In conjunction with my evolution of fairy tales (the first of which you can read here) I’m going to use the second blog post I do a week to recommend my favorite adaptations of fairy tales. I was going to review a Cinderella modernization, but I have something extra special in the works. When it’s done, you’ll just get an extra post! So hold on and keep your eyes peeled!
Until next time, fellow wonderers!
I’ve decided to do a series here about how fairy tales have evolved over the years. To illustrate this, I’ll be comparing the original story to the Disney versions, as those are the most well known.
I’ll begin with Cinderella. The story was first written by the Charles Perrault in 1697 and the Disney animated movie was made in 1950. While it was first written by Perrault, it’s a tale that exists in many countries and cultures and has been handed down for centuries, so there are differences even between the ‘original’ stories. I’ll also compare the well-known Brothers’ Grimm version.
Perrault: Proud and haughty, like their mother. No physical description.
Disney: Cruel and self-centered, not very attractive.
Grimm: Beautiful with evil hearts. Not only do they make Cinderella do chores, but they intentionally make them impossible.
Perrault: In this French version, Cinderella’s father is alive. He is completely ruled by his second wife and is unaware of the way his daughter is treated.
Disney: Cinderella’s father dies shortly after his second marriage, leaving her in her stepmother’s care.
Grimm: The father in this version just seems oblivious. He is around, yet doesn’t confront his wife about his daughter’s treatment.
Perrault: The prince threw a ball and invited all fashionable people. The ball lasted two nights.
Disney: The king threw a ball to try to marry off the prince and invited all eligible young women.
Grimm: The king announced a festival, to last for three days, and invited all the beautiful ladies in the country were invited, in the hopes that his son would choose one to marry.
Perrault: The stepsisters jokingly ask if Cinderella wants to go to the ball, then mock her for saying yes. There is no “if you do this, you can go.”
Disney: Cinderella’s stepmother agrees to let Cinderella go to the ball if she can get all her chores done and be dressed acceptably by the time the rest of them are leaving. With the help of her mouse friends, she finishes her chores and her dress, but her stepsisters cruelly destroy the dress and leave her behind.
Grimm: The stepmother empties a bowl of lentils into the ashes of a fireplace. If Cinderella can pick them all out in two hours, she will be allowed to go. Some helpful birds assist her, but when she asks again, her stepmother tells her she can’t come because she has no gown and can’t dance.
Perrault: Cinderella’s godmother, who happens to be a fairy, rewards Cinderella’s goodness by helping her get to the ball. She magically transforms a pumpkin, six mice, and six lizards into a coach, horses, and footmen. She also transforms Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful gown, including a pair of glass slippers. The godmother warns Cinderella not to stay past midnight, as the magic will disappear.
Disney: Cinderella’s fairy godmother appears and turns a pumpkin, mice, and a dog into a coach, horses, and footmen. She also makes a dress for Cinderella, complete with glass slippers. Cinderella isn’t allowed to stay past midnight because the magic won’t last past that.
Grimm: Cinderella’s father once brought her a branch of a hazel tree, which she planted at her mother’s grave. The night of the festival, she visits her mother’s grave, wishing she could go with her family. The tree produced a dress and silver silk slippers. Cinderella attends the festival until she wants to leave.
Perrault: Cinderella is mistaken for a princess. The prince dances with her all night, refusing to let her dance with other men. During the meal, Cinderella sits by her stepsisters, who are awed by the ‘foreign princess’. She is kind to them, despite the way they treat her at home. She leaves with plenty of time left. The second night, she loses track of time while with the prince, and runs out as the clock strikes twelve, leaving behind one of her glass slippers.
Disney: Cinderella spends the evening dancing with a handsome stranger. She is so entranced, she doesn’t realize the time until the clock begins to strike midnight. She runs away, but accidentally loses a shoe.
Grimm: Cinderella impresses everyone and is unrecognized by her family. When she wants to go home, the prince offers to escort her. She refuses, but he follows her anyway. She climbs into a pigeon coop to escape him. The prince and Cinderella’s father break in, but she is gone. The second night, the same thing happened and Cinderella escaped into a tree. The third night, the prince sets a trap. He spreads tar over the stairs and when Cinderella runs away, she leaves a golden slipper on the sticky stairs.
Perrault: The prince declares he will marry the maiden who can wear the slipper. He tries it on everyone until he gets to Cinderella’s house. She asks to try it on, and it finally fits.
Disney: The prince sends someone to try the slipper on the foot of every maiden. When he gets to Cinderella’s house, he finds only the stepsisters. Cinderella’s stepmother locked her away in the attic. She manages to escape, but the slipper is broken before she can try it on. Cinderella produces the second glass slipper and proves herself to be the mystery woman.
Grimm: The prince brings the lost shoe to the house he chased Cinderella to each night. He says he will marry the woman it fits. The first stepsister tries to wear it, but it is too small. She cuts off her toes to make it fit. The prince begins to take her away as his bride, but is warned by a bird that he has the wrong bride. The second stepsister tries on the shoe, but when it doesn’t fit, she cuts off part of her heel. The bird again warns the prince that he has the wrong girl. Finally, the prince insists on seeing Cinderella. Her family had hidden her away, but he insists on seeing all the girls in the house. She tries on the slipper and is whisked away to marry the prince.
Perrault: Cinderella marries the prince and, true to her kind nature, sets her sisters up as ladies of the court, even finding them husbands.
Disney: Cinderella and the prince marry. Cinderella’s stepfamily are not seen again.
Grimm: Cinderella marries her prince. Her stepsisters, trying to work their way into her good graces, attend Cinderella’s wedding. Birds attack the stepsisters and and peck their eyes out.
So there you have it. A comparison of 3 popular versions of Cinderella. There have been countless adaptations. What are some of your favorites?
Until next time, fellow wonderers!
My stomach has been in knots the past two days. I sent my short story to a small group of friends on Friday and I’ve been waiting to hear their feedback.
It’s been excruciating.
I know what you’re thinking. “You’re a writer, Kate. The reason writers produce content is for people to read it, right?”
And that is a very good observations. But that doesn’t make it any easier to send out something I’ve poured hours of time and large portions of myself into and get feedback. After all, how can anyone else love it as much as I do?
Usually when I pose this sort of struggle, I give advice and encouragement of some sort, but I am at a loss. For those of you who have had similar experiences, how do you deal with nerves like this?
Until next time, fellow wonderers.
I am a writing major. And I get questions about that choice. A lot of those questions are unintentionally rude. I recently found a list of annoying questions English majors are asked, and they all apply to writing majors as well. Here’s the link if you’re curious (http://tinyurl.com/ocq6mxx).
Normally I don’t mind the questions. Some of them are standard ones, asked of most college students. But some of them are just insulting. Let me explain my least favorite questions and comments.
“That sounds so fun!” I am not in college to have fun. I chose my major because I want to make a career out of writing, not because I had a whim. I am extremely dedicated to honing my skill.
“Do you ever have any homework?” or “You must have such easy classes.” My course load is actually pretty heavy. You try cranking out multiple essays a week, keeping up with assigned readings, and still finding time to do personal writing. Writing is a skill that has to be practiced, just like any other.
“How are you going to make any money with that?” Probably my least favorite question. Ever. Let me just say that my major doesn’t just focus on creative writing. I major in professional writing. That means I know how to write news articles, scripts, web content, and business content. Yes, I also write short stories and novels, but that’s not all. Anywhere you see words, someone wrote them. And I have the ability to do that.
So next time you meet a writer, think before you ask questions. I understand that they can come from genuine curiosity, but sometimes it feels condescending.
Until next time, fellow wonderers!
Friends, I have done something. Something I have never done before. I am so excited to share it with you, and so proud of what I’ve accomplished.
I have finished a project. A writing project. A non-school related writing project.
In other words, I finished the first draft of a short story I wrote for a contest. It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I still have a lot of work to do editing it, but I have finished something that wasn’t homework.
I know this is a short post, but I really wanted to share my accomplishment with you all! I will be submitting it to a contest soon, so I’ll let you know how that turns out.
Until next time fellow wonderers!
Close your eyes for a second. Well, wait until you finish this paragraph. Imagine, if you will, the stereotypical writer. Got it?
I imagine you came up with something like this.
Writers are considered to be antisocial. Most of the writers I know are introverts. Yet there’s this phenomenon in the changing perception of authors. Readers now expect to be able to interact with writers easily. Publishers are largely influenced in choosing what books to publish by how large the potential author’s following is.
In other words, writers are expected to be very active on social media.
Now there are ways in which that makes sense. Writers use words to communicate, so writing posts comes naturally. But a lot of writers are introverts and privacy is a hard thing to share. But I’ll let you in on a secret.
If you want to get writers to talk, bring up the subject of books.
Seriously. They’ll go crazy. All of a sudden, they’ll be animated and outgoing. Writers love talking about books. The books they’re reading, the books they love, the subjects and genres that interest them the most. Some writers are reluctant to talk about their own work, but others are happy to share.
So engage your favorite authors. Ask them questions. You might start a conversation.
Until next time, fellow wonderers!
As a writer, I’ve been working to find my niche, the area where my writing falls. I work on fantasy and historical, but would also like to write contemporary and mystery stories. I’ve landed on the conclusion that I like to retell classic stories.
Now, as one of my professors is fond of reminding us, there are no new stories. Every story has elements of previous ones. What I’m talking about is retelling fairy tales and other classic legends like Robin Hood and King Arthur. I love taking an old, well-loved story and bringing it to life in a new way. The challenge is finding a unique angle, a new twist on the story. It’s a difficult but rewarding experience.
Let me walk you through my process. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m working on a book that is based on Cinderella. I was first inspired to write it when watching the musical version of the story when I was struck by a thought: What if Cinderella didn’t want to go to the ball?
It was such a different idea that I had to write it down. Over the next few months I mulled it over. Why wouldn’t she want to go to the ball? Is it because she doesn’t want to get the prince? Because she is happy with her situation in life?
So that’s how the idea formed. It grew over time. I had to figure out why my Cinderella didn’t want to attend the ball. In most stories, she was the orphaned daughter of a nobleman who was forced into servitude by her evil stepmother. In my story, her titled father tries to control her and her stepmother is quiet and gentle. She is independent and wary of other people.
I’ve heard story ideas described as ingredients rather than seeds, and it’s a comparison I like. A lot of people seem to think that ideas just need to be planted and watered in order to flourish, but in reality, you have to combine various ideas in new ways to get a creative dish. It’s more work than inspiration.
I hope you’ve enjoyed a peek into my creative process.
Until next time fellow wonderers!
I’ve always had the urge to travel. Before college, I traveled around the States on vacations and visiting family. I left the country once to travel in Canada. Once I got to college, though, the travel bug that had been previously been quietly biting me began to gnaw more fiercely. It began with a semester abroad in Ireland. Then a missions trip to Liberia. Now I can’t get enough of international travel. So I’ve made a list of places that I want to go in my life. I’ve only included places I’ve never been, not places I would like to return to.
1. Greece. Greece is the center of the ancient world. As someone who loves history, I can’t think of a more exciting place to visit. Seeing historical sites and cities would be a dream come true.
2. England. It’s one of those places that most people want to visit. Closely related to American culture and home to some of the most incredible authors, England is a cultural center of its own. Plus, British accents.
3. Australia and New Zealand. Yes, they’re two different countries, but in my mind they would be the same trip. There’s no real educational value to these places, mostly a desire for beaches and fun. And maybe a trip to Mt. Doom as well.
4. Egypt. Like Greece, Egypt played a strong role in history and has an incredible culture. I would love to experience it firsthand and see the pyramids.
5. Brasil. I’ve never been to South America, but I know that Brasil boasts some spectacular scenery. I think it would be a lot of fun to explore there.
6. China. China has a culture so different from my own, it would be so interesting to experience it. I would love a chance to explore its rich history.
7. Greenland. It’s a little obscure, but Greenland has always intrigued. A halfway point for many of the early settlers of North America, its culture is unique and largely unchanged.
8. France. I studied French in high school and learned a lot about the language, culture, and art of the country. I’d love to see the sites in person, instead of just on a screen or page.
9. Italy. Is food reason enough to visit somewhere? Because that’s the main reason I want to visit Italy. I love Italian food.
10. Denmark. There’s no real reason I want to see Denmark. It just sounds like it could be fun.
So, what places do you want to see? Comment below and let me know. Maybe it will be somewhere I can add to my own list.
Until next time fellow wonderers!
This is an issue that I as a Christian writer have been struggling with. As Christians we are called to be humble, that pride can be dangerous. As a writer, I am often called upon to promote my own work. I often find myself putting my ideas or work down, saying that “it’s not that great” or “not to be full of myself or anything, but….”. I have wrestled with the idea of taking pride in my work, but not bragging or taking more credit than I should.
In thinking about the difference between pride and vanity, I can’t help but remember a passage in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, where Elizabeth’s sister Mary gives her opinion of the two. “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us” (Pride and Prejudice, page 27).
It raises a good point. Pride focuses more on the things a person does, while vanity is more about the person. Pride says “Look what I’ve done” while vanity says “Look at me”. Still, it can be hard to justify pride as a good thing.
To a certain extent, people in general need to take pride in their work and talents. This can contradict the teachings of many churches. Not that I think that humility is bad; I simply think it can be overstressed, especially when ignoring the positive aspects of pride. As a teacher recently pointed out to me, we are all gifted by God and we are responsible for honing and using that gift. To downplay those talents and skills is disrespectful.
It still isn’t easy as a writer to pitch an idea to someone. You are essentially saying “Here is my story. You should pick it over everyone else’s because mine is better.” That is very hard for me to do. I want to downplay the things I think are well done, but at the same time, I want to point them out and say “Look at that! Look what I did!”
Part of the solution is realizing that my talent is God-given. He gives me the words to put on paper and I can’t take full responsibility for them. However, I can take credit for practicing, honing my skill. I take the time to develop my craft and I am proud of the progress I have made. Talent can only take a person so far; you have to be committed to developing that talent and using it well.
I know that this doesn’t provide an easy answer. It’s not something I can do, and I doubt I’ll every fully figure it out. But for now, I’ll work on my attitude about my work. I’ll try to be proud without being vain. And I will do my best to keep my work at a level that deserves that pride.
Comment below with something that you are proud of doing or accomplishing. I won’t be posting this weekend, as I’m going on a retreat.
Until next time fellow wonderers!
I recently read an interesting article (http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/08/i-hate-strong-female-characters) about the double standard set for female characters in literature and media. I find it rather disturbing that we have to characterize female roles as ‘strong’, as if it weren’t inherently implied like with men. I won’t use this blog as a soapbox for a feminist rant; I simply want to raise awareness for the way that female characters tend to fall into one of two categories: the damsel in distress, or the token team member who can keep up with the boys, yet plays no major part in the story. In some cases, the women who are supposed to be ‘strong’ are so violent, they could be considered abusive. All for the sake of establishing that they can ‘keep up with the boys’, that they don’t need to be rescued.
I hate this type of character the same way I hate the stereotypical goofy sidekick or the sensitive male hero. Like the article says, you can’t fit any character into a simple box and expect them to fit comfortably.
One of my favorite authors, Shannon Hale, often tweets about the growing trend of male protagonists. Men, especially young boys, are less likely to read a book with a female main character, while girls have no preference. But there is no rule that says books about girls are for girls only, simply society saying so. Instead, we should encourage boys to read books about girls to better understand the people who make up half of the world.
I tried not to make this a rant, but it’s something that truly bothers me. Instead of making our female characters strong, we writers need to focus on making them real. Human beings are complex creatures and the characters we write should reflect that.
Until next time fellow wonderers!
Kate G. Jameson