Kate G. Jameson

Tricksters: Chaos, Cleverness, and Change in Myth and Modern Story

What do rabbits, spiders, and fairies have in common?

If you answered that they’re all associated with the trickster archetype in literature and folklore, then hypothetical cookies for you (or some other imaginary treat of your choice)!

Fairy Tale Facts: Jack and the Beanstalk

There are some fairy tale images that just stick with you.

A glass slipper alone on a staircase. An isolated tower with braided hair hanging out the window. A castle surrounded by thorny vines. A rose with falling petals. A magic mirror and a poisoned apple.

A giant beanstalk stretching through the clouds.

There’s a sort of subset of fantasy that we call “supernatural” or “paranormal”. This subgenre features magic like fantasy does, but generally in a more contemporary (and often spookier) setting. In it, we see things like vampires, ghosts, and today’s topic: werewolves.

Werewolves are a staple of paranormal and horror stories, but there’s room for a lot of overlap with fantasy settings, so I wanted to dive into some of the mythology that surrounds them and some ways to write them in unique ways. We don’t have the time to take a true deep-dive into their history, but I highly recommend that rabbit trail if history, folklore, or werewolves interest you.

Idioms: All the Stops

A Reason to Celebrate

Happy love day, word nerds!

I thought I’d take a slightly different approach to a blog post for today, given the date. Instead of fairy tales, let’s focus on the (admittedly somewhat muddled) real history behind Valentine’s Day and how the legend has grown over the centuries.

Some Thoughts on Querying

I thought I’d check in with you all, as I’ve been “in the query trenches,” as I’ve seen some writers put it, for almost six months now.

But before I dive into my experience, I want to talk a little bit about what agents do, why I’m pursuing this route, and what the process entails.

An Interview with Carrie Anne Noble

Meet Carrie Anne Noble! She’s an award-winning author of several YA fantasy books, including The Mermaid’s Sister and Gretchen and the Bear. I’m a big fan of hers and have read several of her books, with the rest on my TBR list. (You can check out my reviews if you’re interested!) She’s a fellow fairy tale enthusiast and was kind enough to take time to answer some questions about writing and storytelling. Thanks for stopping by, Carrie!

Mermaids Around the World

As I sat down to brainstorm a blog post (and as I’m writing, as a matter of fact), my friend Bex finally convinced me to watch the 2023 live action The Little Mermaid. I wouldn’t say I’ve been avoiding it, but it hasn’t been high on my to-do list (shocking, I know, given that I’m all about fairy tales). You might say that I have opinions on the Disney live action remakes, but that’s a rant for another day.

But it got me thinking about mermaids. I recently got to interview L.E. Richmond about her upcoming debut, The Mermaid’s Tail. And I’ve got a special treat next week with another author who has dabbled in mermaid lore! So I started thinking about mermaid stories and legends and how they vary in different cultures, and I’ve decided to bring you a brief overview of some mermaid-type tales from around the world.

Fairy Tale Facts: King Thrushbeard

In December 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their first book: volume one of Kinder- und Hausmärchen ( or Children’s and Household Tales). The fifty-second story in their collection was called “King Thrushbeard,” and that story is the topic of today’s post. So let’s dive in!