Fairy Tales and Fantasy
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.
Continue reading “Fairy Tale Facts: Jack and the Beanstalk”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.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Some Thoughts on Querying”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!
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.
Continue reading “Mermaids Around the World”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!
Continue reading “Fairy Tale Facts: King Thrushbeard”I recently discovered a fellow writer on Instagram who I immediately started following. Her name is L.E. Richmond, and her debut novel, The Mermaid’s Tale, comes out this fall. It has a gorgeous cover and a fantastic premise, and I can’t wait to read it! What’s more, she was kind enough to sit down with me last month for a conversation about writing.
L.E.’s website has a link to the preorder page, and you can also follow her on Instagram!
I’m hoping to put together one or two more interviews this year, so let me know if there’s anyone you’d like to hear from.
Until next time, word nerds!
Last month, I wrote about my favorite literary tropes, and I wanted to follow it up with a look at a few tropes that I’m less fond of. My intention isn’t to complain or cast judgment (for the most part), but to explore what it is about each trope that I dislike. Several of the entries on this list are actually quite good, when executed well. It’s just that I don’t see them done well all that often. As before, these are in no particular order.
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