Writing the Modern Fairy Tale: Use a Twist

By Guest Author

by Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

 

How do you update an old story?  Fairy tales have been popular for hundreds of years, and recently Red Riding Hood, Beastly, and Juliet Immortal have dominated young adult fiction.  Meanwhile, girls ages 8-12 love books like Ella Enchanted, Just Ella, Princess Academy, Snow in Summer, The Wide-Awake Princess, and Once Upon a Curse.  Why are fairy tales so popular?  Can you write a modern fairy tale with a twist that will enchant young readers?

 

To a certain extent, the plot of the fairy tale is established by the original story, yet you have the capacity to stretch the tale beyond its original sphere. And you have the advantage of starting with a well-known story has brand-name recognition for millions of potential readers.

 

Here are some tips for writing modern versions of fairy tales.

 

1. Reread the old story.  No matter how familiar Cinderella might seem, you still need to reread the Charles Perrault version (not the Disney film).  Or you need to rediscover Hans and Gretel through the Brothers Grimm.  When you reread the old story, you’ll see there are layers of meaning that you missed years ago as a child reader.

 

2. Study how other writers have modified and worked with the fairy tale.  If you want to rewrite Cinderella, read Ella Enchanted, Just Ella, Cinder, Cindy Ella, and Cinderella (as if you didn’t already know the story).  If you want to retell the Trojan legend, read Nobody’s Princess and Troy High.  Not only is it fun to see what other writers have done, you’ll be able to market your work more effectively if you understand what’s already out there.

 

3. Think honestly.  Do you have a new version of this story?  Why would someone want to read another version of Sleeping Beauty?  When you read Alex Flinn’s Beastly, you will discover it is a wonderfully modern blend of Beauty and the Beast, complete with a computer chat room.  When you read The Princess Diaries, you’ll discover Mia Thermopolis suffers the modern angst of adolescence (5’9″, flat-chested, with poor grades in math) while trying to assume her new role as a ruler of Genovia.  Be honest, and ask yourself if you are trying to cash in on an old brand—or if you have a new and wonderful story to tell.

 

4. Sketch out a plot.  Even if you are using an old tale, you’ll need to add new twists and turns to transform it from a fairy tale into a novel.  For a great example of how to transform an old tale, read Red Riding Hood by Catherine Hardwicke.

 

5. Sketch out the characters.  You’ll also need to do character sketches.  Using the old characters as a launching point, you must be innovative and creative as you breathe new life into Rapunzel, Snow White, or Beauty.

 

6. Write with a twist.  Whether this twist is telling the story through the princess’s voice (Ella Enchanted) or crafting your own fairy tale (Once Upon a Toad), you’ll need to draw the reader in through vivid details.  Or you could allow your character to visit fairyland as a tourist (The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making).  Whatever you decide to do, remember you can’t just retell the old tale. Change the setting, the age of the characters, or the time period. In short, give it your own twist!

 

7. Finish writing your story.  Then sit down and read it.  Does it follow enough of the original story to justify a connection?  Or have you written so far off the track that you should give your story a different title?

 

8. Edit to perfection.  When you write a modern fairy tale, the stakes are higher than you think.  You are not only writing in the tradition of an ancient tale, you are competing with modern rewrites that are currently on the marketplace.  Whether you craft a modern princess (Letters to Rapunzel) or a historic princess (Nobody’s Prize), you need to write with vivid details, bringing your favorite characters to life upon the page in a way she’s never been seen before.

 

9. Study the marketplace. How does your story compare? Have you written a story that girls 8-15 will fall in love with, or have you simply tried to cash in on a familiar story? If you have written a unique work, submit your piece. Then, see if your dream of your fairy tale of getting published comes true!

 

Dr. Suzanna E. Henshon teaches full-time at Florida Gulf Coast University and is the author of several young adult and middle grade books, and two collections of writing exercises. Her newest book, Andy Lightfoot and the Time Warp, is available for the Kindle on Amazon.

 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Writing the Modern Fairy Tale: Use a Twist

Dealing with (and Learning From) Rejection

By Guest Author

by Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

 

Have you ever received a rejection letter?  At some point, every writer has her work rejected.  Madeleine L’Engle, JK Rowling, and Beatrix Potter suffered countless rejections before hitting the literary jackpot.  Dealing with rejection is never easy, and it can feel very personal.  But it isn’t the end of the world, and what really matters is how you progress toward becoming a better writer.

 

So, you just received a rejection letter in the mail.  Maybe someone wrote a bad review of your latest novel.  Or you were turned down by a literary agency.  There may be nothing worse than slaving away at a novel for years, only to receive a three-star rating by a casual reader who writes, “It was okay” as their review on Amazon.  But it happens all the time to writers.

 

I used to feel badly about receiving rejections until I saw Phyllis Reynolds Naylor present on receiving 10,000 plus rejections at a conference.  It’s unbelievable to think that a woman this talented could be turned down so many times before receiving the Newbery Medal.  What were these editors thinking?  Naylor realized it was part of her learning and growth as a writer.  And she learned so well that she eventually wrote Shiloh, a novel which received the highest award in children’s literature.  Shouldn’t we follow her example?

 

Dealing with rejection is never easy, but it’s important to put it in perspective.  It doesn’t mean your idea was bad or unsellable; it only means that one person didn’t gravitate toward your story. Realistically, it may mean your story isn’t quite ready to go.  You may think it is wonderful, but there are flaws that will only be visible to you with time.

 

So, what is the best way to deal with a rejection?

 

First of all, be professional.  In many industries, people’s work is rejected. It doesn’t mean you won’t work with this person in the future, or that they won’t someday publish your book. It just means that they aren’t interested in working with you now.  It may be painful, but you have to try to let it go and move on. Don’t write back and argue with the editor or agent about their decision—that’s a sure way to close that door to future submissions.

 

Rejection can take a variety of forms these days.  In the past, everything was done by mail. Authors received a written rejection, often as a form letter. Now rejection can be done by email, or not at all. Some agents and publishers are saying if you don’t hear back on your submission within a certain time, you can assume it’s been rejected.

 

Remember that rejection is a subjective process.  A manuscript rejected by one editor could be accepted somewhere else. That’s why persistence is an essential quality for a successful author. Finding the right fit between author, editor and story can take some time.

 

Don’t forget that rejection is also about timing.  If you are trying to get a manuscript published that is similar to what is already available, you are doomed to rejection.  To get accepted, you need to write something innovative and new.  Don’t query an editorial board with an idea that is too close to what they have recently published.

 

Accept the fact that rejection is part of the writing process.  Rejection can happen at any moment in time.  It can happen at the query level, at the synopsis level, or even at the full manuscript level.  And though making it through the query stage only to have your full manuscript rejected is tough, it’s also an opportunity to learn.

 

So, what can you learn from getting rejected?

 

Try to determine why you are getting rejected.  Once you’ve put your work aside for a while, take it out and study it carefully.  Is it possible your picture books aren’t appropriate for young children?  Does your contemporary young adult novel sound dated? It’s impossible for any writer to be completely objective when reading their own work, so search out a critique group you can join, or hire a freelance editor to point out your manuscript’s flaws. Work hard to fix them. Then give the submissions process another shot, or move on to self-publishing.

 

Remember that writing is a long apprenticeship.  Many people expect immediate success, when writing is a long-term process.  Most successful writers consider their first few manuscripts to have been “practice”, teaching them how to write. Eventually they gained the skills to write a publishable book. So it’s important not to expect the first thing you write to become a bestseller.

 

Consider that you may not get published by a traditional publisher.  Only 1% of writers get published by traditional publishers. So the chances that you are going to be in this group are pretty slim, especially if your book appeals to only a small slice of the market. Self-publishing has become a viable option for many writers these days. It’s still important that your book be of high quality, but you can bypass the submissions process altogether.

 

Move on.  The biggest mistake that beginners make is writing just one piece, sending it out, and never starting another story. Being a writer means two things: crafting your manuscript, and getting your work in front of readers. You need to be participating in both parts of the process at all times. If you use rejection as fuel to become a better writer and to find the right editor or agent for your book, then each rejection will bring you one step closer to publication.

 

Dr. Suzanna E. Henshon teaches full-time at Florida Gulf Coast University and is the author of several young adult and middle grade books, and two collections of writing exercises. Her newest book, Andy Lightfoot and the Time Warp, is available for the Kindle on Amazon.

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Dealing with (and Learning From) Rejection

Why Teachers Make Great Children’s Book Writers

By Laura Backes

by Laura Backes

 

You’re a teacher. You spend your day around kids, reading to them, teaching them how to write, helping them find books of their own to love. You catch yourself noticing little events in your students’ lives and jotting them down. Your ears are tuned to scraps of dialogue on the playground. You spend hours choosing just the right books to bring into your classroom, ones that will open up the minds of your students, teach them about the world, and spark their imaginations. And through it all, a little voice inside your head keeps asking, “Could I write a children’s book?”

 

Absolutely!

 

As a teacher, you’ve got a terrific advantage over other aspiring writers for several reasons:

 

You know your audience. You spend hours every work day with your future readers. You know what they like, and what they don’t. You can observe all the dynamics of kids and teens interacting with their peers, and often get a glimpse into their family lives as well. You understand the social pecking order, current trends, and how a student who is a wallflower in gym class can blossom in science or art. Simply paying attention to who your students are gives you a big step up for creating believable, interesting characters for your stories.

 

You have a window into your readers’ minds. Listening to how students talk to their friends, their adversaries, and to you and other teachers gives you a good sense of how they feel about themselves. You’ll also have a handle on writing dialogue that doesn’t sound like it’s coming from an adult. When students are involved in creative activities like art or writing, you get a glimpse at how their minds work and what’s important to them. This helps you write books that are relevant to your readers.

 

You see what excites young thinkers. No matter what subject you teach, you have to engage your students. In doing so, you learn how to present your topic in the most interesting way. Whether it’s a class of preschoolers watching a caterpillar morph into a butterfly, or eighth graders learning about the civil rights movement, you’ll be the first to grasp what makes students want to learn more. You’ll also know instantly when they tune out from boredom. This inside information will give you plenty of ideas for new books.

 

You love kids. The bottom line is, if you want to be a successful children’s book writer, you have to actually like your audience. You have to understand, and respect, how they see the world and get through their day. I’m guessing these are some of the reasons you went into teaching in the first place. So you’re already half-way there! And the next step is easy:

 

Click here to get our free ebook, Teacher to Teacher: Advice for Educators Who Want to Write from Educators Who Already Do! Packed with information and inspiration from teacher/writers, this ebook will start you on your way to turning your teaching experience into a career as a children’s book writer.

 

So teachers, let’s review: You’ve got the mindset of a children’s book writer, you’ve got access to your future readers, and plenty of inspiration for books. What are you waiting for?

 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Why Teachers Make Great Children’s Book Writers