Tag: retelling

Categories
Writing for YA

Story retellings: Interview with A. K. Pittman

Allison Pittman, writing as A. K. Pitman, has a brand new book out, and it’s a YA P & P retelling, Pudge and Prejudice, set in 1984 North Texas.

February is Body Image Awareness Month, and the timing felt perfect to ask Allison a few questions about her book, which deals with body image.

I love the idea of mingling one of my favorite Austen novels with a more recent historical setting.

I love the idea, too! It really showcases the timelessness of Austen’s story. Human emotions and motivations and desires are so transcendent, even if our surrounding society changes.

What was the strangest thing you had to research or the most surprising thing you learned when you were researching for this project?

Well, I learned that high schools outside of Texas don’t do homecoming mums. They are huge in Texas (literally and figuratively).

As a fellow Texan, I can attest to the hugeness of mums.

What are some of the unique challenges you faced when writing Pudge and Prejudice?

I was always surprised when I learned that something—some TV show or song—that I clearly remember from that year (1984) actually hadn’t happened yet.

Time passes, I guess, and everything gets mixed up. Over and over I was “redirected” by my lovely editor who hadn’t even been born yet! Quite a humbling experience.

Your novel is set in the 80s. How do you feel the landscape of the current high school culture has changed since then? What are the main things that have stayed the same?

It’s much easier to mention what has stayed the same: Kids still group themselves and establish crushing hierarchies within their ranks. What has changed? There’s such a lack of naiveté and innocence. They are exposed to so much, and with cellphones, they are never more than a click away from hurtful messages.

If you had fifteen minutes to talk to a young person who was struggling with body image, what is one main thing you would want them to understand?

I would want them to understand that, right at this moment, they are exactly what God intendeds them to be.

That’s hard to understand and accept, especially if they are unhappy, but that unhappiness can be channeled into something positive.

And then, I would emphasize that they need to compare themselves with themselves, not other people. You have to accept yourself, but you don’t have to accept your habits. Find out what is best for you, and don’t allow anything less.

Do you have any resources you’d like to share for young people struggling with body image issues?

As a blanket answer, I would say to step away from social media and develop good, in-the-flesh friendships where you interact outside of a tiny screen. That said, I would caution against any resource that promises anything other than restoring health in mind, body, and spirit. In fact, stay away from outside promises, period.

A healthy body image comes from within. You’ve made the decision to eat healthier? Study up on healthy cooking. You want to exercise more? Test your body to see what it can do and go from there.

Finally, there is no greater resource than God’s word—for anything, but most of all for inspiration about just how beloved and valuable you are.

Psalms 139:14 says, “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. Part of that “wonderfulness” is how our outer appearance reflects our inner care. We need food, water, sleep, rest, and purpose—all in balance.

Find the best of those things, and you will find the best of yourself.

Allison K. Pittman is an award-winning author of thirteen novels. An enthusiast for all things writing, she leads two writing groups where she gets to blend her two passions: writing and teaching. (She gets to teach every day, too. Middle School.)

You can follow her around on Instagram (@allisonkpittman) or Twitter (@allisonkpittman) and keep up with the latest writing news on her Allison Pittman Author Facebook page—all of which will keep you up-to-date on not only her books, but also life with her husband, Mikey, and Snax, the world’s worst dog.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Fantastic Fairytales

Browse through your local bookstore and you’ll notice fairytale retellings are quite popular across multiple genres. These tales have remained a staple within the world of storytelling for centuries because of a few key components: they have a solid storyline that’s easy to follow and they always have some sort of moral lesson to be passed along.

So, how can you join in on the fun of creating something new, from something old? Here are a few tips for coming up with your own fairytale retelling that will keep your readers wanting more.

Do your research. Many tales have been passed down by word of mouth, traveling across national borders. Learn how your specific fairytale might differ from one culture to another. Did it originate in another culture having been adopted into our own, with elements within the story changed to fit our own world view? Get to know the tale from every angle, every source. The more you know about it, the more ideas you will have to pull from when you create your own unique spin.

Give it a good twist. Readers want a fresh story. Make it familiar enough that the reader can see the original tale, but different enough to keep them wanting more. A retelling is different from a remake—a remake is simply the same story retold. A retelling allows you, as the author, to push the boundaries and make something completely different from what has been done before.

Think theme. What draws the reader to the original story? What is the deeper theme? Cinderella is more than just a “rags to riches” story of a pretty girl who got her Prince. It’s a moral lesson to teach children to be kind (even when they don’t feel like it) without allowing selfish desires to win. Think about the deeper theme you want to convey, one that speaks above the surface of the original tale.

Ask the “what if”? How can you make the story different? Change the time period; change the setting (here’s your chance to really world build!); or change the genre in which it would normally fall. (A steampunk retelling of Rapunzel could really shake things up!) Just as you would ask the “what if” when creating a fiction story from scratch, allow the same pattern of questions to guide you as you reform the familiar fairytale into something exceptional.

Change the viewpoint. Tell the story from the viewpoint of the villain. What is his motivation and how is it different from the original hero? Make the villain human. Make the reader empathize, so they are actually rooting for the villain in a way they normally wouldn’t. Giving the reader access to the villain’s private thoughts can create tension as the story progresses. They know they should be on the side of the familiar hero or heroine, but are realizing a new hero is emerging within the villain himself.

Another viewpoint to utilize would be a minor character from the original tale. Give the character a backstory, complete with flaws. What would the Beauty and the Beast story be like if narrated entirely from the viewpoint of a selfish Mrs. Potts who would do anything to provide for her son, Chip? How would the characters come across differently? How would the theme(s) change?

Do a Crossover. Allow characters from one fairytale to visit another. How would Ariel react if she found a Beast living in the castle next door? Would Maleficent and Evil Queen get along if they were ever introduced? What would Red Riding Hood do if she stumbled upon Hansel and Gretel as they searched for their way home? Allowing one or more characters to leave their own universe and enter another is one more way to make your story unique and exciting for the reader.

Change the ending of the story. Think you know how the story ends? Maybe not! With a fresh perspective on theme, character motivation, and a new setting, the door is wide open to allow for a varied ending that will not only surprise the reader, but might fit better with the new twist you’ve given to this old tale.

No matter how you choose to retell your fairytale, remember to take it deeper than the original. Readers know the Disney version of these tales. What they want is to be captivated—where they can actually see themselves in the characters and themes that have existed for hundreds of years.

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mama to three daughters and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook, Instagram @lauralzimmauthor, Twitter @lauralzimm and at her website Caffeinated Fiction.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

The Myths Behind Your Fantasy Work

Fantasy stories come in all shapes and sizes, from modern-day tales to historical adventure. One way to give your story character is to reuse a classic myth or legend. Myths, legends, fairytales and folklore are often recognizable tales that can help connect a reader to the story from the first page. By using an established story with a new twist, the reader will have discovered a brand new treasure.

The first step to using a myth or legend as the basis for your story is to decide if the tale will be a retelling of the classic story or if elements of it will weave throughout your story to give a certain “feel” to the overall narrative. Regardless which way you choose to tell the story, any tale will need to be embellished, since no myth or legend was created as a full-length novel. Use the tale as a springboard and allow your creative side to fill in the details that are missing to make your story complete.

An example of a retelling of classic fairy tales are the middle-grade novels by Liesl Shurtliff. In her books, Red, Jack, and Rump, the classic stories of favorite children’s fairy tales are retold with a more developed plot, often including characters from other stories, as well, but the basic stories are the actual fairy tales themselves.

Rick Riordan has inspired the young adult fantasy industry beginning with his Percy Jackson series by taking a myth and altering it to create a brand new story. His stories are modern day tales involving twenty-first century kids, with a basis in ancient Greek mythology. While the setting and world are quite different from those ancient myths, the rules and original characters retain their properties.

Some stories originate from a specific culture but have been changed from one society to the next. Take your time to investigate all the twists and turns the original story has taken through the shift between cultures. These differences may help shape your story to be a different retelling than any that have come before.

Know the myth or legend and the characters that make it up, inside and out. The more you know the myth, the more you will understand which elements can be changed and which should remain the same. However, be sure not to take too many liberties with the story. Allow the themes and moral dilemmas to remain the same, as the reader will notice if you make too drastic a change from a favorite tale.

From here, the story is yours. Once you have the myth or legend to base your story upon, you’ve done your research, and you know what changes to make to create a brand new story for the reader, then you’re ready to get writing. Remember, the story doesn’t need to be a mirror image of the previous myth or legend, but it does need to retain the basic themes, motivations and characters to uphold the integrity of the original tale.

Using a previously established tale can open a world of possibilities for new stories. Myths and legends can provide a fantastic canvas to paint your next novel. The only question left to ask yourself is, which myth will you choose to use first?

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mama to three daughters and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her on Twitter @lauralzimm, Instagram @lauralzimmauthor, on Facebook and at her website Caffeinated Fiction.