Comments on: From the Mailbox: Fairytale as a basis for fantasy, part 2 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/ about the craft and business of fiction Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:54:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Old Bones, New Flesh: Building a novel from a fairy tale concept http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-128168 Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Old Bones, New Flesh: Building a novel from a fairy tale concept Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:03:51 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-128168 [...] I blogged last month about myths, legends and fairy tales: the wisdom they contain and how they can be a wellspring for all kinds of storytelling. This month I’ll talk about building my new novel, Heart’s Blood, from the structural framework of my favourite fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. [...] [...] I blogged last month about myths, legends and fairy tales: the wisdom they contain and how they can be a wellspring for all kinds of storytelling. This month I’ll talk about building my new novel, Heart’s Blood, from the structural framework of my favourite fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. [...]

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127441 Kathleen Bolton Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:59:18 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127441 Beautiful post, Juliet. Indeed, we writers of today stand on the shoulders of the ancients. Beautiful post, Juliet. Indeed, we writers of today stand on the shoulders of the ancients.

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]]> By: prue batten http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127430 prue batten Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:59:56 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127430 Juliet, as a consummate teller of tales, you've encapsulated the importance of magical tale-telling to fiction at large. Thank you for your essay. To me, fairytale, folktale, legend, call it what you will, has a heritage going back far beyond our written word . . . to the travelling bard, to the elders who sat round fires entertaining their fellow villagers. The stories they told were indeed reflections of the human psyche and in their various forms have been passed down, altered, moulded and re-told, but in every case, loved and valued. In many cases, the hero, the protagonist, is a flawed individual who aspires to become a better person and by dint of an experience, manages to achieve personal status in some form or other. There is something comforting and affirming about the basic rhythm of a fairytale or legend and I am glad that people like Sophie, and you Juliet, can confirm that there is very much 'a place for fairytale in contemporary fiction.' Juliet, as a consummate teller of tales, you’ve encapsulated the importance of magical tale-telling to fiction at large. Thank you for your essay.

To me, fairytale, folktale, legend, call it what you will, has a heritage going back far beyond our written word . . . to the travelling bard, to the elders who sat round fires entertaining their fellow villagers. The stories they told were indeed reflections of the human psyche and in their various forms have been passed down, altered, moulded and re-told, but in every case, loved and valued.

In many cases, the hero, the protagonist, is a flawed individual who aspires to become a better person and by dint of an experience, manages to achieve personal status in some form or other. There is something comforting and affirming about the basic rhythm of a fairytale or legend and I am glad that people like Sophie, and you Juliet, can confirm that there is very much ‘a place for fairytale in contemporary fiction.’

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]]> By: Carol Henry http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127429 Carol Henry Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:26:38 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127429 You weaved a very compelling essay. Loved it. Reminds me of a class I took on Children's Literature -- all about fairytales. It was a very enlightening class as it delved deep into the human psychie, and the art of storytelling. You weaved a very compelling essay. Loved it. Reminds me of a class I took on Children’s Literature — all about fairytales. It was a very enlightening class as it delved deep into the human psychie, and the art of storytelling.

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]]> By: Kimberly Parsley http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127421 Kimberly Parsley Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:13:54 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127421 Beautiful essay. I believe that we writers draw from a sort of story version of Jung's collective unconscious. All story is there, but in the retelling of a particular tale, we bring back into the world something that the world has forgotten or just needs to hear again. Before the worldwide web, it was the invisible web of story that connected cultures in spite of time and distance. The human condition remains relatively unchanged, and what was important a thousand years ago is still important. Story conveys that better than anything. Thanks for the reminder. .-= Kimberly Parsley´s last blog ..<a href="http://adventuresinsprouting.blogspot.com/2009/09/birthdays-and-milestones.html" rel="nofollow">Birthdays and Milestones</a> =-. Beautiful essay. I believe that we writers draw from a sort of story version of Jung’s collective unconscious. All story is there, but in the retelling of a particular tale, we bring back into the world something that the world has forgotten or just needs to hear again. Before the worldwide web, it was the invisible web of story that connected cultures in spite of time and distance. The human condition remains relatively unchanged, and what was important a thousand years ago is still important. Story conveys that better than anything. Thanks for the reminder.
.-= Kimberly Parsley´s last blog ..Birthdays and Milestones =-.

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]]> By: Satima Flavell http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127420 Satima Flavell Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:13:40 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127420 I am really happy to see that not only fairy tales, but the ancient myths and epics are making a comeback in fantasy. The old stories all carry a message about what it means to be human, and sadly, of recent years thare have been many novels published that have neglected this basic requirement of fantasy. There are loads of generic books out there that have the form but not the substance of the tropes; the characters but not the deeper archtypal images those character should represent. I hope other writers will be inspired by Heart's Blood to dip into the well of wisdom represented by myths, legends and fairy tales. .-= Satima Flavell´s last blog ..<a href="http://satimaflavell.blogspot.com/2009/09/family-stories.html" rel="nofollow">Family stories</a> =-. I am really happy to see that not only fairy tales, but the ancient myths and epics are making a comeback in fantasy. The old stories all carry a message about what it means to be human, and sadly, of recent years thare have been many novels published that have neglected this basic requirement of fantasy. There are loads of generic books out there that have the form but not the substance of the tropes; the characters but not the deeper archtypal images those character should represent. I hope other writers will be inspired by Heart’s Blood to dip into the well of wisdom represented by myths, legends and fairy tales.
.-= Satima Flavell´s last blog ..Family stories =-.

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]]> By: Kristan http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127419 Kristan Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:13:48 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127419 You know, I remember being told once that there are something like 10 stories in the whole world, and everything else is just a variation on them. Whether or not I agree with that completely, I think the point is a good one: at the end of the day, the human story you're telling? It's probably been told before. Love, betrayal, coming of age, redemption, whatever. It's just the dressings that are different. And that's fine; in fact, that's important. That's what makes it YOUR story. .-= Kristan´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kristanhoffman/~3/8kPF8bIg59Q/" rel="nofollow">Grossy gross gross</a> =-. You know, I remember being told once that there are something like 10 stories in the whole world, and everything else is just a variation on them. Whether or not I agree with that completely, I think the point is a good one: at the end of the day, the human story you’re telling? It’s probably been told before. Love, betrayal, coming of age, redemption, whatever. It’s just the dressings that are different. And that’s fine; in fact, that’s important. That’s what makes it YOUR story.
.-= Kristan´s last blog ..Grossy gross gross =-.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/10/01/from-the-mailbox-fairytale-as-a-basis-for-fantasy-part-2/#comment-127418 Therese Walsh Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:36:10 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=1499#comment-127418 Gorgeous essay, Juliet. Thank you for sharing. Gorgeous essay, Juliet. Thank you for sharing.

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