Ask Kate Wolford About Writing New Fairy Tales discussion
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Beyond the Glass Slipper
Re-writing "problem" tales
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Lissa
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Jun 19, 2013 07:03AM
Several of the tales in Beyond the Glass Slipper are what I would call "problem" tales, in that, there is something disturbing about them. For instance, there's a happy ending, but perhaps it isn't deserved. What advice do you have for re-writing strange tales like these?
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Some may seem to deserve to NOT be retold. Example: With the book, Beyond the Glass Slipper, many people have told me "King Pig" is their favorite in the collection. But Jeez, I mean, he's a prince who is in pig form and he kills two women. How in the world will anyone rehabilitate that? BUT, if told from the point of view of the poor mother who gives all three of her daughters to the pig, in marriage, we might really have a story.
Or, the vampire, from the "The Soldier and the Vampire," also in the book, and ripe for retelling. In Russia, vampires are often former heretics. Exploring how the character became a "heretic" and them a vampire might be very interesting.
And yet, those that maybe shouldn't be re-told sometimes really draw my interest as a writer. Sometimes it's the odd or inappropriate elements that intrigue me. For example, has anyone ever read a version of Allerleirauh that implies the king she ends up with is the king she left (ie, her father)? Maybe it's just the translation I've got, but what the...? As a writer, if I find something disturbing, I want to explore it. Of course sometimes I just can't manage it. I wanted to write a story in which Mr. Fox could be reformed, but I couldn't get my mind around it. He's a serial killer, and I couldn't get away from that. However, in her book Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi manages it beautifully. She does it by making his murders symbolic. (Her Mr. Fox only kills women in his books and ignores his wife.)
Perhaps something similar might be managed with "King Pig", which also intrigued me. If the three sisters could be looked at as incarnations of the same woman maybe it could work.
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No joke. I think fairy tales and crime are like peanut butter and bacon--not as obvious to other people as to me, but oh so delicious!
I've often though there has to be another side to Bluebeard. I actually read a retelling where he had multiple wives, all of whom were still alive. This did not make me feel better.
People need to be willing to explore "Bluebeard" and "Donkeyskin" and "King Pig." They can be changed in ways we can live with--that's not the same as rehabilitation.
And your "Mr. Fox" is one of my all-time EC favorites! I liked him right to the bitter end, but he needed killing, as vermin do.
I think there's something to be said for really good villains though, like Bluebeard, like Hansel and Gretel's witch, and others. I think there's also something compelling about moral complexity. My interest in rewriting isn't necessarily making a problematic character a good character (because the violence of fairy tales is half the fun), but in exploring the complexity of a character.
I love stories that go back to the original hard edged fairy tales, before they were cleaned up by the Victorians and made presentable fore kids. And i cringe at any retelling that sterilizes the characters for the sake of making it less of a "problem".
Kate wrote: "Yes, if they could be symbolically slain, that would be different. Or, maybe King Pig could be falsely accused and blamed as the killer by the actual killer.No joke. I think fairy tales and crime..."
Fairy tales are peanut butter - they go with everything... ;)
Andrea wrote: "I think there's something to be said for really good villains though, like Bluebeard, like Hansel and Gretel's witch, and others. I think there's also something compelling about moral complexity. ..."
Agreed. In reading Hansel & Gretel to my son's Kindergarten class a few weeks ago I made it clear this awful character of the witch who had eaten, and wanted to eat children was dead-dead. Not-coming-back-ever-dead, which the kids found reassuring. There is a place for reform but there's also a place in which it should be clear: this is bad, very bad - you should never go there, nor expect to ever be accepting of that. That goes for adults too. I am disturbed by people trying so hard to accept bad behavior from others or allowing it under certain circumstances (eg but she's so talented!). While things aren't black and white, there are definitely some wrong things and some right things and that should be clear. Whoever the protagonist is in a story (whether it's the hero or the villain) , though, should have some moral complexity to be interesting. And if you're telling the story from the villains point of view - well don't they all believe the way they see the world is the right way? (That doesn't make it so though, so no guaranteed happy ending for serial killers, even if I am telling that point of view).
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I have thoroughly enjoyed the long reign of the anti-hero/morally complex protagonist, but sometimes, I want good guys to win, and win big.
I also see fairy tales as a great way to talk about right and wrong. For example, Hansel and Gretel's father is a TOTAL failure as a parent. Discussing how a mom or dad reading the story would never make the same decision is fun way to discuss what can be scary to kids.
Edit: I think we pretty much all agree with Andrea that the "hard edge" of fairy tales is a good thing. I loved that as a kid!
Thanks for your kind words about Mr. Fox, Kate. He was awfully fun to write!Generally I don't desire the villain's reformation, and do prefer "hard edges". But I still feel troubled about those heroes who are not heroic or even decent, such as King Pig, and the soldier in The Blue Light. I think they offend my sense of justice. Usually fairy tales have a very strong sense of justice, and that's usually very satisfying. But what do we do with these guys? I can well imagine you not feeling better that Bluebeard's wives were still alive. And when they say they're sorry, it doesn't cut it either. For example, back to the Donkeyskin/Allerleirauh variant: in the versions when the creepy dad shows up to the wedding feast, says he's sorry and everything's ok again--that doesn't work for me.
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The Blue Light enraged me. In a way, the protagonist is worse than King Pig, who is meant to be a victim of his own nature. But I get so much feedback on "King Pig," which I came very close to not including because, ew, pig.
Lissa wrote: "Thanks for your kind words about Mr. Fox, Kate. He was awfully fun to write!Generally I don't desire the villain's reformation, and do prefer "hard edges". But I still feel troubled about those..."
Ah, I see, it's not so much the villains that are the problem, but the heroes who shouldn't be labeled as such or forgiveness undeserved. Gotcha.
One of the things I've seen in retellings from time to time is where the character who used to be the hero in the original tale is set as the villain in the retelling, so that who might have been considered a "villain" previously becomes the hero. I kind of like that point of view switch when it's done right.
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PS: People need to get over Wicked. I know many people love it, but the Wicked as inspiration cycle feels a bit done.
PSS: That was not an admonition for you, Andrea, just a general plea about Wicked.
Kate wrote: "I love the point of view switch, but I am getting soooooo many of those. You are spot on when you say, "done right." That is key!PS: People need to get over Wicked. I know many people love it, bu..."
LOL! Thanks, Kate. :)
