Into the Forest discussion
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2026 Challenge
I'd like to participate in the challenge. This year I didn't read many books for the challenge, maybe next year I'll do better :)How about the main characters' occupations for themes?
For example
Royals (kings, princes, emperors)
Knights and Warriors
Bards, minstrels
Priests
Witches
Sailors, pirates
Innkeepers, shop owners
And so on?
I also participated in this year's challenge, and would like to do so again next year.I like Kristina's suggestion above. I will through out another one, riffing off of this year's theme of environments.
How about the author's place of origin for themes?
For example:
Oceania
Southeast Asia
Middle East
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Northern Africa (above the Sahel)
Southern Africa (below the Sahel)
etc.
Mod
I also like the idea of various archetypal themes that are found in myths and fairy tales throughout the world in various cultures . For example the youngest son, going to the underworld, animal brides/grooms etc
Perhaps "Around the World" challenge would work better if we keep the categories broad and go deeper simply when someone wishes to make it more challenging for himself/herself? Speaking from experience, going only with translations makes it much more difficult to complete as well.As per Olympic flag:
- Europe
- Americas
- Australia and Oceania
- Africa
- Asia
Archetypes and occupations would be much easier, though.
I'd prefer not to do an around the world. Archetypal themes or main characters' occupations would be my preference of the three ideas so far.
Mod
I'm reading cities this month, and I also thought of a challenge idea where we could pick 10 cities to read books from. But might be too similar to 'Around the World,' if a slightly different take.
The ecosystem challenge has been really fun. Possibly my favorite challenge yet, though I would want to repeat it next year.
Mod
I'm reading cities this month, and I also thought of a challenge idea where we could pick 10 cities to re..."
I like both ideas! By occupation do you mean like “warrior” “healer” “king” “ farmer” ?
In
Although we have not had an archetypes challenge as such, we have had several with various fairy tale motifs like here:
https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...
Not not archetypes.
Both seem good to me so lets see what others here think!
Mod
I like Kristina's idea of occupations but make it more thematic? For example:The theme of Music would include bards, musical instruments, singers, possibly dancers, entertainment etc.
The theme of Warrior would include knights, soldiers, archers, mercenaries, etc.
The theme of Merchant would include shop keepers, innkeepers, traders, caravans, importer/exporters (this also makes me think of the father in Beauty and the Beast specifically)
The theme of Magic-User would include witches, wizards, sorcerers, necromancers, mediums etc.
I'm also fond of archetypes. The environments challenge was fun, even though I'm struggling to get in my last couple of prompts.
Mod
The theme of Music would include bards, musical instruments, singers, possibly dancers, entertainment etc.
The theme ..."
I do too! So let me see….im just playing around here
We have:
Musicians
Warriors
Merchants
Farmers
Healer ( including doctors midwives curandaras)
Magic practitioners
Rulers
What else?
Dancers?
Students?
Servants?
Writers?
Please add your feedback everyone!
Alchemists Shepherds
Cooks/Bakers, etc.
Sailors
Soldiers
Never mind the soldiers, they are in warrior category. I can’t see the prior list since I’m on mobile. Nobility
Alchemists could include scientists ?
Oh, I like Alchemist - it can include scientists in case someone wants to read science fiction or nonfiction.Also like Cooks/Bakers and Druids/Priests/Religious types possibly under Cleric? Follower? Devotee?
Mod
Artists? Which could encompass visual art, writers, dancers? But could also include musicians, which we have as a separate category.
I also like students and servants. I can think of a lot of books with those types of characters that I like.
I don't mind alchemists either...though might be a bit harder to find books.
I'm just agreeing with everyone, ha!
Maybe instead of Rulers we use Nobility? So it can be a bit broader?
Mod
We could include outlaws :) Thieves, burglars, assassins. Bodyguards? Monster hunters?
Do we have Lawyers? Or do they go into Outlaws? :)Child care specialists? wetnurses, nannies, tutors, schoolteachers? Or do they all go under servants?
Mod
I like outlaws!
Academic could encompass student, teacher, professor, tutors?
Though childcare specialist would have the addition of wetnurses and nannies, and possibly even mothers.
We only get 10 occupations, so trying to find categories that could encompass multiple ideas.
I guess I don't consider all nobility to be rulers. Some aristocrats don't rule anything except their inherited wealth. But that could be nitpicky! Rulers would also include politicians, you're right, Jalilah.
Yes to outlaws! Great idea!I also like Child Care Specialist, though I wouldn't know an easier description. Carer maybe?
Love the archetypes idea, I was thinking of suggesting similar myself! I like Ozsaur's modification of it to be a bit more loose. It vaguely reminds me of D&D classes but a bit more broad.Could there be politicians? maybe alongside a rulers/nobility/artistocrat type category?
Have we included healers/medics types?
What about messengers or couriers?
hmm some thoughts...
- Academics
- Artists and musicians, dancers, writers, bards, storytellers, performers, anything arts and crafty and creative
- Caretakers to include parents, nannies, etc?
- Food folk - cooks, bakers, brewers, etc!
- Magic-users for wizards, witches, magicians, necromancers, etc.
- Merchants and includes artisans and craftspeople
- Pastoral or land/resources-based stuff like farmers, foresters, gardeners, etc
- Religious or spiritual - priests, druids, etc. could even include gods or spirits or even witches potentially depending on interpretation
- Rulers/politicians/nobility/diplomats/leaders/chiefs ?
- Travellers to cover messengers, couriers, wanderers, nomads, etc
- Warriors
Mod
Maybe once we have a long list, I can either set up a poll and top ten occupations win, or everyone could comment with their top ten, and I'll tally up which ones have the most. And then we can pick whatever we want for our two free spaces.
Okay, everything people have mentioned, in no particular order:
-People-at-Arms
Includes knights, soldiers, guards, police, etc.
-Magic Users
Includes witches, warlocks, wizards, mages, necromancers, etc.
-Leaders & Governmental
Includes kings, queens, aristocracy, politicians, judges, lawyers, elected officials, diplomats, etc.
-Caretakers & Healers
Includes doctors, nurses, parents, nannies, elderly care, etc.
-Academics & Alchemists
Includes professors, teachers, scientists, etc.
-Outlaws
Includes thieves, assassins, pirates, and other nefarious folk.
-Clerics & Druids
Includes nuns, priests, devotees, and other religious and spiritual folk.
-Artists
Includes musicians, visual artists, writers, dancers, storytellers, etc.
-Land Stewards
Includes farmers, gardeners, shepherds, foresters, etc.
-Merchants & Tradespeople
Includes innkeepers, bakers, chefs, seamstresses, blacksmiths, traders, shopkeepers, etc.
-Servants & Enslaved Folk
-Travelers
Includes messengers, mapmakers, wanderers, nomads, sailors, etc.
This is 14 categories. I think I included everyone's ideas? Thoughts, opinions, and suggestions?
Mod
Includes innkeepers, bakers, chefs, seamstresses, blacksmiths, traders, shopkeepers, etc.
-Servants & Enslave
Maybe once..."
To keep the list from being too long we’ll have to combine things. Merchants and Tradespeople can definitely be combined.
Google definition:
A common and encompassing term for individuals engaged in commerce and skilled crafts is guildsmen, or more broadly, the artisan or merchant class.
Here are several terms, depending on the context:
* Guildsmen This term specifically refers to members of a guild, a historical association of artisans and merchants that oversaw the practice of their craft or trade in a particular area.
* Artisans This is a suitable collective term for skilled workers who create or repair things, particularly by hand, such as bakers, chefs, seamstresses, and blacksmiths.
* Tradespeople (or the older tradesmen/tradeswomen) A general term for people working in skilled trades.
* The mercantile class (or merchant class) This term is appropriate when referring to those specifically involved in buying, selling, and trading goods (innkeepers, traders, shopkeepers), often as a social or economic group.
If we want to combine even more police could go with warriors, since in previous times there were no police rather soldiers did the law enforcement
Margaret wrote: "Here's a roundup of everything mentioned, correct me if I'm wrong, and add anything I missed! I also combined some things. Please feel free to say, "No, I don't like that combination!" Maybe once..."
I'd like to read vampires<3
I'm new to the group, so I hope it's ok if I comment on this thread. Sounds like a great challenge idea with a lot of possibilities to read.
If you're looking to combine things down more, I agree with above that police, detectives, etc could fall under warriors. Maybe something like Man-at-Arms (Person-at-arms?) to combine warriors, guards, police, law enforcement, soldiers, militia, knights, assassins, etc all together throughout the ages.
Also since politicians are under Royalty & Rulers, that could be expanded to include the lawmakers to something like Royalty & Governmental or Rulers & Governmental or Leaders & Governmental: Kings, Queens, Royals, Aristocracy, Politicians, Judges, Lawyers, Clerks, Elected Officials, Diplomats
Could also possibly combine Clerics and Druids with Healers. Going on D&D and similar classes, the spiritual classes are also the healer classes, and that overlaps throughout a lot of history as well. Healers & Spiritualists would have a lot of choices.
Sorry to make that whole comment about combining things to just also suggest expanding the list, but there are a lot of works of fairytales, folklore and fantasy that have youth main characters that may not have any profession. So, my other suggestion would be Novice:Apprentices, Sidekicks, Trainees, Students, Recruits, Youth
Good ideas, Michelle. I like the idea of Novice, too.Maybe combine Healers with Caretakers?
Mod
Where do we think detectives could go? I sure do love a detective fantasy lol.
I like the idea of novice, too, which could go with a lot of things, like students, too.
Should we have a monsters/creatures category, to encompass things like vampires?
Mod
I combined Healers with Caretakers instead of Religious. It definitely is true that many D&D-type characters have religious folk and healers combined. But I know of so many priest characters in books that don't heal? Or maybe we can think of it as healing the soul?
What do y'all think? Should I combine Healers with Caretakers or Religious Folk, or combine all three?
Even with cutting some from above, I'm back to 14 categories from adding Monsters & Creatures and Novices.
Mod
Margaret wrote: "Okay, I put in almost all of Michelle's ideas in my above list. I also added Monsters, but feel free to give more thoughts on that.I combined Healers with Caretakers instead of Religious. It defi..."
Maybe, monsters, fairies and magical creatures?
Mod
I combined Healers with Caretakers instead of R..."
I revised to Monsters & Magical Creatures, and added fairies as an example. :)
Margaret wrote: "All great ideas! Everyone should feel free to comment. :)Where do we think detectives could go? I sure do love a detective fantasy lol.
"
In a lot of examples I'm thinking of, the detectives work for the government, so that's one option. Depending on the story/setting they may also be armed.
Margaret wrote: "Okay, I put in almost all of Michelle's ideas in my above list. I also added Monsters, but feel free to give more thoughts on that.I combined Healers with Caretakers instead of Religious. It defi..."
Personally, I would keep priests, nuns, and church/religion-related occupations separate from healers and caretakers. You have rabbis, imams, priests, who are more of exorcists. There are also inquisitors and monks, who don't fit into the healer label at all.
Michelle wrote: "Margaret wrote: "All great ideas! Everyone should feel free to comment. :)
Where do we think detectives could go? I sure do love a detective fantasy lol.
"
In a lot of examples I'm thinking of, ..."
Check Lavi Tidhar's free short story series about vampire judge Dee and his human sidekick Jonathan :). They're a homage to golden age crime novels :)
Mod
Sounds fun!
Mod
Where do we think detectives could go? I sure do love a detective fantasy lol.
I like the idea of novice, too, which could go with a lot ..."
Definitely detectives would go with law enforcers. And I said above, police and soldiers and warriors could all go under this umbrella category.
Mod
This is a great list, Margaret! Thank you for compiling it :)I like detectives under government! even if they may not always be government-employed. I think its ok if we also don't get overly specific about the categories and leave room for interpretation.
I like Religious separate although they could also be covered under government in some worlds/cultures, for example, as well as healers/caretakers and mentors/academic, too. But Religious could also includes deities or even cults, which I think has interesting potential for stories.
I like Merchants and Tradespeople together as well as Healers combined with Caretakers.
Personally, I feel Novices is not needed as it can likely overlap with other categories (a novice farmer or a novice magic user for example).
Margaret wrote: "I'm wondering if we should nix monsters/creatures, because they're not professions? For instance, an ogre can be a coffee shop owner, or a fairy a member of royalty. A thieving monster can be an ou..."Agreed!
Good point, Erin. I was thinking of Novices as child protagonists. But now that I'm thinking about it, a child protagonist can fit under all the other categories. So maybe put it up for elimination if necessary?
Mod
I like detectives under government! even if they may not always be government-employed. I think its ok if we also don't get overly spe..."
Good point about deities fitting under Religious! And about Novices!
What are everyone's thoughts on cutting Monsters & Novices?
Mod
I agree 100% . This is Into the Forest and we read fairy tale and mythology inspired books and retellings so it’s highly likely that many of the books we select to fit each occupation will have some kind of magical creature/ monster/ vampire/ etc in it.
Margaret, thank you so much for all your hard work. You're doing a great job!
Mod
No problem! I'm excited for a new challenge!
Hearing no objections, I've cut Novices and Monsters, since we can read those characters for every profession, but everyone, feel free to object. :) Without those, we're down to 12 categories.
Thank you Margaret. I agree with you on novices and monsters. You've done a lot of work on this organizing our thoughts. I appreciate your efforts.
Mod
No problem! I'm excited for a new challenge!
Hearing no objections, I've cut Novices and Monsters, si..."
Thank you Margaret!
Personally I’m ok with keeping the 12 categories and eliminating the bonus reads, but I’m also ok with what the rest of the group members want!
Looking good!I'm ok with 12, too. We can always just say 2 can be substituted for wilds if people want :)
Agree with Jalilah and Erin, 12 categories is fine with me. And I also like the idea of being able to choose two categories as wild cards for anyone having problems finding a book for a certain prompt (which will probably be me!)
This year has been so hectic and I probably should've posted this sooner.
Do y'all want to participate in a 2026 Fairytale Reading Challenge? If so, thoughts on themes? List all thoughts, and then we can narrow it down via discussion and/or vote.