I have a great love for fairy tales, whether they’re modified Disney movies or old Hans Christian Anderson classics. Recently, I was watching the Leslie Ann Warren version of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” mainly because I love the music, and I was struck by one of the themes to which I’ve never paid proper attention.
Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother had warned Cinderella that she had to leave the ball before midnight, and Cinderella firmly promised that she would remember. Yet, as she gazed into her prince’s eyes, she became distracted and forgot the promise that she had so insistently made. Only when the clock started to chime did she remember, and she almost didn’t make it out of the castle before her dress turned back into rags.
I let my mind drift a little, and immediately thought of the original story of “Beauty and the Beast,” in which the Beast, when allowing Beauty to return home, told her that if she did not return within a certain span of time, he would most certainly die. Beauty assuredly promised him that she would return within that span of time, and yet she allowed herself to be distracted by her family. She forgot the promise she had made until it was almost too late. The Beast was almost dead when she reached his side and proclaimed her love for him, breaking the spell.
The dwarves warned Snow White not to open the door of the cottage to strangers. She promised she would not open the door to strangers. Yet upon three separate occasions (according to the original fairy tale), she allowed herself to be tricked by her disguised evil stepmother, and opened the door to a stranger. She forgot her promise and almost died—three times! I'm not sure if that's foolishness, arrogance, or both!
In "Rumpelstiltskin," the young girl promised her first born child to the dwarf, but in her happiness over her newborn child, she forgot her promise until Rumpelstiltskin came to collect.
In "The Frog Prince," the princess conveniently (purposefully) “forgot” her promise to the frog who had rescued her golden ball. She didn’t want to allow him to eat off her plate or sleep in her bed. Only when the king heard of her promise did he enforce it, reminding her of the importance of remembering one’s promises.
There are other examples, but most fairy tales are too obscure for those who don’t make a point of reading them. I find it interesting both that many fairy tales deal with this theme of forgetfulness, and that I haven’t really ever consciously noticed it before.
I think the reason that I’m more aware of it now has to do with the fact that I’ve been reading through the first few books of the Bible. I’ve just completed my readings of Numbers and Deuteronomy, and I’ve begun reading the book of Joshua. Throughout these books are little reminders—both of God’s promises to Israel, and of Israel’s commitments to Him. It’s interesting how many times the Lord reminded His people of the covenant He had made with them. It’s interesting how readily Israel accepted the covenant, promising to follow all of God’s commandments. It’s interesting how quickly Israel forgot their promise.
I see examples of many different kinds of forgetfulness in Scripture. The people of Israel forgot their promise to follow God because they were distracted, because they were arrogant, because they were foolish, because they were fearful, but mainly because they were just plain sinful.
None of this surprised God. He knows humans are forgetful. That, I believe, is why He gave so many reminders. That’s why He recommended His people take special care to remember. He knew how easy it was for sinful man to forget.
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." --Deuteronomy 6: 6-9
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit and home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” --Deuteronomy 11: 18-21
In The Silver Chair, by C. S. Lewis, which I consider to be a modern fairy tale, Aslan gives Jill Pole four signs to remember (in order to aid her in finding the lost Prince Rilian). He tells her, “…Remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs.”
Aslan knew Jill would forget the signs.
The story still had a happy ending. Prince Rilian is found, regardless of Jill’s forgetfulness.
Just as “Cinderella” marries her prince, regardless of her distracted forgetfulness.
Just as Beauty returns to her Beast just in time to love him back into a prince, regardless of her world-weary forgetfulness.
Just as “Snow White” awakens from her death-sleep to find her Prince Charming, regardless of her foolish/arrogant/etc. forgetfulness.
Just as the young woman in “Rumpelstiltskin” names the dwarf and keeps her baby, regardless of her blissfully ignorant forgetfulness.
Just as the princess in “The Frog Prince” transforms the ugly frog into a handsome prince, regardless of her intentional forgetfulness.
The true hero in The Silver Chair, and indeed in all of the Narnia stories, is not Jill Pole or any other human character. The hero is always Aslan. Aslan knew that if Jill had remembered the signs, things would have gone much more easily for her and all involved. But He also knew that she would forget the signs, yet He still worked all things together for good. Even though Jill forgot, He was still the one in control of the story.
And that’s true for Israel’s story, which, because I've been grafted into Israel, is also my story. I, like the Israelites, am forgetful. I make promises quickly, and forget them even more quickly. I know, and God knows, that if I were diligent to remember, if I fixed His truth on my mind and heart, if I reminded myself of His truth when I went to bed and when I woke up, if I reminded myself of His truth when I went about my daily life, then things would be much easier for me...and often much more pleasant for the people I encounter. But I am not the hero of my own life story. And God knows that there are going to be times, many times, when I forget.
Fairy tales are meant to teach morals, and many fairy tales have more than one moral. Certainly the value of keeping promises can be found in “The Frog Prince” and in “Beauty and the Beast,” as well as the reminder to not judge by appearances. “Cinderella” and “Snow White” are examples of how being kind to others, especially in times of suffering and humility, leads to happiness. I'm not sure, but I think that the moral of “Rumpelstiltskin” is “don’t tell the king that your daughter can spin straw into gold unless she really can,” or perhaps, “don’t promise your first born child to a dwarf unless you’re on a first-name basis,” or perhaps, "don't provide offspring for a greedy king who only loves you because he thinks you can spin straw into gold." That one's a little ambiguous, I guess.
In all of these stories, however, I don’t really see the main characters as the heroes. There is always another force at work, be it a royal servant who hears Rumpelstiltskin singing his own name (for whatever reason—having a name like Rumpelstiltskin probably made him a little loony) in the forest, a Fairy Godmother, or just plain magic. The characters don’t guide their own destinies, which is a very good thing.
If "Cinderella" were in control, she would never have gone to the ball.
If Beauty were in control, she would have returned to the castle to find nothing more than a dead Beast.
If "Snow White" were in control, her stepmother would have probably succeeded in killing her on the first try.
If the young woman in “Rumpelstiltskin” were in control, that dwarf would have won the custody battle.
If the princess in “Frog Prince” were in control, she would have remained a spoiled, selfish, promise-breaking child who never grew up. Which, by the way, would pretty much be my destiny, too.
But I’m not in control of my own story.
Though I’m forgetful and faithless, my God is faithful. Even though I make my life so much harder than it has to be with my forgetfulness, God is still working things out for good. I'm grateful that He's in control of my story...of HIS story.
And I’m grateful for these great truths found in the simplest of tales. Fairy tales were told and passed down and written partly to be reminders.
I, for one, can use all the reminders I can get.
Showing posts with label fairy tales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fairy tales. Show all posts
Friday, April 6, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Fiction Friday: Pigs in Farce!
A video by Christian commedian (or is he a commedian who's a Christian, because there is probably a difference there) John Branyan has been floating around the interwebz, and I've decided that I wanted to post it, too. Before I do that, I'd like to explain why I want to post it.
The video I'm about to post is a Shakespearian retelling of "The Three Little Pigs." It's absolutely hilarious--even though it's a bit long, it's worth watching.
I like this video even more because it reminds me of an assignment I had in a British Literature class at my first college. I was required to rewrite a fairy tale in the style of Beowulf. The story I chose (drumroll): "The Three Little Pigs."
I'm going to post my story before I post the video, because my story is over a decade old and isn't all that brilliant, and I'm the kind of person who likes to save the best for last. If you want to skip down to the hilarious video without reading what I have dubbed "The Epic of Bay-No-Wulf," feel free!
The Epic of Bay-No-Wolf and the Three Pigs
A monster, fearful demon of the woods,
struck silently, teeth bearing cruel hunger lust.
Through forest glades he preyed, seeking his first feast.
The God-forsaken Big Bad Wolf crept ravenously, now
the straw structure was now in his sights.
The structure, simplest of three,
was tapered along the terrain of Pigland.
Then sucking in dry death wind, this foul
Pig-Eater heaved forth his vile breath.
When the Wolf had exhausted his angry air,
the straw house had collapsed. It was fallen.
Angered to discover his banquet had fled,
the Pursuer-of-Pork continued to the second structure of sticks.
Bolting for existence, the straw house’s occupant
wearily found his way to the side of Bay-No-Wolf.
Overwhelmed by the pig’s urgency, the hero began the
planning for the pursuit of his adversary.
The second stick house met a similar fate to its predecessor's
as the Big Bad Wolf exhaled his bitter destruction.
He then continued on to the final fortress, forged in brick
since no feast was found in the second of houses.
In reaching the brick building, the beast unleashed his air,
but firmly the house stood, shaming the force of the Wolf wind.
Holy fire in his eyes, the war-prince now emerged from the house.
In hungered surprise and delight, the Eater-of-Ham greedily struck at Bay-No-Wolf,
But the great lord leapt onto the roof, swiftly dodging the attack.
In hate blindness, the enemy lunged after him, too far.
A howl sounded as the Wolf missed his target,
falling down the chimney to a fiery demise.
Descending from the roof, the hero raised a mighty shout.
The news of his great feat was told from the chops of three pigs.
And now for somethingcompletely different pretty much the same, but much better:
The video I'm about to post is a Shakespearian retelling of "The Three Little Pigs." It's absolutely hilarious--even though it's a bit long, it's worth watching.
I like this video even more because it reminds me of an assignment I had in a British Literature class at my first college. I was required to rewrite a fairy tale in the style of Beowulf. The story I chose (drumroll): "The Three Little Pigs."
I'm going to post my story before I post the video, because my story is over a decade old and isn't all that brilliant, and I'm the kind of person who likes to save the best for last. If you want to skip down to the hilarious video without reading what I have dubbed "The Epic of Bay-No-Wulf," feel free!
The Epic of Bay-No-Wolf and the Three Pigs
A monster, fearful demon of the woods,
struck silently, teeth bearing cruel hunger lust.
Through forest glades he preyed, seeking his first feast.
The God-forsaken Big Bad Wolf crept ravenously, now
the straw structure was now in his sights.
The structure, simplest of three,
was tapered along the terrain of Pigland.
Then sucking in dry death wind, this foul
Pig-Eater heaved forth his vile breath.
When the Wolf had exhausted his angry air,
the straw house had collapsed. It was fallen.
Angered to discover his banquet had fled,
the Pursuer-of-Pork continued to the second structure of sticks.
Bolting for existence, the straw house’s occupant
wearily found his way to the side of Bay-No-Wolf.
Overwhelmed by the pig’s urgency, the hero began the
planning for the pursuit of his adversary.
The second stick house met a similar fate to its predecessor's
as the Big Bad Wolf exhaled his bitter destruction.
He then continued on to the final fortress, forged in brick
since no feast was found in the second of houses.
In reaching the brick building, the beast unleashed his air,
but firmly the house stood, shaming the force of the Wolf wind.
Holy fire in his eyes, the war-prince now emerged from the house.
In hungered surprise and delight, the Eater-of-Ham greedily struck at Bay-No-Wolf,
But the great lord leapt onto the roof, swiftly dodging the attack.
In hate blindness, the enemy lunged after him, too far.
A howl sounded as the Wolf missed his target,
falling down the chimney to a fiery demise.
Descending from the roof, the hero raised a mighty shout.
The news of his great feat was told from the chops of three pigs.
And now for something
Friday, January 13, 2012
Book Review of "The Land of Darkness" by C. S. Lakin
The Land of Darkness is the third book in The Gates of Heaven series by C. S. Lakin. Each book in this series centers around different characters, so each book can stand alone as its own story.
The Land of Darkness is a fairy tale/fantasy, which focuses on two main characters: Jadiel and Callen.
Jadiel is a 12 year old girl who is at the mercy of her wicked and vain stepmother, Huldah. Huldah threatens to kill Jadiel's father (whom she has enchanted with her false beauty) unless Jadiel is able to find the leaves of the Terebinth Tree, which are fabled to bring eternal life and beauty to the one who chews them.
Callen is the 31 year old woodcarving apprentice of Jadiel's uncle. Stirred by drawings of a beautiful suspension bridge, Callen embarks on a quest to find this bridge. Along the way, he encounters Jadiel, and they find that their quests are connected. With the help of a strange, scarred man named Ebed, they find the Land of Darkness, through which they must pass before finding what they seek.
While this story was a little difficult for me to "get into," I immensely enjoyed the fairy tale elements found near the beginning. It was hard to mistake the fun traditional fairy tale aspects, such as the talking hoptoad, Jadiel's magical mirror and flute, and of course, the wicked stepmother (and her "Snow White" style magic mirror) and stepsisters. I think these simple touches added to the fairy tale feel, although I'm not sure that all these elements were necessary, and I would have preferred for the main action of the story to begin a little sooner.
Scripture and allegory were woven throughout this story as Jadiel and Callen followed the clues to the end of their quests. While some of the allegory wasn't obvious, most of it was easy to understand. Obvious allegory isn't what I usually prefer, but Lakin balanced it with enough mystery to keep me reading. I especially appreciated the use of parable in the story, and how Lakin connected it to other passages of Scripture in ways that I had never thought of before. I also enjoyed the idea of the healing Terebinth tree, and was pleasantly reminded of the magical healing apple from C. S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew.
The characters, for the most part, were well thought out and believable. Jadiel's character seemed to represent childlike faith, while Callen was more of a "doubting Thomas." I didn't catch on to Callen's doubt until I was well into the middle of the book. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Jadiel's childlike love and faith were evident from the beginning. I loved the character of Ebed and all that he represented in the story.
As I said, this book was difficult for me to get into, but the plot was well-thought out, the characters believable, and the allegory unmistakable. This is a fanciful story which alludes heavily to the greatest story of all--God's redemption of mankind. I would recommend it to older children, teenagers, and those remarkable adults who, like me, have never outgrown a good fairy tale.
This book was provided by review by AMG Publishers.
The Land of Darkness is a fairy tale/fantasy, which focuses on two main characters: Jadiel and Callen.
Jadiel is a 12 year old girl who is at the mercy of her wicked and vain stepmother, Huldah. Huldah threatens to kill Jadiel's father (whom she has enchanted with her false beauty) unless Jadiel is able to find the leaves of the Terebinth Tree, which are fabled to bring eternal life and beauty to the one who chews them.
Callen is the 31 year old woodcarving apprentice of Jadiel's uncle. Stirred by drawings of a beautiful suspension bridge, Callen embarks on a quest to find this bridge. Along the way, he encounters Jadiel, and they find that their quests are connected. With the help of a strange, scarred man named Ebed, they find the Land of Darkness, through which they must pass before finding what they seek.
While this story was a little difficult for me to "get into," I immensely enjoyed the fairy tale elements found near the beginning. It was hard to mistake the fun traditional fairy tale aspects, such as the talking hoptoad, Jadiel's magical mirror and flute, and of course, the wicked stepmother (and her "Snow White" style magic mirror) and stepsisters. I think these simple touches added to the fairy tale feel, although I'm not sure that all these elements were necessary, and I would have preferred for the main action of the story to begin a little sooner.
Scripture and allegory were woven throughout this story as Jadiel and Callen followed the clues to the end of their quests. While some of the allegory wasn't obvious, most of it was easy to understand. Obvious allegory isn't what I usually prefer, but Lakin balanced it with enough mystery to keep me reading. I especially appreciated the use of parable in the story, and how Lakin connected it to other passages of Scripture in ways that I had never thought of before. I also enjoyed the idea of the healing Terebinth tree, and was pleasantly reminded of the magical healing apple from C. S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew.
The characters, for the most part, were well thought out and believable. Jadiel's character seemed to represent childlike faith, while Callen was more of a "doubting Thomas." I didn't catch on to Callen's doubt until I was well into the middle of the book. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Jadiel's childlike love and faith were evident from the beginning. I loved the character of Ebed and all that he represented in the story.
As I said, this book was difficult for me to get into, but the plot was well-thought out, the characters believable, and the allegory unmistakable. This is a fanciful story which alludes heavily to the greatest story of all--God's redemption of mankind. I would recommend it to older children, teenagers, and those remarkable adults who, like me, have never outgrown a good fairy tale.
This book was provided by review by AMG Publishers.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Fiction Friday: Fairy Tales
I'm sitting here trying to think of my favorite fairy tale, which is a lot harder than I thought. My brain said, "What's your favorite fairy tale, Ruth?" And I said, "Oh, brain, that's easy! It's...uh...hmm. Wow. I can't choose one. There are a lot of fairy tales I like. How come you've never asked me this before?" "I don't know, it's just never really come up before now," my brain replied. "Well, I expect better of you next time," I said crossly. "This should have been something we settled a long time ago." "It's not my fault," my brain protested. "It's because you keep thinking about food when I'm trying to think about important literary stuff." "Oh shut up and let's go get some hummus." My brain shouted with glee. "YAY HUMMUS."
What was I talking about?
Oh. Fairy tales. Apparently, I don't have a favorite one, though my brain and I eventually did come to the conclusion that most of my favorite fairy tales were either compiled or written by Hans Christian Anderson. I like some Irish fairy tales. Aesop is great. I'm a fan of the Brothers Grimm. But Hans Christian Anderson was the stuff. Okay, so according to most biographical info I've read on the man, he was bonkers, but apparently crazy people make good writers.
I think I can narrow my favorites down to three. "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." "The Tinderbox." "The Wild Swans." The first two were originally by Anderson, and Anderson wrote a version of "The Wild Swans." I've read about five different versions of The Wild Swans, and I definitely like Anderson's best. Others I LOVE by him are "The Little Mermaid," (NOT THE DISNEY VERSION), "The Little Match Girl," "The Snow Queen," and of course "The Ugly Duckling."
Maybe it's odd for a woman in her early thirties to still like fairy tales so much, but I never claimed to be normal. I love fairy tales and always will. In fact, I've written quite a few and hope to get them published someday (James, are you reading this [probably not]? We need to talk). I like how they put simple values and morals into short, sometimes sweet, sometimes scary, often strange little stories. I like how easy it is to see a fairy tale character's virtues (or lack thereof). There's seldom any ambiguity about whether a character is a hero or a villain. Even if bad things happen to a noble protagonist, things almost always turn out for the best for them. Likewise, if the protagonist is foolish or cruel, he or she meets some disastrous end or learns some life-altering lesson before the story is finished. Yet fairy tales are so unpredictable because they usually include elements of magic that don't occur in reality. That's why they're so much fun.
Fairy tales aren't realistic. I think that's part of the reason why a lot of people believe that fairy tales are just for children. But in my opinion, a great story is one that leaves a person better for having read it. It leaves a person with a better outlook on life than they had before reading it. I'm fully aware that in reality, bad things don't always happen to bad people. Good things don't always happen to good people. (I'm not even sure if any of us have the right to call ourselves good anyway--because we're all sinners in need of God's grace.) Magical things just don't happen in real life.
But there's something to be gained from allowing oneself to read a fairy tale. Just because a story is short enough to read in fifteen minutes (or less) and contains fanciful elements, that doesn't mean it can't be considered serious and important literature. In reading a fairy tale where the good men are good men, the fair ladies are fair ladies, the evil giants are meant to be conquered, I think something is gained. I think reading unrealistic fairy tales help give a person realistic hope. Even if life is hard and monotonous from time to time, there is still magic in the world--even if it's found in a timeless story.
But I gotta run. My brain is still thinking about that hummus.
What was I talking about?
Oh. Fairy tales. Apparently, I don't have a favorite one, though my brain and I eventually did come to the conclusion that most of my favorite fairy tales were either compiled or written by Hans Christian Anderson. I like some Irish fairy tales. Aesop is great. I'm a fan of the Brothers Grimm. But Hans Christian Anderson was the stuff. Okay, so according to most biographical info I've read on the man, he was bonkers, but apparently crazy people make good writers.
I think I can narrow my favorites down to three. "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." "The Tinderbox." "The Wild Swans." The first two were originally by Anderson, and Anderson wrote a version of "The Wild Swans." I've read about five different versions of The Wild Swans, and I definitely like Anderson's best. Others I LOVE by him are "The Little Mermaid," (NOT THE DISNEY VERSION), "The Little Match Girl," "The Snow Queen," and of course "The Ugly Duckling."
Maybe it's odd for a woman in her early thirties to still like fairy tales so much, but I never claimed to be normal. I love fairy tales and always will. In fact, I've written quite a few and hope to get them published someday (James, are you reading this [probably not]? We need to talk). I like how they put simple values and morals into short, sometimes sweet, sometimes scary, often strange little stories. I like how easy it is to see a fairy tale character's virtues (or lack thereof). There's seldom any ambiguity about whether a character is a hero or a villain. Even if bad things happen to a noble protagonist, things almost always turn out for the best for them. Likewise, if the protagonist is foolish or cruel, he or she meets some disastrous end or learns some life-altering lesson before the story is finished. Yet fairy tales are so unpredictable because they usually include elements of magic that don't occur in reality. That's why they're so much fun.
Fairy tales aren't realistic. I think that's part of the reason why a lot of people believe that fairy tales are just for children. But in my opinion, a great story is one that leaves a person better for having read it. It leaves a person with a better outlook on life than they had before reading it. I'm fully aware that in reality, bad things don't always happen to bad people. Good things don't always happen to good people. (I'm not even sure if any of us have the right to call ourselves good anyway--because we're all sinners in need of God's grace.) Magical things just don't happen in real life.
But there's something to be gained from allowing oneself to read a fairy tale. Just because a story is short enough to read in fifteen minutes (or less) and contains fanciful elements, that doesn't mean it can't be considered serious and important literature. In reading a fairy tale where the good men are good men, the fair ladies are fair ladies, the evil giants are meant to be conquered, I think something is gained. I think reading unrealistic fairy tales help give a person realistic hope. Even if life is hard and monotonous from time to time, there is still magic in the world--even if it's found in a timeless story.
But I gotta run. My brain is still thinking about that hummus.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Projects
I haven't forgotten that I want this blog to be much more than a listing of what's going on in my writing, but it has occurred to me that I really haven't talked about my projects in any detail.
Now, the reason for this is because I'm extremely wary of posting stuff online. I've know some agents don't want you to put sample chapters online (and honestly, I don't want to do that unless it's password protected). I don't want to ruin my chances with an agent because a bunch of people floating out in internet land have already read my stuff. I also have read that it's dangerous to post chapters or even specific ideas online because people can steal ideas. It's sad, but true.
Therefore, I've been cautious, and will continue to do so. BUT, I think I should at least give my readers a somewhat less vague idea of what I'm working on and what I want to do with it all. I will NOT use titles, because 1) Until an agent/publisher gives me the okay on a title, I doubt that will be its official title. 2) I don't want anyone stealin' my titles, either...even if my titles stink. It's just a risk...and I'm super cautious.
So anyway...
The first manuscript I completed, which I often refer to as "Book One" is a young adult fantasy about Dragons and stuff. Okay, so more specific. Yes. It's about a 16 yr old girl who has to readjust to a whole new way of life. She is guided by others, but some of them betray her. The remaining faithful guide urges her to run away. He provides a bodyguard for her, but this bodyguard happens to be one of her former friends--one who hurt her deeply. They travel into the forest and befriend a goblin. The guy and girl reconcile--maybe even fall in love, who knows ;). All the while, the girl is being hunted by a Dragon--the only way she can figure out her destiny is to face this Dragon.
"Book One" is the project for which I'm currently seeking representation. I'm a lookin for an agent. I'm starting to think the market might not be quite right for this book at the moment, and considering it's my first book, it might not be really all that great anyway. My friends have all said they like it. My mom loves it. I just don't think that's really gonna cut it in today's market. I'm still going to TRY to find an agent, but I'm considering getting it small-time published...if the querying keeps coming up short.
I AM planning on getting a collection of original fairy tales small-time published sometime very soon. It was originally going to be a collection of original fairy tales, retellings of classic fairy tales, and parodies, but I'm leaning more towards the original stuff, now. I've sent some samples off to the guy so he can tell me what he thinks. He's busy, so I'm expecting to hear back from him by like...March...of next year...maybe. Lol. Nah, I'm not in a hurry. I just need to keep working on more fairy tales in the meantime. It's taking a lot of time and imagination and writing and editing. Fun stuff! I'm excited about it.
The second book I've completed (which I often refer to as "Book Two"...don't you love my creative titling?) can only be described as Christian Sci Fi. It's also a romance. In fact, it might be primarily a romance, but since it happens in the distant future and mostly in outer space, I call it Sci Fi. Now, "Book One" has some Christian imagery, but I really toned it down because I'm still just not sure I want to be a Christian writer. In "Book Two" there are BLATANT Christian elements that I just can't see removing unless I rip the story apart...and I don't want to do that. There are lots of references to the Bible, directly and indirectly. It is what it is, though it still needs a LOT of editing apart from that. I don't want to go into too much detail about this book (even though lots of people have already read it because I originally wrote it as a serial novel and posted it in protected notes on facebook...and no, I'm not going to let anyone else read it as it is--it needs editing), but I will say one thing more: It also has Dragons.
"Book Three"--the third book I've completed, is a companion to "Book Two." I did not plan to write a sequel or anything like it. It's not really a sequel. It's taking one character from "Book Two" and expounding on her life, thoughts, and circumstances. While writing "Book Two," this completely minor character started speaking to me. She started talking in my head. She wouldn't shut up. And yes, writers are crazy people. Anyway, she went from being a minor character in "Book Two" to a MAJOR character in "Book Two" to getting her own book, told in first person, which is now "Book Three." I wrote "Book Three" in less than two weeks because this character completely took over my life. She possessed me. And wow, she's so much more amazing than I originally thought. I remember talking to her, saying, "Gee, R***, I don't know how to write a book about you." She said, "Just write it. I won't leave you alone until you do." I said, "But I don't know your story." She said, "Just start writing, and I'll tell it to you." And then she did. And her story is amazing. I can't believe I didn't think she was important at first. ...not that I'm ready to do anything with this book yet, I still should say that it needs a lot of editing.
I had originally called this "Book Four," but I never finished it, so now I'm going to call it "Unfinished One". "Unfinished One" is a sequel to "Book One." I've had it envisioned for about five years (I envision three books to follow "Book One" and also a companion book...or two. As long as I'm alive and in my right mind, these books WILL get written and published one way or another--depending on what happens with "Book One"). I started to write "Unfinished One" in October 2010, saying I had these grand dreams of finishing it before November (to taunt all the Nanowrimoers)...I didn't meet that goal. The reason for that was mainly because I had some published authors give me advice, saying that it's not a good idea to write a sequel until you have the first book well on its way to being published. So, I have 2/3 of a book done. I might go back and finish eventually, but I think what I've written needs a LOT of work anyway.
Right now, Imma call my newest project my, er, "Newest Project." I've had the idea for this for about five years, but I kept it on the back burner of my mind because I've got so much else going on. But I've been researching, and I've come to realize that "Paranormal" books are really big now. This book falls into that category. The time to write seems to be now. Without giving away any details about the paranormal aspect, I will say it's a romance of sorts. There's a guy and a girl, and both of them exhibit paranormal abilities, but their gifts compliment each other's gifts. I'm really liking the two main characters so far. The girl is a LOT like me--only she's like all my "negative" personality traits rolled into one and magnified. I'm not sure if other people will like her, but I think she's awesome. I don't really have a detailed plot for this book yet, nor do I have a real title--at least not one that I like. I'm just really excited to see what happens. I'm learning that sometimes I don't know what happens until I'm writing it. Honestly, I like it better that way. It gives the characters some freedom, makes them more real.
Oh, and so far, no Dragons at all in "Newest Project." I know. Shocking!
All right. That's pretty much what I'm working on. Querying. Editing. Writing. And trying to live and work around the edges of that. Yeah, I'm crazy. I love it! I'm glad God has made me the way He's made me.
Now to go edit a synopsis for "Book One" so I can get out some queries...hopefully this week.
Now, the reason for this is because I'm extremely wary of posting stuff online. I've know some agents don't want you to put sample chapters online (and honestly, I don't want to do that unless it's password protected). I don't want to ruin my chances with an agent because a bunch of people floating out in internet land have already read my stuff. I also have read that it's dangerous to post chapters or even specific ideas online because people can steal ideas. It's sad, but true.
Therefore, I've been cautious, and will continue to do so. BUT, I think I should at least give my readers a somewhat less vague idea of what I'm working on and what I want to do with it all. I will NOT use titles, because 1) Until an agent/publisher gives me the okay on a title, I doubt that will be its official title. 2) I don't want anyone stealin' my titles, either...even if my titles stink. It's just a risk...and I'm super cautious.
So anyway...
The first manuscript I completed, which I often refer to as "Book One" is a young adult fantasy about Dragons and stuff. Okay, so more specific. Yes. It's about a 16 yr old girl who has to readjust to a whole new way of life. She is guided by others, but some of them betray her. The remaining faithful guide urges her to run away. He provides a bodyguard for her, but this bodyguard happens to be one of her former friends--one who hurt her deeply. They travel into the forest and befriend a goblin. The guy and girl reconcile--maybe even fall in love, who knows ;). All the while, the girl is being hunted by a Dragon--the only way she can figure out her destiny is to face this Dragon.
"Book One" is the project for which I'm currently seeking representation. I'm a lookin for an agent. I'm starting to think the market might not be quite right for this book at the moment, and considering it's my first book, it might not be really all that great anyway. My friends have all said they like it. My mom loves it. I just don't think that's really gonna cut it in today's market. I'm still going to TRY to find an agent, but I'm considering getting it small-time published...if the querying keeps coming up short.
I AM planning on getting a collection of original fairy tales small-time published sometime very soon. It was originally going to be a collection of original fairy tales, retellings of classic fairy tales, and parodies, but I'm leaning more towards the original stuff, now. I've sent some samples off to the guy so he can tell me what he thinks. He's busy, so I'm expecting to hear back from him by like...March...of next year...maybe. Lol. Nah, I'm not in a hurry. I just need to keep working on more fairy tales in the meantime. It's taking a lot of time and imagination and writing and editing. Fun stuff! I'm excited about it.
The second book I've completed (which I often refer to as "Book Two"...don't you love my creative titling?) can only be described as Christian Sci Fi. It's also a romance. In fact, it might be primarily a romance, but since it happens in the distant future and mostly in outer space, I call it Sci Fi. Now, "Book One" has some Christian imagery, but I really toned it down because I'm still just not sure I want to be a Christian writer. In "Book Two" there are BLATANT Christian elements that I just can't see removing unless I rip the story apart...and I don't want to do that. There are lots of references to the Bible, directly and indirectly. It is what it is, though it still needs a LOT of editing apart from that. I don't want to go into too much detail about this book (even though lots of people have already read it because I originally wrote it as a serial novel and posted it in protected notes on facebook...and no, I'm not going to let anyone else read it as it is--it needs editing), but I will say one thing more: It also has Dragons.
"Book Three"--the third book I've completed, is a companion to "Book Two." I did not plan to write a sequel or anything like it. It's not really a sequel. It's taking one character from "Book Two" and expounding on her life, thoughts, and circumstances. While writing "Book Two," this completely minor character started speaking to me. She started talking in my head. She wouldn't shut up. And yes, writers are crazy people. Anyway, she went from being a minor character in "Book Two" to a MAJOR character in "Book Two" to getting her own book, told in first person, which is now "Book Three." I wrote "Book Three" in less than two weeks because this character completely took over my life. She possessed me. And wow, she's so much more amazing than I originally thought. I remember talking to her, saying, "Gee, R***, I don't know how to write a book about you." She said, "Just write it. I won't leave you alone until you do." I said, "But I don't know your story." She said, "Just start writing, and I'll tell it to you." And then she did. And her story is amazing. I can't believe I didn't think she was important at first. ...not that I'm ready to do anything with this book yet, I still should say that it needs a lot of editing.
I had originally called this "Book Four," but I never finished it, so now I'm going to call it "Unfinished One". "Unfinished One" is a sequel to "Book One." I've had it envisioned for about five years (I envision three books to follow "Book One" and also a companion book...or two. As long as I'm alive and in my right mind, these books WILL get written and published one way or another--depending on what happens with "Book One"). I started to write "Unfinished One" in October 2010, saying I had these grand dreams of finishing it before November (to taunt all the Nanowrimoers)...I didn't meet that goal. The reason for that was mainly because I had some published authors give me advice, saying that it's not a good idea to write a sequel until you have the first book well on its way to being published. So, I have 2/3 of a book done. I might go back and finish eventually, but I think what I've written needs a LOT of work anyway.
Right now, Imma call my newest project my, er, "Newest Project." I've had the idea for this for about five years, but I kept it on the back burner of my mind because I've got so much else going on. But I've been researching, and I've come to realize that "Paranormal" books are really big now. This book falls into that category. The time to write seems to be now. Without giving away any details about the paranormal aspect, I will say it's a romance of sorts. There's a guy and a girl, and both of them exhibit paranormal abilities, but their gifts compliment each other's gifts. I'm really liking the two main characters so far. The girl is a LOT like me--only she's like all my "negative" personality traits rolled into one and magnified. I'm not sure if other people will like her, but I think she's awesome. I don't really have a detailed plot for this book yet, nor do I have a real title--at least not one that I like. I'm just really excited to see what happens. I'm learning that sometimes I don't know what happens until I'm writing it. Honestly, I like it better that way. It gives the characters some freedom, makes them more real.
Oh, and so far, no Dragons at all in "Newest Project." I know. Shocking!
All right. That's pretty much what I'm working on. Querying. Editing. Writing. And trying to live and work around the edges of that. Yeah, I'm crazy. I love it! I'm glad God has made me the way He's made me.
Now to go edit a synopsis for "Book One" so I can get out some queries...hopefully this week.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Feeling Like Myself
I wrote something today!
It's probably the first thing I've sat down and written in over a month (blogs, unfortunately, do not count). I didn't mean to take another writing break, but with all the Christmas stuff going on, I just haven't really had a good amount of time for it. And when I do have time, I haven't had the energy. What with the Christmas musicals to attend (and perform in) and the Christmas cookies to bake (and burn, forcing me to rebake), and the Christmas parties and the Christmas shopping, and the Christmas cards, and the Christmas present wrapping, and getting a little sick and sleeping extra so I won't get sicker, my creativity has been stifled.
Don't get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I LOVE the Christmas chaos. It's just that the other day I was sitting and thinking about how I just haven't been writing lately. It made me sad.
It snowed here yesterday. It was only a few inches, but the roads were a little icy. It's North Carolina, so they cancelled school, and consequently I wasn't needed at any of my jobs. So I stayed inside and read a book--something I don't get to do as often as I'd like. Usually, if I'm not working (or participating in Christmas chaos), I'm writing my fingers off. Getting to actually read a book was a rare treat.
The book itself was all right. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't something I'd consider truly remarkable. However, as I am fond of saying, creativity breeds creativity. The book wasn't incredible, but it still managed to spark my imagination. It sparked my desire to create something.
And I was able to sit down and write an original fairy tale today. I didn't even really know what it was about or how it would end. I just started out with a couple of characters and just wrote. In the span of less than an hour, I was able to craft what I consider to be a rough draft of an enjoyable 5 page (handwritten) fairy tale.
I can't adequately describe the feeling. It was like something inside me woke up. As I wrote the last few words of that story, I felt like me again. I haven't been too out of sorts lately, but suddenly I just felt more like myself than I had in weeks. I don't think I knew how unlike myself I was until I suddenly felt like myself again. Does that make sense? Oh well...
The fairy tale was an answer to a prayer. I am hoping to compile a collection of fairy tales to be published sooner than later (untraditionally), and I need a few more. I hope to do some pretty cool stuff with this collection, but more on that is to come...I still have plenty of writing/editing to do before it's ready. My latest story, however, I think is pretty good.
...when I read over it again, it might stink, but for now, I am feeling like a writer again. I'm feeling like myself.
It's probably the first thing I've sat down and written in over a month (blogs, unfortunately, do not count). I didn't mean to take another writing break, but with all the Christmas stuff going on, I just haven't really had a good amount of time for it. And when I do have time, I haven't had the energy. What with the Christmas musicals to attend (and perform in) and the Christmas cookies to bake (and burn, forcing me to rebake), and the Christmas parties and the Christmas shopping, and the Christmas cards, and the Christmas present wrapping, and getting a little sick and sleeping extra so I won't get sicker, my creativity has been stifled.
Don't get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I LOVE the Christmas chaos. It's just that the other day I was sitting and thinking about how I just haven't been writing lately. It made me sad.
It snowed here yesterday. It was only a few inches, but the roads were a little icy. It's North Carolina, so they cancelled school, and consequently I wasn't needed at any of my jobs. So I stayed inside and read a book--something I don't get to do as often as I'd like. Usually, if I'm not working (or participating in Christmas chaos), I'm writing my fingers off. Getting to actually read a book was a rare treat.
The book itself was all right. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't something I'd consider truly remarkable. However, as I am fond of saying, creativity breeds creativity. The book wasn't incredible, but it still managed to spark my imagination. It sparked my desire to create something.
And I was able to sit down and write an original fairy tale today. I didn't even really know what it was about or how it would end. I just started out with a couple of characters and just wrote. In the span of less than an hour, I was able to craft what I consider to be a rough draft of an enjoyable 5 page (handwritten) fairy tale.
I can't adequately describe the feeling. It was like something inside me woke up. As I wrote the last few words of that story, I felt like me again. I haven't been too out of sorts lately, but suddenly I just felt more like myself than I had in weeks. I don't think I knew how unlike myself I was until I suddenly felt like myself again. Does that make sense? Oh well...
The fairy tale was an answer to a prayer. I am hoping to compile a collection of fairy tales to be published sooner than later (untraditionally), and I need a few more. I hope to do some pretty cool stuff with this collection, but more on that is to come...I still have plenty of writing/editing to do before it's ready. My latest story, however, I think is pretty good.
...when I read over it again, it might stink, but for now, I am feeling like a writer again. I'm feeling like myself.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Testing the Waters
Just a question:
Would any of my readers be interested in a collection of retellings and/or parodies of classic fairy tales AND original fairy tales by A. R. Campbell/Couth Ramble?
Leave a comment here, on facebook, or twitter.
Thanks!
Would any of my readers be interested in a collection of retellings and/or parodies of classic fairy tales AND original fairy tales by A. R. Campbell/Couth Ramble?
Leave a comment here, on facebook, or twitter.
Thanks!
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