Writing a Story

“The biggest disease this day and age is that of people feeling unloved.” ~Princess Diana

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I’m working on a new story. The idea stemmed from a prompt on a writing site, a few years back, that went something like this: Take a familiar fairytale and rewrite it. I had already rewritten the Cinderella story. Not with the familiar waif falls for prince, slipper type story. No, it was definitely a new age tale, and poor Cindy was a victim of child abuse by her wicked stepmother! Maybe I’ll share it with you sometime. If I can find it among the mess I keep of my stories.

This new tale of mine will be – Rapunzel. I love that name so I’ll keep it. And just as I was looking up the origin of that beautiful name, a slap of inspiration hit me. I’d like to redo another fairytale if not this one, in poetry form. Since poetry seems to have lost its zest in these past years, there needs to be a revival.

Rapunzel is a German fairytale first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, as a collection of Children’s and Household tales. The Grimms' adaptation was from Persinette, written in 1698 by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force. Wow, that’s a mouthful for a name. Most recently, Disney took its hand at the spinning of the tale with Tangled. I’ve not seen the movie, but I’m sure my story will be wrought with the angst of a woman relinquished to a prison tower.

The idea stemmed from recent current events, but then again, much of my life IS like a fairytale, I just haven’t had the chance to taste the ‘Happily ever After’ that fairytales keep repeating. But wait, that’s not true. I have repeatedly tasted the happily ever after in many ways, shapes and forms, and as a writer, I wish to give you some of the most delicious tasting lemonade that has ever touched your lips!

I need to be mindful of taking some precautionary steps as I write this story, and my advice is that all writer’s might take these steps too as they begin a story.

1. Don’t edit until the story is complete and down on paper (or screen) This is a writer’s enemy!

2. Use your thesaurus so as not to overuse or repeat words with the same meaning. A thesaurus is a writer’s friend!

3. Write smooth imagery and senses. Let the story flow like a babbling brook.

4. Show, don’t TELL the story. Readers, whether children or adults, seek imagery and you need to use it as fluently as #3- imagery; senses

5. Have dialogue that is believable to the story. Readers will pick up on ragged dialogue. Scarcely use the he said, she said tags. (know how and when to use them)

There you have it. Now I need to go work on my story, alone in my tower. Thank you and I hope you return for the unveiling!