I refer to what I write as being fairytales with bite because there is a sharp edge to them, as there is with all classic stories in this genre. I mention on tonight's post on my Allison Symes - This World and Others website that fairytales have an almost revolutionary element to them given they can challenge what is seen to be normal. See the Shrek series and The Little Duckling for more on this.
In terms of what is normal in society, see The Little Match Girl and The Happy Prince for what attitudes fairytales can condemn. Fairytales are not backwards in condemning greed and encouraging compassion to the poor (on the grounds that ill fortune can happen to any of us and can bring poverty to any one). Dickens does this too of course.
So what bite is present in your stories? Is it humorous, political or both? One of the reasons I love reading and writing fairytales is they are not "heavy" with their message. They obey the old writing adage of showing, not telling, you the story and you pick up the message for yourself.
So especially if you are writing a "message" via your stories, how are you doing this? Is it subtle? I think the important thing is to avoid preaching as that switches people off but if you can write a story where people are rooting for your characters, for justice to win eventually and so on, then those tales are potential successes. Certainly I'd love reading them. I want the "bite" to make me think and to make me remember great characters and stories.
In terms of what is normal in society, see The Little Match Girl and The Happy Prince for what attitudes fairytales can condemn. Fairytales are not backwards in condemning greed and encouraging compassion to the poor (on the grounds that ill fortune can happen to any of us and can bring poverty to any one). Dickens does this too of course.
So what bite is present in your stories? Is it humorous, political or both? One of the reasons I love reading and writing fairytales is they are not "heavy" with their message. They obey the old writing adage of showing, not telling, you the story and you pick up the message for yourself.
So especially if you are writing a "message" via your stories, how are you doing this? Is it subtle? I think the important thing is to avoid preaching as that switches people off but if you can write a story where people are rooting for your characters, for justice to win eventually and so on, then those tales are potential successes. Certainly I'd love reading them. I want the "bite" to make me think and to make me remember great characters and stories.
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