One of the things I think is most appealing about fairytales is the traditional happy ever after ending. Maybe as children, when most of us usually first come across fairytales, there is a security in this we find appealing. Maybe deep down as children we know happy ever afters don't always happen in life so we'll have them in our stories instead.
But one of the things I loved about Alternative Renditions, the Bridge House Publishing anthology, where my story A Helping Hand was published, was the way it took conventional fairy stories and turned them on their head. The contributors including me were invited to look at the tales from the viewpoints of the characters that were not the stars.
In my case the viewpoint was from the youngest of Cinderella's stepsisters. It was refreshing to write from that viewpoint and maybe it would be a good exercise to write familiar stories from viewpoints that don't usually see the light of day.
So in your fiction, are you writing from the right viewpoint for the story? Even if you are, can working out what other characters would feel about the same event(s) be used by you to add greater depth to their portrayal? No two characters would feel exactly the same way about the same events. This could lead to some very interesting stories and portrayals.
But one of the things I loved about Alternative Renditions, the Bridge House Publishing anthology, where my story A Helping Hand was published, was the way it took conventional fairy stories and turned them on their head. The contributors including me were invited to look at the tales from the viewpoints of the characters that were not the stars.
In my case the viewpoint was from the youngest of Cinderella's stepsisters. It was refreshing to write from that viewpoint and maybe it would be a good exercise to write familiar stories from viewpoints that don't usually see the light of day.
So in your fiction, are you writing from the right viewpoint for the story? Even if you are, can working out what other characters would feel about the same event(s) be used by you to add greater depth to their portrayal? No two characters would feel exactly the same way about the same events. This could lead to some very interesting stories and portrayals.
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