Fairytales with Bite
  • Home/Interviews
  • From Light to Dark
  • Blog
  • Chandlers Ford Today
  • News
  • ANTHOLOGIES
  • Biography - The Trouble With Mother
    • Biography - Short Stories
    • The Trouble With Mother Behind the Scenes
  • Alfie Dog - Allison Symes author page
  • Alfie Dog Bites - Fantasy Dinner Party Guests by Allison Symes
  • Bridge House Publishing
  • Cafe Lit
  • Cafe Lit Blog - Allison Symes stories
  • Cafe Lit - A Day Out by Allison Symes
  • External Link - ironpress.co.uk
  • External Link - Lulu.com
  • External Link - Shortbread Short Stories
  • All About Eileen
    • Eileen's Definitions >
      • Eileen's Definitions - 2
      • Eileen's Definitions - 3
      • Eileen's Definitions - 4
      • Eileen's Definitions - 5
      • Eileen's Definitions - 6
      • Eileen's Definitions - 7
      • Eileen's Definitions - 8
      • Eileen's Definitions - 9
      • Eileen's Definitions - 10
      • Eileen's Definitions - 11
      • Eileen's Definitions - 12
      • Eileen's Definitions - 13
    • All About Jenny
    • All About the Fairy Queen, Roxannadrell
    • All About the Chief Witch
    • All About L'Evallier
    • All About Hanastrew
    • All About Melanbury
    • All about Rodish
    • All About Brankaresh
    • All About Roherum
    • All About Wes (Whespy)
    • All About Stan (Stanrock)
    • All About Isabel
    • All About Fresdian
  • Fairy Kingdom Definitions
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 2
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 3
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 4
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 5
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 6
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 7
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 8
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 9
    • Fairy Kingdom Definitions - 10
  • The Rules of Magic
    • The Rules of Magic - 2
    • The Rules of Magic - 3
    • The Rules of Magic - 4
    • The Rules of Magic - 5
    • The Rules of Magic - 6
    • The Rules of Magic - 7
    • The Rules of Magic - 8
    • The Rules of Magic - 9
    • The Rules of Magic - 10
    • The Rules of Magic - 11
    • The Rules of Magic - 12
    • The Rules of Magic - 13
    • The Rules of Magic - 14
    • The Rules of Magic - 15
    • The Rules of Magic - 16
    • The Rules of Magic - 17
    • The Rules of Magic - 18
    • The Rules of Magic - 19
    • The Rules of Magic - 20
    • The Rules of Magic - 21
    • The Rules of Magic - 22
    • The Rules of Magic - 23
    • The Rules of Magic - 24
    • The Rules of Magic - 25
    • The Rules of Magic - 26
    • The Rules of Magic - 27
    • The Rules of Magic - 28
    • The Rules of Magic - 29
  • Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips
  • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 2
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 3
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 4
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 5
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 6
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 7
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 8
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 9
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 10
    • Further Fairy Kingdom Survival Tips - 11
  • Kingdom History
    • Kingdom History - 1
    • Kingdom History - 2
    • Kingdom History - 3
    • Kingdom History - 4
    • Kingdom History - 5
    • Kingdom History - 6
    • Kingdom History - 7
    • Kingdom History - 8
    • Kingdom History - 9
    • Kingdom History - 10
  • The Kingdom's Guide to Approaching Other Species
    • The Kingdom's Guide to Approaching Other Species Part 2
  • What the Kingdom Would Like To See
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 2
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 3
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 4
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 5
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 6
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 7
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 8
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 9
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 10
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 11
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 12
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 13
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 14
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 15
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 16
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 17
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 18
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 19
    • What the Kingdom Would Like To See 20
  • Appropriate Songs for My Characters
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 2
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 3
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 4
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 5
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 6
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 7
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 8
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 9
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 10
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 11
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 12
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 13
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 14
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 15
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 16
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 17
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 18
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 19
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 20
    • Appropriate Songs for My Characters - 21
  • Contact Form

WHAT IS BEHIND YOUR STORIES?

16/3/2018

0 Comments

 

In my interview with fellow Chapeltown Books author, Gail Aldwin, for Chandler's Ford Today this week, she shares with me how her round the world bus trip influenced her flash fiction.  She also shares some of the research she carried out into where paisley comes from given the title of her flash fiction collection is Paisley Shirt.  One of the things I love about these kind of interviews is discovering what has influenced a writer to come up with what they have!  There are so many influences...

This is also why every writer, regardless of genre, should read widely and well in non-fiction and fiction, classic and contemporary works.  You are literally feeding your mind.  You can't know in advance what book it is you read that will spark off ideas of your own.  You will just know it when you come to it.  So have plenty of fun reading lots of lovely books!  It is good for your own writing. 

I used to worry about picking up other writers' styles doing this but have found it not to be the case.  I read something that sparks off an idea in me and I then write that idea down in my style only because, well, it is the only style I have.  After all, doesn't every author want their work to be uniquely something from them?  That's where the joy of writing is - in creating something that is unique to you.

A lot of the fairytales are retelling of stories passed down orally over many generations.  Sometimes there can be agendas behind stories.  Hans Christen Andersen must have had concern for the poor as his agenda behind The Little Match Girl (and probably the hypocrisy of people being horrified at what happened to his character yet doing nothing to allievate suffering themselves).

So what is behind your stories?  Why have you created your characters as you have?  I was surprised when I was looking back at my draft of From Light to Dark and Back Again how often the theme of poetic justice came up.  That wasn't planned (well not consciously anyway).  I also hadn't planned the variation in moods of the stories that formed the book (though it did help inspire the book's title!).  Look back at what you have written and see if you can spot what is really behind it.  It may well inspire other stories!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm Allison Symes and I write novels, short stories as well as some scripts and poems.  I love setting my work in my magical world, the Fairy Kingdom, and my favourite character is Eileen, who believes hypocrisy is something that happens to other people without caring that statement is hypocritical in itself!  Eileen is huge fun to write for and about. 

    Archives

    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    General Background

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.