A fairy tale is a fantastic tale characterized by simple characters and a fascinating setting. Most fairy tales feature magic and at least one villain who challenges the hero - or heroine - of the story. Fairy tales can appeal to both children and adults; the important thing is that they are original and interesting. You can write a totally new fairy tale from scratch, revisit an existing fairy tale by rewriting it from a different point of view or even take various characters from different stories and combine them into a new one.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Write a Fairy Tale
Step 1. Focus on a specific topic
You could choose a theme such as "identity", "loss", "sexuality" or "family" and then explore it within your own fairy tale. Choose a topic that touches you personally or that you feel you can address from a unique point of view.
For example, you could choose a family theme and focus on the relationship you have with your sister, building a story around her birth or a childhood memory about her
Step 2. Choose a particular setting
Most of the fairy tales are set in fantastic places that combine real life and magic. You could set your fairy tale in an enchanted forest or on a cursed pirate ship. You can also decide to set it in your neighborhood, adding fantastic elements to make it more magical.
For example, if you chose your neighborhood as the setting, you could add a talking tree near your house or make it futuristic by imagining what it could be like in 100 years
Step 3. Start with a catchy opening sentence
Most fairy tales begin with the phrase "Once upon a time …" or "A long, long time ago …". You can use a standard opening like these or opt for a more original start. For example, you could start like this: "Once upon a time there was a girl …"; or: "In a country of the far distant future …".
Introduce the characters or the place where the story takes place in the first sentence of the fairy tale; it will serve to provide context and immediately capture the reader
Step 4. Create an interesting hero or heroine
Each fairy tale has a hero or heroine that the reader can cheer on. The hero or heroine is usually a normal person who undergoes a change or becomes stronger as a result of the events of the story. You can also give your hero a special ability or power to aid him on his journey.
For example, the heroine of your story could be a lonely high school girl who gets lost in a new part of town and encounters a series of strange beings or magical creatures
Step 5. Define the villain of the story
All fairy tales also have a villain or some source of evil. The villain could be a magical creature or a person more powerful than the hero. It is a source of conflict and makes it difficult for the hero or heroine to achieve their goal.
For example, the villain in your story could be a magic rabbit who hates humans and tries hard to stop the heroine from finding her way home
Step 6. Use simple, easy-to-read language
Fairy tales are generally written in such a way that they are accessible to readers of all ages, from children to adults. Avoid long sentences and difficult terms.
In fairy tales, the characters, the setting and the plot are central. Language is secondary to the fantastic elements of the story
Step 7. Make the story have a moral
The fairy tale should teach the reader something. The morality need not be obvious or explicitly expressed; rather it should reach the reader through the characters, the plot and the setting.
For example, in the story of the girl who gets lost in the city, the moral might be about being open to meeting new people and accepting diversity in others
Step 8. Conclude the story with a happy ending
Traditionally, fairy tales have a happy ending where a problem is solved. The hero or heroine could get what she wants and prevail over the villain; or maybe the bad guy could learn a lesson and decide to become good. Write a happy ending for your story that leaves the reader satisfied.
For example, you could write an ending in which the heroine, having found her way home, spends time with her family telling about the strange characters she met on her journey
Method 2 of 3: Revisit a Fairy Tale
Step 1. Choose a fairy tale to revisit
Reread your favorite fairy tale and think about how to create a new version of it. Pick a fairy tale you've always found engaging (or upsetting) and that you think would make good starting material for a modern story.
For example, you could revisit classic fairy tales like "Little Red Riding Hood", "Hansel and Gretel" or "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
Step 2. Change the perspective
Try rewriting the fairy tale from the point of view of a secondary character or even one who only appears once. For example, you could rewrite "Little Red Riding Hood" from Grandma's point of view.
- You can also choose the perspective of an inanimate object in the story, such as the gingerbread house in "Hansel and Gretel".
- Another possible alternative is to introduce a totally new point of view; for example, a young she-wolf who lives next to the big bad wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood".
Step 3. Update the setting
Change the original setting of the fairy tale to be more modern or futuristic. Put the characters and plot in a whole new context to make the story original and more interesting.
For example, you could set Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the future, a century from now; or you could have "Little Red Riding Hood" performed in Tehran in 2017
Step 4. Rework the main characters
Enrich and broaden their personality so that they are more three-dimensional and complete. Appropriate the characters of the fairy tale by characterizing them in your own way.
For example, you could reverse the antagonist and hero of the traditional version of the fairy tale, so that the villain becomes the protagonist. In a possible reinterpretation of "Little Red Riding Hood", the wolf could be the hero of the story
Step 5. Extend or rework the original storyline
Give the fairy tale a different ending or beginning. Using the original storyline as a starting point, rework it as you see fit in your version of the story.
For example, you could change the ending of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and decide that Goldilocks must pay for eating all the soup by cutting off their golden curls
Step 6. Read revisited fairy tales
In contemporary literature there are many examples of revisited fairy tales, in which a different perspective or a new setting has often been chosen to make them original. Some examples you might read are:
- Witch. Chronicles from the reign of Oz in revolt by Gregory Maguire.
- The blood chamber and other stories of Angela Carter.
- The Gift of the Fairy by Gail Carson Levine.
Method 3 of 3: Revise and Correct the Fairy Tale
Step 1. Read the tale aloud
Once you have finished the draft of your fairy tale, read it aloud; make sure that the language is simple and that the story is clear when reading; identify and correct any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.
You should also listen to the story, to make sure each sentence is smooth and easy to follow. Modify or fix those that are too long
Step 2. Show the story to other people
Let your family or friends read it for feedback; ask their opinion on the characters and setting, and ask questions about the moral of the story to make sure it satisfies your readers.
You can also read the fairy tale for them. Accept constructive criticism - it will only improve the story
Step 3. Add illustrations to the story
Many fairy tales are illustrated or have an illustration on the cover. You can hire a professional illustrator or do the illustrations on your own. Make a cover that shows the hero or heroine of the story and the place where the fairy tale takes place.
Advice
- To get a better idea of this literary genre, read famous fairy tales, both classic and modern. You can find old fairy tales in the library or bookstore and modern fairy tales on the internet or in literary magazines.
- Good examples are: Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen, Charles Perrault's Tales of Mother Goose and Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series.
