Tip Sheet: 5 Ways to Shake up Retellings
Say you're a writer who's got a myth, fairy tale, or other legend you've always wanted to write about. You love the message, you've got some great characters, and ideas to deepen the plot are already pinging around in your brain. But you look around the market, your stomach sinks, and anxieties attack. Why?
The market is awash with retellings.
Every month there seems to be a new retelling on the new release list. Which makes me a happy reader, but makes the writer in me quiver with fear. *Insert Scar gif here.* Well, not so much fear, but anxiety. With all of these amazing books coming out, with strong and varied voices, based on the same tales you, or I, may want to write about, it's enough to intimidate any writer.
So what can a writer do to make a retelling stand out?
Good question and one I'll tackle in this post. Welcome, dear readers, as I talk about 5 ways to shake up a retelling and put your stamp all over it.
The writing market is a terrifying place. With new books coming out all the time, it's easy to be dissuaded from writing a story you truly love for fear that someone else is doing it and doing it better. But as many an experienced writer, editor, and agent can tell you: writing for the market is the worst idea ever. Why? The market changes. All. The. Time. Vampires are still taboo even though “Twilight” was years ago. Fantasy is at an all time high but magic schools are a tough sell thanks to “Harry Potter.” Dystopians have had their day thanks to “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” series, although if there's a fresh angle, there's a chance of a sell.
My point is, if you're writing for the market, you're never going to finish anything and no one wants that.
There are themes on the rise, though. Diversity is one. There's a clamor for books with good representation. Books written by AoC (authors of color) and LGBTQA+ folks are also in demand. Neurodiverse leads are wanted. More marginalized voices are heard everyday. It's amazing, it's awesome, and I'm totally a fan. So when you sit down to write your retelling, remember that your voice hasn't been heard yet. Stamp your voice all over your story, make it something only you can write. To do that, I've got some suggestions to help.
1. Mash up Tales
Say you like “Cinderella” but you also like “Tatterhood.” You think things through in your word dump and realize retellings based on “Cinderella” are so popular you could name 3 off the top of your head. But what if you mixed the tale of the girl with the glass slipper with the story of an ugly girl who has to save her sister from trolls? I'm already itching with ideas.
Taking two fairy tales, or even a tale and a piece of classic/modern literature, and mixing elements of each allows a writer to create a truly unique experience. Adding in a second tale in a retelling is less done, so that makes the story more interesting. Crossovers in a series is seen more, but crossovers are different than combinations. It's also a fun challenge to find ways to mix contrasting ideas and themes into a cohesive whole in a way that gets a writer (and reader) excited. An author has a lot of room to play and make the story their own.
2. Mess With Expectations
When I pick up a fairy tale, say, “Beauty and the Beast,” I know what I'm going to get. There's going to be a beautiful girl, a beast, magic, romance, and a message about beauty being within. So if I were to read the book jacket of a retelling and discover that's not the case, I want to know more. I want to know how that book will be different.
Changing what the reader expects is a way to bring in new ideas and fracture the story. These changes can range from altering the setting, swapping the hero and villain roles, messing with the romance, switching the genders of the leads, and a million others. All have the potential to incite curiosity in readers and give the writer a chance to tell their own story.
There is a line though, because one does have to meet some expectations of the reader, or they'll feel cheated. A writer can't just toss in a glass slipper and call it “Cinderella.” There have to be other themes that tie the two together. So be cautious when twisting expectations, but don't be afraid to experiment.
3. Tell an Untold Story
In tales like “Cinderella” and “Snow White,” there have been retellings from the wicked stepsisters or the Evil Queen's perspectives. But what about the other characters in the world? What kind of story would they tell? After the princess marries the prince, what comes next? How does the man who spent years as a transformed animal adjust to being human again? These untold stories can open the door for new perspectives on these old tales.
So many retellings stop at “happy ever after,” much like their source material, but there's so much more that can come afterwards. Remaking a story from a side character's perspective, or a villain's, has been done before but there's always room for new ideas. Reach beyond the ending, go deeper into the unforeseen consequences of the tale, and provide something fresh and new. Stories, no matter if they come from a book or reality, don't end at “happy ever after.” There's so much more to a story than an ending wrapped up in a neat little bow.
4. Do Your Research
With so many retellings coming out, it's important to keep up to date on what kinds of stories are being offered to readers. Buy, or borrow from the library, as many as possible, and read them all. We know the popular tales. There's probably a Disney movie people grew up with or another remake that has planted the image of what a particular tale is in readers' minds. So in addition to not only doing research on the fairy tale(s) you plan to retell, pay attention to what's coming out. No writer wants to copy another, that's just not cool.
Another thing to research is the plethora of tales available for retelling. A few weeks ago I did a post about the most popular tales used in retellings, and I've named them all at least once in this post. Give readers something new and fresh by researching new tales to give them. Even if the two tales are similar, such as “Cinderella” and “Allerleirauh,” there are elements that make them different, enough to create something new. So don't stick to just the familiar. Dig deeper and find something different to set you apart as a writer.
5. Make the Story Yours
I think this is the most important aspect of creating a unique and interesting story, whether it's a retelling or not. While it's always a good idea to read others' work, it's important to not be intimidated by it. Or worse, copy it.
Something drew you to write about the particular story you've chosen. Something in the message or imagery inspired you and compelled you to write. Whether this was to expand on a story or fix those elements you didn't like or just because you loved the story, you chose it. You were uniquely affected by it. So take that and run with it. Let what inspires you most about the story be the catalyst in retelling it in your own voice.
Even if you've seen a retelling similar to yours done before, remember it's not in your voice. It's not your experience. Once you find the key to making the story yours, it will set your book apart as something only you could write.
Fairy tale retellings are popular, there's no doubt about that. But there are still ways to shake things up. I hope that these ideas inspire you, whether you're working on a retelling or have a different idea that you're anxious about. In the end, remember that this is your story and that it's important to have fun and enjoy the work. Writing's hard enough without getting all tied up in knots about whether you're being “original” or not.
Thank you so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment, like, share, or what have you if you've enjoyed this post. Look for new posts every Tuesday and next week begins the first of my surprises. Take care, dear readers, and I'll see you next time.
