Showing posts with label retellings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retellings. Show all posts

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Timeless Tales Releases Snow White Story Collection


The wait is over! Timeless Tales Magazine is proud to present eleven transformative twists on Snow White. From darkly haunting to funny and fluffy, there's something for everyone in this issue. Read the entire collection HERE



Something new we're trying out this time is the inclusion of a custom Spotify playlist to accompany your reading experience. Think of it as a mixtape of music inspired by all the stories and poems. I'd really love feedback on whether our readers love this feature or are indifferent because it's something we could incorporate into future collections if it's popular enough. 



Here are a few highlights showcasing how our writers reinvented this famous fairy tale:



  • "The Mirrors and the Poison" - A mystery based on actual historical events. Readers are transported to the court of Versailles in 17th Century France. Did the Sun King’s mistress poison her younger rival at court?
  • “Blanche” - In this modernization, a struggling single mom loves her daughter fiercely, but the rest of the world can only see her mistakes. 
  • "The Fairest" - After years of suffering her stepmother's abuse, there's a new fairest in the land. Snow is determined to protect him (yes, him!), but how far will she go to keep him safe?
  • "The Mug & Spoon" - Every year, dozens of nobles try to awaken the sleeping princess at remote Mug & Spoon tavern. Little do they know that the entire town is involved in an elaborate scheme to marry the local girls off to rich husbands. 
And MANY more delightful stories await you in this issue. In case you need more incentive to check it out, here's a sneak peek at some of the covers:










Well, what are you waiting for? Snow White awaits! Let us know which is your favorite! 

Friday, March 9, 2018

Timeless Tales Opening Soon for Snow White Submissions

Written by Tahlia Kirk, Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine

Writers, sharpen those pencils and polish those keyboards! In just a few short days, Timeless Tales will be open for retellings of Snow White...

Guys, can I be honest for a sec? I've already written around a dozen versions of this announcement, and I'm getting kinda bored with repeating the same info over and over again. So buckle up, because I'm launching into sassy know-it-all editor mode.



Normally, we don't have a slogan for our themes, but Snow White is so famous that I felt the need to remind writers that we do NOT want submissions that are in any way traditional. Even more than a glass slipper is a mascot for Cinderella or a dying rose for Beauty & the Beast, the bright red apple is the symbol that represents Snow White. I didn't even have to use the word "apple" in my google search and this graphic still only took me 5 minutes to throw together.

A selection of the ubiquitous Red Apple cover (Twilight not included)

And even though it embodies the story's delicious tension of innocence, jealousy, and temptation, we want to devour those themes in a completely new package. Don't serve us another apple pie. Instead, ask yourself what would happen if you put apples and parsnips together...in a soup!* Or I guess if we're talking fairy tales, apples and pumpkins would be more appropriate, heheh.

More so than ever, I'll have my eyes open for experimental settings and plot twists. Just the other day on Twitter, Gypsy was discussing the idea of a Snow White/Mary Poppins mashup. That's the sort of brilliance I'm looking for (and yes, feel free to steal that idea for your retelling).

Poets, don't think this excludes you! I will be one cranky editor if I have to read a pile of flowery ABAB rhymes about pale skin, ruby lips, and magic mirrors. So much of Snow White's imagery has become cliche that I'm going to really hold the bar extra high this time.

Oh, and don't forget about the Prince! As much as we adore female-centric stories, the one thing about our Rumpelstiltskin issue that I was bummed about was how few stories gave the King any sort of backstory, so I'm hoping to see a few submissions who make the Prince a well-rounded character. I expect many people will merge him with the Huntsman, but be aware that you won't be the only writer to think of this twist, so he still needs to have a personality versus being a cookie cutter romantic lead.

Alright, time to rein in the snark and remind writers that I'm not a big scary ogre over here. My goal here isn't to make anyone afraid to submit because they're worried their story isn't good enough. One of my greatest joys is when a writer tells me that Timeless Tales is their first time submitting to be published. Your publication credits are not always an indication of your writing talent. I understand that your writing is a little piece of yourself, so if you pluck up your courage to send it to us, I promise to treat it as an honored guest until it's either published with us or sent back home to you.


Information on how to submit to Timeless Tales Magazine's Snow White issue can be found at https://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/submissions




*Err, thanks internet for that bizarre idea



Monday, December 11, 2017

Timeless Tales Modernizes Rumpelstiltskin


Hi, fairy tale fans! This is Tahlia from Timeless Tales Magazine. In case you haven't heard yet, we have just released our Rumpelstiltskin issue. It's full of foolish choices, unforeseen consequences, and battles of wits. 

Here are a few highlights showcasing how our authors transformed a goofy little trickster tale into modern narratives:

  • "Tears Seal the Deal" is a retelling set in the Syrian Refugee Crisis
  • "Void" draws a connection between Rumpel's desire for a child and the frustrations of  infertility.
  • "The Early Years" explores how Rumpel learned to spin straw into gold.
  • "The Deal" allows the Miller's Daughter to find some loopholes in Rumpelstiltskin's bargain and shows what happens when she attempts to outwit him.
Here's a look at some of the covers:

https://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/rumpelstiltskin




These are just a few of the adventures awaiting you inside our latest issue. Enjoy the read at https://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/rumpelstiltskin

 

Friday, March 24, 2017

It's Almost Time to Bid Farewell to NBC's 'Grimm'

We knew it had to happen eventually but feel it's worth mentioning and yes, celebrating, as it goes into its final couple of episodes this week and next.

This dark fantasy procedural was a landmark show in bringing fairy tales and folklore back to the mainstream public and has been doing so for six seasons* (though props should also go to Supernatural, who have been maintaining their following and are currently in their twelfth season, albeit it to a less mainstream audience).

Original poster for season 1
NBC's Grimm began the dark fairy tale-meets-procedural with a 'monster of the week' type approach, in October of 2011. There was effort right from the pilot to show fairy tales in a different light and use the tropes in different ways, with a lot of folklore mixed in. That eventually evolved into its own show, hastily evolving past the teething troubles where it had a tendency to have damsels in distress to being more empowering for everyone, surprising more than a few executives and critics, earning it the title of 'the little show that could'.

One of the most fun aspects for folklore and fairy tale folk has been the use of quotes from tales and classic texts which, when followed (and the source figured out), provide huge clues as to the themes and underlying details included in that week's episode. More than a few lesser known tales were mined for quotes as well as some quite obscure ones, which was wonderfully refreshing to see too.

Some episodes have been more successful than others but when the show began to truly build its own mythology, and 'Scooby gang', working in tales and folklore along the way, that the series built a strong and loyal following. (Click HERE for a list of characters, including Wesen types, that have been introduced throughout the series to date - scroll down for the creature list and their episodes.) The show is currently in it's sixth, and last, season and though it can be recognized as being the same show, the season arcs have changed the feel of the show quite substantially so episodic stories aren't used as often, so much as exploring how a piece of folklore (or creature) might be at home in this universe where people are often more than they seem.

Humans live and work alongside 'Wesen', or people who are part human and part creature (often from myth or tales). The lead character, Nick Burkhardt, is both a police detective and, as he discovers in the first few episodes, a 'Grimm', a human of supernatural abilities who are traditionally 'reapers of Wesen' (read, hunters and exterminators). Our Grimm, however, seeks to find common ground between Wesen and humans and the series follows his journey as he does this (and investigates weird, and largely Wesen crimes), with varying amounts of success. His 'Scooby gang' expands along the way with at least half of them being Wesen and the viewer, along with Nick, discovers the history, traditions and 'real' folklore along the way. The more the seasons went on, the bigger and more involved this world got, along with ambitions, conspiracies and much more, all having a lot of fun with history, urban legends, fairy tales and lore along the way. More creatures are discovered with cultural traditions and rituals (all with interesting names that drive etymologists crazy in their inaccurate use of German and Latin!) showing the viewers how similar to humans all of them are.

The show's themes and statements on inclusivity, as well as the need for cultural understanding and respect have been timely throughout the years, addressing equality (and the current remaining lack of it in surprising places), no matter the nationality or socio-economic status, as well asking the same for interracial marriages, their offspring, orientation and preferences. It's been one of the aspects that's endeared fans to the show, with the unwavering stance on acceptance and the need to build bridges when we have the power to do so, even if it's personally difficult.

Not at all coincidentally, many of these same things are what attract us to fairy tales: in reading a wide variety of tales from around the world you begin to see they show both the sameness of humans across the world, while at the same time celebrating their unique cultural identities. It's not difficult to see why fairy tales fit with these themes so well.


Though faithful fans have been running campaigns to get the show picked up on another network or by Netflix or Amazon to give it a new and longer life, the writers, knowing the show would be finishing, wrote this final season with a view to finish the stories. Interestingly, the episodes, rather than focusing on an apocalyptic scenario (though that potential is there), the emphasis seems to have been more on the 'intimate' aspects of the show for most of the season; the characters relationships to each other, to the town and to Wesen integration as part of normal society. The writing has been solid and satisfying, while not too flashy, making it look more stable than ever, as ratings would attest to. While you want a show to finish on solid ground and go out looking good, it's also bittersweet. Fairy tales aren't as obviously an inspiration in this last season (though they're in there if you know where to look), but specific folklore from around the world most definitely is. The stories, however, are told in a way that make them more about Portland and its citizens, as well as the personal journeys of the beloved Scoobies, and, in a move that's created a sophisticated departure from the original, and sometimes dismissible, 'monster-of-the-week' shows, it's only making viewers love Grimm more.
               
Some pretty neat fan art... 
... created in the style of Ivan Bilibin
by alex_jd_black
Many of this season's episodes can actually be seen to be a metaphor for the show itself as it finishes, which will make for interesting re-viewings once the whole story has been told, while the tag line for these last couple of weeks is that the show is "going back to the beginning". It was at the beginning that the use of fairy tales was the most obvious (some would say heavy handed), so we're interested to see how they bookend Grimm with its developed mythology and popular characters. We presume that 'end' aspect will become more evident in the second last episode (airing this evening), as all cast and crew have confirmed that the finale of this series is clearly an 'end', and one they're reportedly happy with.



Grimm certainly isn't for everyone. The horror/gore aspect is sometimes a challenge for sensitive folk and there is very little of the fairytale-typical fantasy and happily-ever-after vibe, that keeps viewers watching other shows, but there is humor, wonderful characters (especially in the Scooby circle - shout outs to #monrosalee, #drewwu, #hexenschade, #dianahoneybadger and #meisner), fun locations (the trailer, the spice shop, monroe's house, the cabin in the woods, the Portland forests) romance, tons of fairy tale 'Easter eggs', wonderful one-liners, mystery and overall a lot of fun playing with tropes, history and folklore, not to mention every now and then it hits you with something very important. We're going to miss checking in to see what's been developing in the Grimm universe and we'll make it a point to be watching as it says goodnight.

PS Here's some adorably-wonderful advice to baby Kelly, (Nick and Adalind's half-Grimm-half-Wesen son) on the need to step up as the show closes.


Recommended reading - we wrote a detailed review HERE


* For comparison, Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran seven season, with a break after the sixth when it finished, then was renewed on another network, giving it one unexpected last season to wrap the multiple story lines. ABC's Once Upon A Time, which began around the same time as Grimm, and is also in its sixth season, has rumors about this being the last one as well, though that is unconfirmed.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Timeless Tales Arthurian Legend Submissions Opening Soon




From Tahlia, Editor at Timeless Tales Magazine...

Writers! Dust off your Monmouth, your Malory, and maybe even your Monty Python, because Timeless Tales will soon be accepting retellings of Arthurian Legends!

The submission window will run from March 27 - May 5. Please see our SUBMISSIONS page for full details.

Special Note: Since this theme encompasses many stories, if you submit a retelling that heavily references a specific tale (ie, "Gawain & the Green Knight"), please include the name of the tale in your cover letter. We have a solid familiarity with this genre, but it is vast. So do us a favor and don't assume we're Medieval scholars.  



Also, just for our blog readers, here's a list of hopes and fears I have for this issue:

Fear: Pieces written in Old English. Maybe this is a long shot, but I know how passionate some professors are about the original text of these stories. I'm already having flashbacks to the Chaucer unit in my Sophomore English Lit class with all the crazy spelling...and I'm not just talking "Ye Olde Taverne" like you see at the Renaissance festival. True old English is like another language! I really want to retellings that are accessible to a non-academic audience.

Hope: Smart humor that isn't a total ripoff of Monty Python. One of my favorite takes on Arthurian Legend is Gerald Morris' Squire's Tale series. It mercilessly mocks the irrational plots and outlandish characters of the original tales, but you can tell the author researched his butt off for these books. There's a genuine affection behind the jests, too. I'd love to read some short stories or poems like that.

Fear: Too many love triangles. So many filmmakers and playwrights have reduced Arthurian legend to the Lancelot/Guinevere affair. Simply changing the setting to the wild west or modern day won't save this trope from being overdone. There's more to King Arthur than a tragic romance. 

Hope: Fairy tale crossovers. I especially hope someone sends me a tasty 12 Dancing Princesses/Knights of the Round Table mashup, but this genre is ripe for other combinations. 

So what are you waiting for? Get writing!