Timeless Tales Going on Hiatus (possibly looking for new ownership!)

(Written by Tahlia Kirk, founder of Timeless Tales Magazine)

I've been avoiding this announcement for months, but it's finally time. The TLDR is: I'm putting Timeless Tales into long term hibernation. I'm strongly considering shutting it down permanently or transferring ownership to someone new. 

The backstory

2020

This is what's been going on with me behind the scenes: Back in March 2020, I was woefully behind with responding to Hades & Persephone submissions. I'd just landed a promotion at work that exponentially increased my responsibilities. When the big Covid lockdown hit, I was relieved beyond words for an excuse to slough off my social engagements for a month or two and focus on the magazine. 

After Hades & Persephone published in Summer 2020, I gave myself permission to take a nice long break. We'd decided that 2021 would be the year we'd move from Austin, TX to Sacramento, California and I wanted my entire focus to be on moving. 

Confident that I'd return to magazine business after we moved, I announced our Arabian Nights issue and left the submission window open for 9 months, making it very clear I wouldn't respond until April 2021 at the earliest. It was good plan and theoretically should have worked. 

2021

We bought a house and moved to California in February. In April, I received another promotion at work. Although, I needed to start reading Arabian Nights submissions, lockdown was finally ending and I was eager to get back into the world again. I was fully vaxxed and ready to PAR-TAY! Surely those submissions could wait a little longer?

We bought a house!

For a while, I thought I could compensate for the lost time by spending my extra income on expanding our staff. But there was only so much I could easily outsource and it takes time to find and train new people. 

Over the past 10 years, I've managed to keep TT running because my day jobs have historically been dull. Those jobs gave me large chunks of downtime that I filled with magazine work. However, the entry level tech writing job I accepted in 2019 has somehow blossomed into an actual career. I have a team full of nerdy coworkers. I've been managing a small group of technical writers. I'll soon be getting promoted AGAIN to become our writing team's first full-time trainer. Huzzah! 

My celebratory flowers in our freshly painted dining room

This is all wonderful news for me, but not great for the magazine. I needed to stop kidding myself and take a hard honest look at when I'd have time for the magazine again. I've already waited too long for that future day when I'll actually have free time again. The truth is that the magazine simply isn't compatible with my lifestyle anymore.

So while I'm sad to say goodbye to TT, at least it's not out of any personal tragedy. And who knows, I may find a way to either bring it back someday or stay involved after it finds a new owner. 

About Arabian Nights

If you submitted a piece to TT for our Arabian Nights issue, you should have received an email from me about a month ago, politely returning it to you unread. I did my best to email everyone who submitted, but if I somehow missed you, I apologize that you're just hearing this news now.

The future

Originally, I didn't want to announce my hiatus without a game plan for the future in place. But it's become clear that I'm not ready to make a final decision on anything yet. I'm currently in talks with a potential new owner that has a lot of potential, but I want to take time to explore my options

Right now, I'm open to fully transferring ownership to the right person/team, but I'm also not opposed to staying involved in a much more scaled-back capacity. 

If you have ideas or an interest in running Timeless Tales, send me an email at timelesstalesmagazine@gmail.com. Do NOT leave a comment on this post. I don't get email notifications for comments, so I may never read it. 

Here are some of my basic qualifications for What I'm Looking For In a New Owner:

1. Computer skills: 
1. Google Suite: You need to be comfortable using Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar, Google Drive, etc.
2. Website updates. TT's website is run on Wix, so no coding knowledge necessary, but you must understand basic SEO concepts and generally be good at tinkering with tech.
3. Social Media: Even if you hire someone else to handle the daily churn (which I highly recommend!), you should have an understanding of how to write content that boosts engagement. 
2. Disposable income: TT's Patreon page doesn't bring in much money. Maybe you can change that someday, but you must be prepared to cover upkeep costs yourself. I want someone dedicated to continuing the site's quality and committed to paying our authors/graphic designers.
• I'll talk nitty gritty budget details with serious candidates, but I currently pay approximately $2000/year in annual expenses + $1500 per issue. If you want to grow the magazine's reach, you'll want to budget even more for advertising.  
3. Free time: It takes countless hours to publish each issue and maintain a thriving community between issues. I'd hate to hand the reins over to someone who's stretched too thin to devote large swaths of attention to this project.

The current state of the magazine:

1. The website with the actual magazine hosted via a 3rd party service called Issuu. 
2. 2600 Facebook followers
3. 1050 Twitter followers
4. 840 subscribers to our newsletter (and growing daily)
5. A struggling Patreon account 
6. A GoodReads account (it gets a surprising amount of engagement considering how new the account is and we haven't spent a ton of time growing it). 

Be prepared to wait a very long time for a response. Nothing magazine related will be happening in a timely manner and I apologize in advanced if you're stuck waiting for weeks or months.

On an unrelated, lighter note, here's a video of my 2020 birthday where I got to hit a pinata!

If you want to follow my next adventures online, here's my info:

• Blog: missmystra.wordpress.com
• Instagram: @tahlia_mk 
• Personal Twitter: @MissMystra

Tick-Tock! Storied Imaginarium's Fairy Tale Salon With Timeless Tales' Tahlia Kirk Is TOMORROW, NOV 6 (Sign Up Now)

Enlightened Tutor by Howard Lyon

When our partner Tahlia Kirk, Creator and Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine, gets involved with a fairy tale event, you know it's going to be good. Tomorrow, Tahlia will be the special guest for The Storied Imaginarium's November Fairy Tale Salon, talking tales and retellings with attendees. It's a chance to ask those questions you've always had about "what makes a good fairy tale retelling?" and "how do you make an old tale new again?" and, if you're a writer, to pick up some writing tips along the way.

From The Storied Imaginarium:

Our Fairy Tale Salon series are online and interactive events (conducted via Zoom) during which you’ll get a chance to meet contemporary authors, editors, and illustrators who love fairy tales as much as you do! Each salon includes readings, an interview, an opportunity for you to ask our special guest questions, and a writing game! Come … join us in the land of faerie!

We're re-posting Tahlia's announcement below, in case you missed it, so you have her take on the fairy tale salon and why this will be such a unique opportunity. (And a little secret she doesn't mention: Tahlia is not only an excellent editor, she's a great storyteller and game master too! It's going to be a lot of fun.) 

If you're interested, don't hesitate to cick the link HERE and sign up! Not only is it tomorrow but spots are limited! (This is to allow for conversation and real dialogue among attendees and with the salon special guest.) Read on for details.

By Tahlia Kirk

Spend an evening chatting about your favorite fairy tale at the Storied Imaginarium's virtual fairy tale salon on November 6 (Nov 7 for Australia).

We're evoking the elegant Parisian salon of 17th century France, when wealthy women hosted gatherings in their living rooms to discuss literature and write stories. One of the most popular parlor games played at these salons was to retell classic folktales. Storytellers would use fanciful language of fairy tales to slyly slip rebellious commentary on aristocratic culture past the court's censors. I hope to share some of my favorite counter-culture tales with you and talk about what makes a retelling resonate. While this is more of a meeting-of-minds than a formal writing workshop, I think all fans of the magical and whimsical will enjoy our time together. 

Seats are limited, so sign up now to save your spot!

(Pic is my envisioning of the type of outfit one might wear to a modern literary salon 😅)

Coming Soon: A Virtual Fairy Tale Salon with Timeless Tales Editor Tahlia Kirk

Written by Tahlia Kirk

Spend an evening chatting about your favorite fairy tale at the Storied Imaginarium's virtual fairy tale salon on November 6 (Nov 7 for Australia).

We're evoking the elegant Parisian salon of 17th century France, when wealthy women hosted gatherings in their living rooms to discuss literature and write stories. One of the most popular parlor games played at these salons was to retell classic folktales. Storytellers would use fanciful language of fairy tales to slyly slip rebellious commentary on aristocratic culture past the court's censors. I hope to share some of my favorite counter-culture tales with you and talk about what makes a retelling resonate. While this is more of a meeting-of-minds than a formal writing workshop, I think all fans of the magical and whimsical will enjoy our time together. 

Seats are limited, so sign up now to save your spot!

(Pic is my envisioning of the type of outfit one might wear to a modern literary salon 😅)

Review: Jack Zipes' New Book: Fearless Ivan & Double-Hump

Reviewed by Patricia Ash

 

It is always an absolute delight to find a fairy tale I’ve never heard of before. While the story of Fearless Ivan is well-known in Russia, it is almost unknown here in the United States. That needs to change, because this story deserves a place among the greats.

Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov was something of a Russian Hans Christian Andersen, writing his own original fairy tales instead of collecting and compiling preexisting folk tales. He wrote The Little Humpbacked Horse in 1834 as a poem and when it was published as Fearless Ivan And His Faithful Horse Double-Hump, it became an instant classic. At the time, the inclusion of a villainous tsar was considered subversive, but despite (or perhaps because) the authorities tried to ban the book, it was wildly successful. 

Portrait of Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov

Readers familiar with Russian culture will quickly pick up on two iconic elements of the nation’s folklore that appear in this book: A hero named Ivan and a firebird. Ivan is the Russian Everyman. Westerners might call him Jack. Firebirds appear repeatedly in Russian folklore as objects of quests or benevolent demigods. They sometimes symbolize Russia itself. 


Our hero’s chief attributes are his foolishness and his love of sleeping (I can relate). Ivan is the youngest of three sons, and his father is a farmer. One day, something starts destroying the crops. The older brothers guard the field on successive nights, but chicken out and lie about it. Ivan doesn’t give into his fear and manages to catch the crop-destroyer. It’s a magical mystery mare who can fly. He grabs her by the tail and goes on an adventure. Before disappearing forever, she rewards him with a pair of gorgeous stallions and a goofy-looking talking horse with two humps and giant ears.
 
The next morning, Ivan’s brothers find the stallions and steal them, but the weird little horse (the titular Double-Hump), tells Ivan what happened. Ivan catches up to his brothers on the road to the city. When he spots a firebird, he picks up one of its feathers, even though Double-Hump warns that it will lead to trouble. Ivan sells the stallions to the tsar for far less than they’re worth, and winds up with a job in the tsar’s stables because the stallions won’t let anyone else touch them.

Soviet stamp (1988) based on the 1975 animated film

Being an unreasonable sort of person, once the tsar learns about Ivan’s firebird feather, he gives Ivan a few days to find him a firebird...or else. After saying, “I told you so,” Double-Hump explains exactly how to do it. One firebird later, the tsar now sends Ivan to kidnap the Heavenly Princess (the daughter of the moon) or else be skinned alive. Double-Hump also explains how to do this too, and luckily, the one thing Ivan is good at is following directions (well, except for that one time with the feather).


One kidnapped demigod later, the tsar wants to marry the princess. The princess wants to put him through a test involving a cauldron of boiling water, a cauldron of boiling milk, and a cauldron of freezing water. The tsar is scared to do this himself, and makes Ivan do it first. Fortunately, Double-Hump helps out and Ivan springs out of the boiling cauldron looking gorgeous and with perfect hair. Seeing this, the tsar leaps into the cauldrons and promptly gets boiled to death. Ivan marries the princess and they inherit the tsar’s kingdom for some reason. I’m pretty sure Double-Hump makes all the decisions for that kingdom now.


This book is a slim little thing and no two illustrations share the same style. Each piece of art is by a different Russian artist, all originally printed on postcards. You might think the lack of continuity between the styles would be jarring, but I found it fascinating. It really reflects the evolution of a fairy tale’s shape that happen over the years. Think about Little Red Riding Hood. Sometimes everybody dies, but other times everybody lives except the wolf. It’s really neat to see so many different interpretations of the characters in this story. No matter what the illustration, though, Double-Hump is the most adorable creature you’ve ever seen.

This is definitely a book that bridges the gap between children and adults. With all the pictures and a relatively short length, it could easily be read aloud to the youngest set. Adult fans of folklore will appreciate the touch of the venerable fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes.

I personally adored the character of Double-Hump. Ivan is a sweet fool, but he would be dead by the end of part one without Double-Hump. Every idiot hero in a fairy tale needs a wise advisor to guide them. It’s even better when the advice-giver is an adorable talking animal. I would give this horse so many sugar lumps (or whatever his favorite treat is) and then ask him for relationship advice.
 


For more information, visit the book's page on the University of Minnesota Press' website HERE. 






NOTE: A complimentary copy of this book was provided to the reviewer in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First Impressions of 1001 Tales of Arabian Nights

(Written by Tahlia Merrill Kirk, editor of Timeless Tales Magazine)

A few years ago, my husband Ron delighted me with the news that he had started reading Tales of 1,001 Nights (aka Arabian Nights) on his Kindle.

“This is great!” I squeed. “I’ve never read it, so you can tell me all about it as you go!”

I suppose I should be at least a tad embarrassed that I have zero desire to read the entirety of Arabian Nights, but have you seen the SIZE of it?! There are three volumes. All combined, they add up to a staggering 2600 pages. There isn’t even a Sparknotes available for it, that’s how big it is. So I ignore the mournful wails of my English degree--secondhand reading is good enough for me on this one.


It took him almost 5 years to get through it all (taking breaks to read other books, of course), but this week, he finally finished. Since I immediately knew that I wanted to turn this experience into a blog post, I made sure that Ron filled me in about all the interesting parts of the stories. I even had him send me relevant/funny quotes as he went.


I started writing this as one post, but there is too much to say, so we’re going to make a whole series out of it! Here are a few topics I want to cover (Let me know if there's something you really want me to discuss):

1. Which Translation Did Ron Read? (I promise it won't be as boring as it sounds)

2. Is Arabian Nights Sexist? 

3. Is Arabian Nights Sexy? 

4. How Does Aladdin Fit Into Arabian Nights?

5. Djinn and Their Kind (or not-so-kind...hehe)

6. Religion in Arabian Nights

7. The Arabian Nights Board Game

8. Doughnuts (Nope, won’t explain. Saving the best for last)


In the meantime, here’s a funny mini-tale to give you a taste of how great these stories are:

My master the sultan, here is my most remarkable experience during my time in office. I had ten thieves hanged, each on a gibbet of his own, and I told the guards to watch to see that nobody removed any of the corpses. The next day, when I came to look at them, I found two corpses hanging from the same gibbet.

‘Who has done this,’ I asked the guards, ‘and where is the gibbet belonging to this second corpse?’

They disclaimed any knowledge of the affair, but when I was about to have them flogged, they said: ‘We fell asleep last night, emir, and when we woke up we found that one of the corpses, together with its gibbet, had been stolen. We were afraid, and when we saw a passing peasant coming up towards us with his donkey, we seized him, killed him and hanged him on this gibbet in place of the corpse that had been removed.’

I was taken by surprise and asked them what the peasant had had with him. They told me that he had had a saddlebag on his donkey, and when I asked what was in it they said that they didn’t know.

‘Bring it to me,’ I told them, and when they did, I ordered them to open it. There inside it was the body of a murdered man cut into pieces. I was astonished at this sight and said to myself: ‘Glory be to God. The reason that this peasant was hanged was that he was guilty of murder, and God does not treat His servants unjustly.’

Malcolm C. Lyons. The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 2 (The Arabian Nights or Tales from 1001 Nights) (pp. 107-108). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.

Editor Rejects Her Own Story (Timeless Tales Magazine)

Written by Tahlia Merrill Kirk (Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine)


A couple weeks ago, I wrote a guest blog post over at JL Writers about all the challenges writers face when retelling Snow White. It basically summarized the biggest problems I've run into while reading submissions for our upcoming issue. But let's be honest: It's easy to spot weaknesses in a story--it's a whole different ball game having to actually write a retelling that avoids these pitfalls.

In the interest of keeping myself humble, I dusted off an old Snow White retelling that I wrote 10 years ago when I was a freshman in college. My initial thought before re-reading it was that I would insert it into our 5-year Anniversary issue as a bonus story, but now I'm not so sure. It's a perfectly nice story--a Snow White/Psyche & Cupid crossover, in fact. But it has enough problems that I can't just pop it into the magazine without revising it first.

So I thought I'd pretend that this is a story I received in my submissions inbox and use it as an example of how I analyze a retelling. Feel free to play along and leave comments with your own feedback or suggestions on how I should revise it! 

Note: I apologize that the resolution on these images isn't crystal clear. I spent two days fighting with my computer and this was the best I could manage. If you'd rather read it as a high res PDF, here's a link.

 

 

Alright, still with us? So if I received this story in my inbox, I would probably give it a 7 out of 10 rating, which means it would be guaranteed a second read later down the line. 8's and 9's are my "Almost Definitely Yes" pile and 6's and 7's are my "Right on the Edge" pile. When I circle back to it, I'd spend a lot of time agonizing over whether the pros outweigh the cons. Do I have a clear idea about how to explain the changes I would want made to the writer? Are those changes likely to be welcomed by the writer or will it take their story in a direction they might be unhappy about? How does this story fit with the others I want to accept? Does it have a similar tone/setting/perspective from what I've already accepted or does it fill an obvious gap? Let's imagine that my conclusion is to reject this story. Despite all the notes I've made, this is all that makes it into my rejection letter:

Dear Tahlia,

Thank you for submitting your ​Snow White ​retelling to Timeless Tales. After reading it and carefully considering, we will not be publishing it. However, I really enjoyed your unique premise (Psyche is my favorite Greek myth!). Although your writing style is strong, I felt like your protagonist Vanessa was underdeveloped and the romance was mostly told from Eros' perspective. I wanted to see more of her personality and agency come through.

Best of luck to you finding a home for it elsewhere and thank you so much for sending it our way. We certainly encourage you to submit for our next issue.

Our next theme is still TBD, but we often decide themes by letting our readers vote. To be notified when polls open for our next theme, subscribe to our newsletter via our homepage.​The newsletter will also send you occasional Timeless Tales updates and information about submission window​s​.

Thank you so much!

          ​Tahlia Merrill Kirk
         Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine
         www.timelesstalesmagazine.com


And that's how it's done, folks. Now you know why it takes me fricken' forever to go through my submission pile every issue. The time I'll spend jotting down notes on each submission varies, but this level of detail isn't unheard of when I'm feeling conflicted about a story.

Do you agree with my assessment? Am I being too hard on myself? Not hard enough? Did I miss something? Only time will tell if I end up finding a way to revise this story (I have a few ideas rattling around). Be sure to check the Table of Contents when you read our Snow White issue (coming soon!). Even if I don't, though, I promise the ten pieces we're publishing are all AMAZING and will blow your mind with their twists on this fairy tale. 

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.

https://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/submissions

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

Making Timeless Tales More Writer-Friendly

(Written by Tahlia Merrill Kirk, Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine)

Contracts are probably the most tedious parts of the publishing process to discuss. If you're a freelance writer, you'll know all too well how verbose contracts are-- often to the point of being indecipherable. When I started Timeless Tales, I didn't really understand what most of the legalize meant, so played it safe by using lots of standard boilerplate language. Most of that has surprisingly stood the test of time, but other sections have needed reevaluation. 

As we've been ramping up for our Snow White submission window (coming up March 12-22), I've been researching ways to tweak it. Specifically, I'm looking into the possibility of providing Kindle versions of TT directly on Amazon...but that's still a work in progress, so don't get too excited. As I was re-examining our contract, I started thinking about this phrase:

"Exclusive Worldwide Rights"

I think it's assumed within the publishing industry that preventing writers from sending their story elsewhere will keep the supply/demand curve in the publisher's favor. This is certainly true when it comes to books. You'd never want to publish an author's novel if there was a chance another company would publish it too--that would be a disaster! Following this logic, we've always requested exclusive rights for 6-12 months after publication...

But now we're trying something new.

The more I considered it, the more I concluded that the impact of loosening our rules would be minimal to us. I seriously doubt our site will lose readers just because a story/poem can be found in two locations. In fact, I actually think it's a perfect opportunity for us to indulge in some mutually beneficial cross-promotion on social media as we celebrate the author's good fortune.

So we're changing the "exclusive" to "non-exclusive". 

Plus, let's be honest: We're a pretty niche market. And while our flat $20 per piece rate is excellent for poetry, it isn't exactly full market rate* for the fiction we receive. It seems only fair that, until we can raise our rates, we should allow our writers to sell their pieces to other markets without restriction. After all, what is a small impact on us might be a significant financial impact for a writer.

So that's a summary of the changes upcoming writers will see in our new contract. If you have questions or would like to see our template for yourself, you can always email me at timelesstalesmagazine@gmail.com .





*Not yet, at least! If you want to help us raise our rates, becoming a Patreon supporter will get us closer to making that possible.

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:

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

 

How to Write a Killer Fairy Tale Retelling

Hi, Fairy Folk! This is Tahlia, editor of Timeless Tales Magazine. One of the most common questions I get from writers is what I look for in a retelling. So I thought I’d provide my top tips for how to nail your short story or poem, whether it’s a fairy tale, myth, or legend. Hopefully this will spark some ideas for our upcoming issue (Arthurian Legend theme, in case you hadn’t heard yet)...

Unsurprisingly, even before I created Timeless Tales, I read a lot of retellings. Not just fairy tales and myths either—Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen...you name it, I’ve devoured it. I’ve even had a few of my own published, back when I was writing more short stories than reading.*

So I thought I’d share some of the wisdom I’ve picked up along the way about how to produce a killer twist on a familiar tale.

1. Re-read the source material:

Never assume you already know the tale. Do a little research to dig up lesser-known facets that might inspire you. Better yet, read multiple versions of the story because, especially with the older tales, you'll find different details and even endings.

I admit I failed to do this with the first retelling I ever wrote, Two Knights in One Day. It was a take on Sleeping Beauty, but I only discovered after it was published, that the original contains a rather horrific plotline involving rape. Would reading this have changed my story? Hmmm...hard to be sure, but I probably would have put more of a conscious emphasis on consent in romantic relationships.

Another example is a TT submission I read a while back. It used the names “Anastasia” and “Drusilla” for Cinderella’s stepsisters. As an editor, my eyebrows immediately raised because those are the names the Disney movie gives them. It made the author appear a little amateurish because it felt like that was probably the only version they’d ever encountered! Even if the original doesn’t change your own story, you owe it to yourself to know what your version will be compared against.

#NotAllStepsisters

2. Question the Original. Especially ask "how" and "why":

Exactly how does Rumpelstiltskin spin straw into gold? Why didn’t Puss start helping the Miller’s son until after the Miller died? What makes the wolf's disguise so convincing to Red Riding Hood? Let’s be honest: most fairy tales don't waste time on explanations. Part of the fun is all the nonsensical happenings and illogical behavior, but you can add complexity and depth by tackling these issues head on. Don't’ feel like you need to address every oddity or answer every question, either. Pick one or two and stay focused on those.

Surprisingly, your biggest handicap in writing a retelling might be your love of the original. Being a huge fan of the original can actually blind you to its flaws and prevent you from taking risks.

I made this mistake with a Little Mermaid retelling I wrote. I absolutely adore Andersen’s lyrical prose. His descriptions of pain are just unbelievably exquisite. So my first three drafts spent waaaaaay too much time meandering through descriptive paragraphs in an attempt to emulate his style. It completely got in the way of the plot. Thank goodness the magazine’s rules forced me to cut my word count down. I realized that 3-4 pages could be deleted because they had just rehashed scenes from the original tale. Once they were gone, the pacing was dramatically improved.

On the other side, don’t be afraid to ask yourself what bothers you most about this tale? My Sleeping Beauty retelling I mentioned earlier emerged because I didn't like the idea of a guy kissing a girl without ever knowing her. So I wrote a version where the two could communicate while she's asleep.

3. Ask "what-if":

This is your classic elevator-pitch twist. It’s taking a key

building block in the original and replacing it with something new. This is a great time to play with setting, swap genders, and question innocence or guilt. What if Cinderella happened in Ancient Greece? What if the Little Mermaid was male? What if the witch wasn't evil?

In my experience, the strongest What-If retellings are the ones that fully develop the concept they’re presenting.  Don’t get lazy and treat your Ancient Greek setting like it’s a themed party. Slapping on some descriptions of marble columns and renaming Cinderella to Penelope isn’t going to make your story stand out. You’ve gotta dig deep, maybe do some (gasp!) research even. Ask yourself how your new setting changes the motivations of your characters and the outcome of the plot.  

4. Consider the Minor Characters:

I told my Sleeping Beauty story from the prince's perspective, but you can think even more outside the box than that! Give a voice to someone who is usually glossed over. What are Hansel and Gretel's parents' motivations? Don't stop at people, examine animals and objects too! What does the spindle think about for a hundred years? Don’t be afraid to even invent a character!

5. Do NOT Keep the Plot the Same:

It doesn't matter if you set it on the moon, from the perspective of the glass slipper, and make Cinderella annoying rather than sweet, if you keep the basic plot the same (orphan girl abused by stepmother, girl defies odds to go to party, girl wins prince), it will be predictable and probably boring. Take risks! Surprise your reader!

6. Mesh Two Tales Together:

This is probably my favorite technique to use. Find parallels between two stories and weave them into something new. I've done King Midas/Rumpelstiltskin and Hamlet/The Little Mermaid. Don't ask me why, but I get such satisfaction from bringing two very different worlds into harmony with one another. It turns the story into a puzzle for the writer and I get a big kick out of that element.

You can even mesh pop culture and folklore. Wouldn't Ocean's 11 and 12 Dancing Princesses make a fantastic combo??? You bet they would!

*”Two Knights in One Day”, my Sleeping Beauty retelling and “M’Lady”, my Dracula-inspired Cinderella retelling

This post was updated from a post on Diamonds and Toads from 9/28/2011