by WB Intern, Deborah Darden
Like story prompts based on images, adaptations are also great practice for getting the creative juices flowing! So, we decided to present an interesting challenge to our fellow writers. We provided brief summaries of some familiar and not-so-familiar fairy tales below. Don’t worry, there are links for you to read the full stories as well.
Now, here comes the challenge. After each summary is a premise for you to adapt that fairy tale into something new. Of course, you don’t have to follow the premise given, they’re just suggestions for you if you get stumped. Feel free to blaze your own trail in your remixed fairy tale. So, are you ready? Let’s write!
Jorinda and Jorindel – this anecdote from the Grimm brothers is about an engaged couple who fall prey to an old, disgruntled fairy. The fairy was famous for seizing the men on the premises of her palace and only releasing them once they promise to never return. The women, on the other hand, were turned into nightingales and forced to sing for the old fairy in their cages. Jorindel finds and uses a beautiful flower with a pearl-sized dew drop containing the power to break the fairy’s enchantments, freeing all 700 women, including his beloved Jorinda.
Now, what if you remixed this story to where Jorinda and Jorindel were the captors instead of the captured? Tell us a story of the fairies they captured and how they gained back their freedom.
The Chinese Lily – author Sui Sin Far tells a tragic story about a brother and sister who only have each other. The sister, Mermei, was left disfigured and crippled after an accident and remains secluded from others. To her surprise, she makes a friend named Sin Far who gifts Mermei a Chinese Lily. Sin Far also captures the heart of Mermei’s brother, Lin John, and when a fire traps the girls inside a building, Lin John makes a crushing decision to save his sister.
What if the story played out a different way? What would happen if perhaps, Mermei was Sin Far’s sister, as opposed to Lin John’s? How different would the outcome be or would it even be different at all?
East of the Sun and West of the Moon – this mystical tale by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe might seem familiar. A beautiful young woman volunteers to go with a white bear in exchange for a better life for her family. However, she fails a critical test when she takes a peek at the bear who turns into a handsome prince at night, waking him. With the help of the four winds, three golden treasures, and a cleaning challenge, the woman saves the prince and others from a wicked troll princess.
We’ve all probably seen this fairy tale revamped at least once, but what would your version look like? Let’s flip the script and say our lady hero passes the original no-peeking test, entering into a wonderful life with her prince. Sadly, the four winds are unhappy with this outcome and try to drive the couple apart with four riddles. How would things turn out then?
Cap O’ Rushes – the leading lady in this fable discovered by E. Clodd could probably teach Cinderella a thing or two. Cast out by her father when she gives a rather peculiar answer when asked how much she loves him, Cap O’ Rushes becomes a maid to a well-off family similar to her own. She charms the young master of the family as the mysterious beauty at the dance three nights in a row until he gives her a ring. Cap O’ Rushes proves herself to be the lady he fancies when the young master becomes sick and she slips the ring into his meal. At the wedding feast, she validates the answer she gave to her father’s question, ending in a heartfelt reunion.
How about changing the scenario to where Cap O’ Rushes gives an allegedly acceptable answer to her father’s question when he first asks, but certain events cause an ugly truth to be revealed? Tell us how the story would go then, and if there would be any redemption for dear Cap O’ Rushes.
The “Shinansha”, or The South Pointing Carriage – this is a fascinating story by Yei Theodora Ozaki about an emperor who was also an inventor. To aid his army in finding their way in a fog created by a rebel magician, Emperor Kotei made a figure that always points south which he called, the Shinansha. After defeating the magician, the emperor continued to make many inventions that benefited his people until a dragon whisked him away to the heavens when his time was done.
Rather than an emperor, suppose Kotei is a businessman, and the Shinansha leads him to promising business deals. Would he still help others with this tool or abuse it? Are there any consequences? Share it with us!
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About The Author
Deborah Darden is a writer born and raised in Texas. She currently resides in Round Rock, just outside of Austin. She is a graduate of Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing. Deborah has a passion for telling stories across different platforms and is currently working on a book series as well as a YouTube web series. She also enjoys writing short stories and even hopes to one day create her own anime television show. Apart from writing, Deborah loves reading and watching her favorite films.