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Hello, everyone! Welcome to this edition of the For Authors newsletter.  This week's topic is focused on fairy tales, but first off, I'd like to share a few quotes with you. Enjoy!
Quotes:
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Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore every body, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.
--Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
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A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.
~ Cinderella [singing]
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If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?
~ Alice in Wonderland
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"Fairy tales are full of vague dread, a catastrophe that seems to befall only little girls... There are frightening male figures abroad in the woods--we call them wolves, among other names--and females are helpless before them."
~ Susan Brownmiler
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"At its best, fantasy rewards the reader with a sense of wonder about what lies within the heart of the commonplace world. The greatest tales are told over and over, in many ways, through centuries. Fantasy changes with the changing times, and yet it is still the oldest kind of tale in the world, for it began once upon a time, and we haven't heard the end of it yet."
~ Patricia A. McKillip
*
"Vision is one of the five senses, a gift that's easy to take for granted. It comes to us so easily. We simply open our eyes and 'see.' And yet there are levels of seeing. As fairy tales tell us, when we constrict or confuse our vision we are primed for betrayal and destruction; we are in the hold of the witch. To free ourselves we must both try to see clearly and allow ourselves to be seen. These are acts of courage and of power. If we can go beyond that and see compassionately, we may even partake in acts of grace."
~ Ellen Steiber |
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@ ~ Fairy Taling ~@
There's much to be learned from reading fairy tales: Goals, struggles, and satisfying, happy endings, which all make great templates for writing modern stories, too. Think about it... How many Cinderella stories have you read that do not include the characters of Cinderella, her stepsisters, stepmother, and a prince? All you need is a person with dreams, opposition, and a good ending; a "rags to riches" formula. (Oh, don't we all wish it were that simple?) 
In today's Cinderella stories, however, the main character would most likely do more than housework while achieving her goal. Fairy Godmothers, pumpkin carriages, and glass slippers may not be the answer to a modern story today, but they always have a feel good ending.
Fairy tales are normally dramatized by good battling evil, and many times with consequences for foolish actions. Think of Pinocchio, for instance. His consequence was being his nose grew longer each time he told a lie, as he struggled with telling the truth. Today's children are not much different from Pinocchio, other than he is wooden through most of the story and his nose grows with each fib. Real life kids often struggle with telling the truth, especially when it's to their advantage. Fairy tales can be a good example to children, teaching them there are consequences to untruthfulness.
Not all readers need happy endings, but many prefer them. Reading a fairy tale-type story helps us to feel good, giving us satifaction in the end. Writing these fantastical tales can also be adventuresome. Talking creatures, magic, good verses evil, and a happy ending are the main ingredients. And they can be written for any age.
A few interesting books to inspire you:
 Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale by Catherine Orenstein
Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion: The Classical Genre for Children and the Process of Civilization by Jack Zipes
The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim
The Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Mary-Louise von Franz
Creative Writing: Using Fairy Tales to Enrich Writing Skills by Teresa Cannon Hackett
Imitation in Writing: Fairy Tales (Logos School Materials) by Matt Whitling
Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales Writing Lessons by Maria Gerber
Write Your Own Fairy Tale (Write Your Own series) (Library Binding) by Natalie M. by Rosinsky
For additional online information, browse the following links:
How to Write a Fairy Tale
http://www.ehow.com/how_2085331_.html
Discovering Fairy Tales
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fairytales_discovering.htm
Introduction to Fairy Tales and Folklore
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/introduction/index.html
Folktexts: A Library of Folktales, Folklore, Fairy Tales, and Mythology
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
Now for a fun prompt... Recreate a well-known fairy tale or make up your own.!
Happy January and...
Keep on Writing!
Cubby ") |
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~FEEDBACK~
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Acme 
Another ace newsletter, Cubby I started a Writing Group (Writing Cafe) in my local community hall, back in September. The only template I had to start it was WDC, so I set about creating a real community to echo this virtual one. It's our Christmas party this Saturday, and we will celebrate all our successes together. When we meet in the New Year we will be awarding our first contest winners, as well as booking a theatre trip, and booking writers, poets, publishers, and agents to come in and give informal talks. It's like having a little piece of WDC in the flesh!
~ Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Oldwarrior 
As usual, as a newbie, I enjoy reading the newsletters as they arrive in my mail box. This one was very welcome. I was thinking as I was reading it that a good motto for you guys who have been on site for a while would be "Docendo Discimus" which is Latin for We learn through teaching.
Thanks for the great information.
God Bless
Oldwarrior
~ Thank you for your response! I like that motto!
Oldwarrior
As usual I look forward to reading this newsletter as it arrives in my mailbox. As a newbie I relish the information from the older writers. Older I mean those who have been on site for a while. In fact, their motto should be Docendo Discimus which is Latin for "We learn through teaching."
Thanks bunches,
Oldwarrior
~ Again, thank you!
Coolhand
Cubby,
Your newsletters are always packed full of valuable information. I certainly appreciate the effort that must be involved. Thank you for all your diligence this past year to inform our writing community.
~ My pleasure! Thanks so much!
Ŧĥē Beŋ
You're latest newsletter was very timely as I was just talking to my friends about forming an in-person writing and/ or reading group in Long Island to replace the very negative in-person group I'm with now. My rules will not call for it to be all positive but will mandate that at least one legitimate positive comment must surface in each review. Thank you for pointing out the value of positive comments and reinforcing my commitment to this project
~ You are very welcome! It sounds like you've planned well for you future group. Good job!
maryelle
Nearing 70 I have just begun to write prose. Have joined Mainstream Manor and learned how to give indepth reviews. I find how much I appreciate them in return.
I now read with an eye on how I can present it back to the author with respect.
Happy Holidays.
~ Good for you! Thanks for your response.
JACE 
I noted with great interest your impression of the writer's group you joined. I was struck by the comment that your group leader only wanted 'positive' comments about the member's written items. I hope that's not building a false sense of security for the members.
I think an HONEST critique of problem areas given in a positive manner is much more beneficial to the writer. And it makes the reviewer craft his words positively.
Great article, my friend.
~ It's actually been amazing how much better the members are writing. They are feeling more relaxed and open. It's been a good move. However, I'm hearing a few of them now say they would like more feedback, so we do that through emails for now.
Kristina
I always wanted to start a book club or a writing group! Thank you for all of the ideas. I love how you started the newsletter with the definition. THis is my favorite newsletter to get each week!
~ Thank you for your very nice response!
 Thank you, everyone, for all the wonderful feedback you send in!
As always...
Have a wonderful week!
AND KEEP ON WRITING!!!
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For Authors: January 07, 2009 Issue [#2816]
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