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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/3463-.html
Fantasy: January 13, 2010 Issue [#3463]

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Fantasy


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  Edited by: Crys-not really here Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

My name is Crys-not really here Author IconMail Icon and it is my honor to once again be guest editor for the Fantasy Newsletter!


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

Using Fairytales and Fables as Inspiration


We’re all familiar with fairytales like “Cinderella” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” most of us have grown up listening to and reading these stories of magic and moral, and Disney has reinvented them in a way that keeps them alive for generations on DVD. But do you really know fairytales? Do you know what countries your favorite fairytales come from, and how the Disney versions differ from the originals? Did you know that every culture in the world has its own set of Folklore and Mythology?

Many of the stories that you are familiar with may have an equivalent in other countries. While researching for this newsletter, I discovered a website of Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts at http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html. It’s a great site full of full text folktales and folklore from all around the world, grouped into categories such as “Runaway Pancake Tales,” “Changeling Legends” and “Creation and Origin Myths.” To me, this website is an invaluable resource for any writer who wishes to write fantasy or fairytales. I think reading preexisting fairytales and fables are an excellent way to inspire writers; you may find that a creature or character from an existing tale can be adapted for your world, or you may even use an existing storyline and twist it so it works in a different location or time period. A classic example of such adaptation is “The Runaway Pancake,” a fable with origins in Norway and Germany, which is also known as “The Gingerbread Man” in the United States. This fable has even inspired a number of children’s books with a similar theme, among them The Runaway Tortilla by Eric A. Kimmel and Musubi Man: Hawaii's Gingerbread Man by Sandi Takayama. The same tale can be told again and again with new

Just like with any kind of writing, the more you read of your genre, the better you will become at writing it. As I discussed in my last Fantasy newsletter, the definition of Fantasy is so broad that pretty much anything goes. It can only help to know what is out there in the world when it comes to deciding what kind of fantasy to write. Whether or not you write in the style of fairytales or folktales, I hope you can use these traditional fables to inspire you the next time you’re stuck on a story.




Editor's Picks

Forbidden Open in new Window. (18+)
The full story - two elves find love together and face the consequnce
#1586169 by Dawn Embers Author IconMail Icon

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A Pixie Wonderland Open in new Window. (E)
A Spenserian sonnet about a mystic tableau.
#1410581 by Dave has company Author IconMail Icon

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This item number is not valid.
#1476358 by Not Available.

Rapunzel's Escape Open in new Window. (13+)
The real story behind Rapunzel [COMPLETED]
#1579396 by IchigoSakamura Author IconMail Icon

 The Gnock-Gnock Gnome Open in new Window. (E)
A Gnome learns the downside of wasting time. REVIEWS NEEDED.
#1567732 by Limeydawg Author IconMail Icon

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#704669 by Not Available.

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#390845 by Not Available.

 The Princess and the Raven Open in new Window. (E)
Why the raven is black today. A fairy tale.
#640340 by Noner Says.... Author IconMail Icon

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#1072333 by Not Available.

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#1632364 by Not Available.

 
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Ask & Answer

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with feedback on my last Fantasy newsletter, including those of you who expressed what your definition of "Fantasy" is!

Supernaturals, Creatures, and Paranormals of course. Magic never do have to be existing, but letting your imagination soar does! Good first newsletter Crys. Goodluck with winning NaNoWriMo too with that novel!
Angelica Weatherby-Star on top Author IconMail Icon

Thank you so much for your encouragement! Readers will be happy to know that I finished NaNoWriMo!

The old adage is that "fantasy is the impossible made possible, sci-fi is the improbable made probable", but that doesn't do it for me. To me, fantasy means magic--whether whimsical or highly structured--and possibly other universes. Sci-fi means science, as in, has to obey the laws of physics, and although it may include other worlds, it is usually taking place in our universe. But in practice the two genres blend so easily and so much that I think "fiction" would be a good definiton. *Smile*
Raven Author IconMail Icon

I think that's a great definition!

I must thank you for posting "Naming Fantasy People and PlacesOpen in new Window. [E] as one of your special picks. I had never thought of using the game Civilisation to make my maps on and I love the idea. Time to dust off my copy and re-load it onto my laptop!
gemininski


I'm glad you found a useful tip!

Welcome to D&D! Gotta love it. I often get a look of pity when I tell people I write fantasy, but do not let it deter you. And on the fantasy note, I believe we all write a little fantasy. There are just times when you have to make something up, even in a reality based book. ;D
Caledonia Lass Author IconMail Icon

*Laugh* Very true!

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