Fairy Tale retellings
Oct. 11th, 2021 07:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiriel123My favorite pieces of fanfiction as a kid was re-imagined fairy tales. They weren't called fanfiction because some were actual published books, but it was still my first exposure to transformative works.
Here are some fairy tale re-imaginings that I would write, if I could actually sit down to write anything longer than a journal post:
Sleeping Beauty: I would change the story so that it actually is about Aurora. The first part can stay the same - given gifts by the fairies, cursed by Maleficient, raised in a secluded cottage in the forest, etc. But when she pricks her finger on the spinning wheel instead of switching points of view to focus on Prince Phillip and the daring rescue, I'd follow Sleeping Beauty into her sleep. The real fight takes place in her dreamscape, as Aurora battles her own internal insecurities and the power keeping her under. There could also be a showdown between her and Maleficient. I'd keep the take where Maleficent has been unfairly treated by the kingdom/Aurora's family, because I like that, but Aurora was still innocent when she was cursed, and Maleficent's anger should have been taken out on the real culprits not a baby. It'd also be cool, since the curse affected the whole kingdom, if her birth parents or other nobles were pulled into the magic nightmares and there was a whole reckoning with them as well. Anyway, obviously Aurora triumphs at the end, and her defeat of her nightmares is what causes the ivy to stop fighting the Prince (I think that's what happens, he fights super sharp plants or w/e?) and he's able to get into the castle. Everyone wakes up. Happy ending still
Alice in Wonderland: Alice is a junior private investigator, whose firm has been hired to track down who is dealing the newest drug on the street, Wonderland. Normally this would go to someone more senior but their informant, known only as the White Rabbit, will only talk to Alice for plot reasons. Alice works to track down the supply of Wonderland, and it leads her down a rabbit hole of epic proportions. The Cheshire cat becomes her guide in a glittering world of crime, corruption, and wealth. I did at one point imagine the Red Queen as her secret bio-mom, who had also paid off the police department to let her rule her criminal empire in peace.
Little Red Riding Hood: humans encroach on the forest, cutting down trees and building their settlements, and the forest fights back. This is a fairly popular take on this fairy tale but I still like it. Little Red is a teenager who is saved by the Wolf from one of the King's Huntsmen, who take what they want as they want. No romance, only friendship between actual Wolf and human Little Red who can telepathically communicate (I did consider Little Red maybe having a bit of supernatural in her - part dryad or something). Anyway the King is determined to wipe out magic and Little Red + the rest of the forest is just as determined to not let that happen.
Rapunzel: Instead of the witch next door stealing Rapunzel away, or bargaining for her for her plant namesake, the witch next door sees how the husband treats the wife and when the baby born is a girl rather than a son and heir, the husband throws her out into the trash. The witch saves her and, disillusioned with humanity, builds her a tower so she'll be safe from harm. I really want a true mother-daughter relationship here.I don't have much else in my head something something with the prince and Rapunzel leaving her tower, and finding joy in humanity. But not with her birth family, she and the witch have a good, loving relationship still at the end
Cinderella: this is my favorite fairy tale, I imprinted upon it as a little girl and never got over it. I've seen or read soooo many version of Cinderella - original cartoon, Brandi version, Selena Gomez version, Hilary Duff version, that one with the Christmas elf, the one where Cinderella was a DJ, Ella Enchanted. Ash, Ever After, Cinder, The Ugly Stepsister, too many more to list (I even tried to watch the terrible amazon prime version but that was NOT Cinderella ok, it just took Cinderella's name in vain ugh it was so terrible). Anyway something about a masquerade ball and secret trysts just gets me. I feel like all the good re-imaginings are there I'd just take my favorite pieces from this story or that to put it together. Included in this list just because of my love for Cinderella not because I have anything coherent to add
Here are some fairy tale re-imaginings that I would write, if I could actually sit down to write anything longer than a journal post:
Sleeping Beauty: I would change the story so that it actually is about Aurora. The first part can stay the same - given gifts by the fairies, cursed by Maleficient, raised in a secluded cottage in the forest, etc. But when she pricks her finger on the spinning wheel instead of switching points of view to focus on Prince Phillip and the daring rescue, I'd follow Sleeping Beauty into her sleep. The real fight takes place in her dreamscape, as Aurora battles her own internal insecurities and the power keeping her under. There could also be a showdown between her and Maleficient. I'd keep the take where Maleficent has been unfairly treated by the kingdom/Aurora's family, because I like that, but Aurora was still innocent when she was cursed, and Maleficent's anger should have been taken out on the real culprits not a baby. It'd also be cool, since the curse affected the whole kingdom, if her birth parents or other nobles were pulled into the magic nightmares and there was a whole reckoning with them as well. Anyway, obviously Aurora triumphs at the end, and her defeat of her nightmares is what causes the ivy to stop fighting the Prince (I think that's what happens, he fights super sharp plants or w/e?) and he's able to get into the castle. Everyone wakes up. Happy ending still
Alice in Wonderland: Alice is a junior private investigator, whose firm has been hired to track down who is dealing the newest drug on the street, Wonderland. Normally this would go to someone more senior but their informant, known only as the White Rabbit, will only talk to Alice for plot reasons. Alice works to track down the supply of Wonderland, and it leads her down a rabbit hole of epic proportions. The Cheshire cat becomes her guide in a glittering world of crime, corruption, and wealth. I did at one point imagine the Red Queen as her secret bio-mom, who had also paid off the police department to let her rule her criminal empire in peace.
Little Red Riding Hood: humans encroach on the forest, cutting down trees and building their settlements, and the forest fights back. This is a fairly popular take on this fairy tale but I still like it. Little Red is a teenager who is saved by the Wolf from one of the King's Huntsmen, who take what they want as they want. No romance, only friendship between actual Wolf and human Little Red who can telepathically communicate (I did consider Little Red maybe having a bit of supernatural in her - part dryad or something). Anyway the King is determined to wipe out magic and Little Red + the rest of the forest is just as determined to not let that happen.
Rapunzel: Instead of the witch next door stealing Rapunzel away, or bargaining for her for her plant namesake, the witch next door sees how the husband treats the wife and when the baby born is a girl rather than a son and heir, the husband throws her out into the trash. The witch saves her and, disillusioned with humanity, builds her a tower so she'll be safe from harm. I really want a true mother-daughter relationship here.I don't have much else in my head something something with the prince and Rapunzel leaving her tower, and finding joy in humanity. But not with her birth family, she and the witch have a good, loving relationship still at the end
Cinderella: this is my favorite fairy tale, I imprinted upon it as a little girl and never got over it. I've seen or read soooo many version of Cinderella - original cartoon, Brandi version, Selena Gomez version, Hilary Duff version, that one with the Christmas elf, the one where Cinderella was a DJ, Ella Enchanted. Ash, Ever After, Cinder, The Ugly Stepsister, too many more to list (I even tried to watch the terrible amazon prime version but that was NOT Cinderella ok, it just took Cinderella's name in vain ugh it was so terrible). Anyway something about a masquerade ball and secret trysts just gets me. I feel like all the good re-imaginings are there I'd just take my favorite pieces from this story or that to put it together. Included in this list just because of my love for Cinderella not because I have anything coherent to add
