Retelling means telling a story again, but a little bit differently―so that it reflects your own style and your own understanding of the world. You can decide to keep many things the same, or you can tweak the characters, the setting, and the plot. It’s completely up to you, and the possibilities are endless!
Hopefully, your new version of an old story will be something that people want to read. The advice on each of the tabs below is a good way to get started.
First, it’s important to become very familiar with the original story. If you start with a favorite fairy tale from your childhood, you should have no trouble recalling all of its key elements. If you choose a story you’ve just read, though, you should reread the story and make some notes as you read, focusing on the story’s key elements and imagining how they could be different.
Your fairy tale can be a brand-new invention. However, readers should still be able to connect it to the original story. As you are thinking of ways to change the tale, remember to consider each of the story’s key elements: characters, setting, conflict, plot, and moral, or theme. For each of these elements, list some details that you can include in your story. At least one of these elements should be the same as the original story.
Fairy tales and folk tales were originally written to provide life lessons. Your version of one should end by stating or suggesting a moral that is relevant for your audience―your classmates and other modern readers. Before you start writing your story, decide what it is that you want readers to learn or take away from it. Focusing on that lesson will help you place important details throughout the story.
Readers want the protagonist in a story to learn lessons along the way. Showing a character’s progress will be easier if you are careful to give your protagonist some flaws, as Owen did at the beginning of “Scarlet’s Lesson.” It’s also important to have characters make important mistakes so they can learn the lesson you want to emphasize. Plan what these mistakes will be before you start writing the story.
It’s finally time for you to start writing your own spin on a fairy tale or folk tale―or even a fable if you prefer! You can base your story on an old story you already know, such as The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, or Cinderella―or you can choose one of the stories below as your starting point. (You should recognize some of these stories from earlier in the course.)
| The Stork and the Watermelon Seeds |
A magical, seed-dropping stork rewards one farmer and punishes another. |
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| The Big Fire |
Two brothers are supposed to be out fishing. One of them has other ideas. |
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| The Talking Goat |
A generous farmer gives away everything except the one thing that might save him. |
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| Ivan the Fool |
Ivan the Fool has married a frog, but she could be the best wife ever. |
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| The Emperor’s Seeds |
Someone will grow up to be Emperor. Could it be Ling? |
Once you decide on a story, follow the advice at the top of this page, and write your first draft. (Your first draft should be at least half a page long. A full page is even better!) Do not move on to the next page until you’ve finished writing the first draft of your story.
