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Definition
- An imaginative story in which life is altered with magical creatures and surreal realities that usually ends with a happy ending.
Fairy tales are what inspires us as children all the way up until adulthood. In some cases, adults apply fairy tales to parts of their lives. Many things can be learned from the morals and imaginative things that exist in a fairy tale and are often called Fables as well becasue the two types of stories are so closely related. These creations are what directors use to create a movie. All the characters and storylines are the same. The only added extra is the director's view of the world that was read or told to him/her.
The Composition of a Fairy Tale
- Fairy Tales usually begin with the phrase: Once upon a time
- Fairy Tales usually end with: And they lived happily ever after
- The storyline of a fairy tale begins with the sequence of peace, evil, redemption, and a conclusion of peace.
Examples of Creatures Found in Fairy Tales
- Fairies & Pixies
- Dragons & Sea Monsters
- Princes & Princesses
- Kings & Queens
- Knights & Peasants
- Ogres & Trolls
- Witches & Warlocks
- Other Supernatural beings
ManBearPig - Place of Origin: Imaginationland
Examples of Settings Commonly Found in Fairy Tales
- Castles
- Dungeons
- Lairs
- Rough Terrain
- Blazing Deserts
- Jagged Mountains
- Raging Rivers and Waterfalls
- Collosal Tidal Waves
- Treacherous Swamps
- Dark Forests
Famous Quotes
"I said the sense "stories about fairies" was too narrow. It is too narrow, even if we reject the diminutive size, for fairy-stories are not in normal English usage stories about fairies or elves, but stories about Fairy, that is Faërie, the realm or state in which fairies have their being. Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants, or dragons: it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted. The definition of a fairy-story — what it is, or what it should be — does not, then, depend on any definition or historical account of elf or fairy, but upon the nature of Faërie: the Perilous Realm itself, and the air that blows in that country. I will not attempt to define that, nor to describe it directly. It cannot be done. Faërie cannot be caught in a net of words; for it is one of its qualities to be indescribable, though not imperceptible. It has many ingredients, but analysis will not necessarily discover the secret of the whole. Yet I hope that what I have later to say about the other questions will give some glimpses of my own imperfect vision of it. For the moment I will say only this: a "fairy-story" is one which touches on or uses Faërie, whatever its own main purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy. Faërie itself may perhaps most nearly be translated by Magic - but it is magic of a peculiar mood and power, at the furthest pole from the vulgar devices of the laborious, scientific, magician. There is one proviso: if there is any satire present in the tale, one thing must not be made fun of, the magic itself. That must in that story be taken seriously, neither laughed at nor explained away." — J.R.R Tolkien
Super Side Notes
- When writing a fairy tale, it may be helpful to get the perspective of child. Ask a child what he/she would expect in a fairy tale if you are having a bit of writer's block
- Try and come up with something that is interesting and draws your audience in.
Let's Write a Fairy Tale
- The first thing you need to do in order to start writing a fairy tale is to create a main character. When creating a hero of the story its nice to create someone that is ordinary and has integrity and morals.
- Now complete that character with his/her exact opposite whcih we will call the antagonist. The antagonist can be anyone or anything that is working toward an evil goal that will ultimately affect the hero.
- Now compose a plot that is meant to motivate the hero into fixing it.
- End the story with a classic happy-ending that restores things back to normal.
- It's nice to end the story with a moral to it. It's usually Something that the reader or listener can learn from and apply to their everyday lives.
Example of a Fairy Tale
- Once upon a time, there lived a simple farmer rooster named Randy. One day, the evil Pollo Loco began terroizing the town with its enormous beak and ourageous prices and it was up to Rooster Randy to defeat the beast and restore the town to peace. Rooster Randy chased el Pollo Loco through the town and defeated him with his Pitchfork of Peace. Peace was restored to the town and Randy went back to his simple life where he lived happily ever after.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing a Fairy Tale
- Is the title of the story something that will draw the reader to the book to begin with?
- What type of reader am I trying to appeal to?
- Is the storyline appropriate to my audience?
- What message am I trying to send to my readers?
- Is my moral in the story something that provokes thought and sparks change perhaps?
Bonus to the Story
- The hero can be trying to save a damsel in distress
- Adding other characters to the story will make the story more interesting and appealing to the reader because they help build on the storyline.
- Horror stories can also be considered of a fairy tale nature
For an in-depth definition and more instructions on fairy tales Click Here!
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References
"Fable." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 05 Mar. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fable>
"Fairy tale." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 05 Mar. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fairytale>
"How to Write a Fairy Tale." eHow.com. 28 Feb 2009 <http://www.ehow.com/how_2085331_write-fairy-tale.html>
"How to Write a Fairy Tale." Scribd.com. 28 Feb 2009 <http://www.scribd.com/doc/3956018/How-to-Write-a-Fairy-Tale>
"Morals." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 05 Mar. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/morals>
"Surreal." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 05 Mar. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/surreal>
Tolkien, J. R. R. "On Fairy Stories." Tree and Leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. <http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/introduction/ftdefinition.html>
External Links
http://aesopfables.com/aesophca.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/
