Writing with Fairy Tales: Inspiration for Any Genre
Eastern Ontario Writers’ Festival
Saturday, September 19 | 11:00 AM | Casselman Public Library
Fairy tales are found in some of your favourite literature, whether you know it or not!
In this workshop, fairy tale scholar and author Tish Black will introduce participants to fairy tales and how they have been used in literature of all kinds. There are more ways to interpret fairy and folk tales than you may think: “Cinderella” is not just about how to entice a prince with dainty feet.
From short stories to novels and even memoirs, fairy tales can be a writer’s inspiration, provide story structure, and use familiar motifs to connect readers to the material. Fairy-tale-influenced writing can be any genre.
Participants will use what they learn in a writing exercise. Given a familiar fairy tale and a story alteration as a prompt, you’ll write or plan your own fairy-tale-inspired story. The workshop will wrap up with time to share what you wrote and learned.
Whether you’re fairy-tale-loving or just fairy-tale-curious, you’ll leave this workshop with some unexpected inspiration!
*This 45-minute version of the workshop is available for free through the EOWF workshop program. See below for the full 3-hour workshop available online.
Writing with Fairy Tales: Inspiration for Any Genre
Fairy tales aren’t just for happily-ever-afters. Fairy tales have influenced every genre of literature, and they can influence your writing, too. By studying fairy tales, you can learn how to use them in your writing, whether you want to write a clear retelling or integrate fairy-tale motifs into any genre.
In this online workshop, hosted by fairy-tale author and scholar Tish Black, you will get an overview of what fairy tales are and how to understand them and use them in your writing. You will learn what you can do with fairy tales in retellings, with examples of the many ways fairy tales can be interpreted and retold. You will use what you learn in two short group storytelling exercises to spark fairy-tale inspiration. And finally, the main writing exercise will provide prompts to pair a fairy tale with a what-if and give time to write or plan your own fairy-tale-inspired piece.
Follow-up materials include a further reading and recommendations list, the workshop slides, and the print-your-own game used in the workshop.
This workshop is limited to a small group to be as engaging and interactive as possible.
Time: 3 hours
Bring: writing tools of your choice
Google Meet: Live, no recording
Autumn Dates
Saturday, September 26, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Writing with Fairy Tales: Inspiration for Any Genre
Reserve your spot ($60 CAD)
Saturday, October 24, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Writing with Fairy Tales: Spooky Inspiration for Any Genre
Reserve your spot ($60 CAD)
Saturday, November 21, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST
Writing with Fairy Tales: Winter Inspiration for Any Genre
Reserve your spot ($60 CAD)
Testimonials
“If you dream of channeling your inner Angela Carter but just can't seem to get out of your own way, look no further. Tish will give you information, inspiration, and then a gentle shove right out of the nest.”
“This gave me the starting point I needed to clear my mind and just write. And that's the hardest thing to do - get started.”
“Tish Black's Writing with Fairy Tales workshop was both inspiring and a lot of fun. Her knowledge of fairy tales runs deep, but her presentation of the various concepts and story patterns is super accessible. This workshop not only gives students a rich set of tools for weaving fairy tale magic into their own writing, it also invites participants to take part in collaborative storytelling activities. I thought having to make up stories on the spot would be terrifying, but it turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the experience. Writing with Fairy Tales left me itching to work on my own stories. I felt like a kid with a fresh box of crayons.”