Writing fairy tales is easy!
So you want to know how to write a fairy tale? I can tell you how. I am professional writer for more than twenty years and I wrote about three hundred fairy tales and short stories for children, all published (radio shows, magazines, picture books, collections of short stories and audio books).
I am among most popular authors in Slovenia and I got several awards for my writings for kids and adults. Most important of all, I can support my family with my work and stories for kids are among best family resources because of their potential of passive income producing.
Enough about me. You came here to learn about writing. I have a good news: writing a fairy tale is pretty easy. Same stands for every kind of story writing, including stories for kids. In most cases you need just couple of hours to make your very own if you follow some simple rules.
I'll try to present them as illustrated step by step instructions. Look at them, take some time to enjoy their beauty and think about great stories they represent.
You need a character your audience can relate with. It can be human being, animal, plant or object. It really doesn't matter, but in practice humans and animals were always best for the main role.
If you want a teapot playing main character in your fairy tale, be my guest. Hans Christian Andersen and Oscar Wilde wrote several pretty good ones with objects in leading roles but even in their best works main characters are humans or animals.
The most important thing is set of characteristics. Your hero must have some characteristics the reader of fairy tale can relate to. Is he funny? Smart? Brave? Nice? Good-looking? And even more important: what are his shortcomings? Is he too small? Too weak? Too shy? Too lazy? Boring?
Good example is a main character in Valiant Little Tailor. Every child, boy or girl, can totally relate with him because every kid has to deal with mean spirited giants (adults who simply have too much power) on daily basis.
Positive set of characteristics makes your character a hero.
But only with some faults he can be believable hero!
We can debate about equal rights, living in 21st century and so on, but let's face it: lady in trouble always sounds great as a basic story synopsis.
O.k., we have a hero or heroine, but we certainly need something else!
Do you prefer reading a book to learn the tricks of the trade?
For some reason many of us decide to write a fairytale. Most of these creations will never be published but they can still give us tremendous pleasure when we make them and read them. Just to ourselves or to wider audience.
The basic rules are really simple and they can be covered by a cheat sheet presented in this page. But in most cases you will still need a little extra to make a really good story for kids. Maybe you can get some help from the books written by people who had already done it several times?
They share their tips in great books in your nearest store: Amazon on-line!
Really practical guide with easy to follow rules. You'll have your very own treat for children in no time!
Yes, creating interesting and convincing character can be time consuming. Actually pretty time consuming.
But I can disclose you a little trick (I use it all the time, but I have some even better tricks in my sleeve).
When you create a good character, you can use him (or her) in many fairy tales or stories.
Of course even the greatest character is not enough!
What is a setting? Well, think about place and time of your story. Does it start once upon a time when young girl must leave her home because of poverty, or is it a modern tale about divorced parents who fight for their only kid?
What is its range? Will everything happen in couple of minutes, or will it last for decades?
How important will your setting be? Will determine heroes' actions or will just add some touch of credibility?
Don't forget the possible symbolic meanings of setting! Fairy tales are stories about growing up. So in most cases you should start a story with a kid or youngster facing a great challenge. Challenge should be bigger than him, it should be so big, the reader could feel the possibility of being lost in the situation.
And what is better place to be lost in than dark dark woods?
Yes, it is possible to write a one, just right to suit your needs, your audience, your taste.
Your story, your rules. Welcome to the world of creativity and imagination!
Send your hero on the mission!
What is his quest? Is he searching for wealth? Love? Wisdom? Wants to rescue or protect somebody? Set his goal!
Can you set it even higher?
This book is written for all ages, even for children which often have surprisingly sparkling ideas.
Perfect opponent in is of course... - ...the evil witch!
Reward on the end of the journey should be spectacular!
Don't forget -.in most of great stories the biggest obstacle to heroes' success is hero himself!
In quest for success we really have only our limitations. So we have to overcome them, improve ourselves and earn a reward - a change, become responsible and respective part of society.
With a helper you don't only introduce a new skill, you can open a whole new world of interactions among characters.
Human being is never a lone island. Even Robinson Crusoe had Friday!
... the more the merrier!
In most stories a side-character is introduced only because of his function (to do something instead of hero, to give him important information, magic object, etc.), but it is your job to at least try adding him some depth.
Think about the hunter in Snow White. Think about his dilemmas. He surely didn't want to hurt Snow White, but if he wouldn't listen the evil queen, he would put in danger his and his family's lives!
Every dilemma makes a story stronger, more recognizable, better!
Now you just need to add a pinch of magic!
Make your stories through play! - Writing stories as a child's play!
Yes, you read it right. Making your own stories is fun and you don't even have to be literate for this. You can actually learn how to write a story for kids without noticing you are learning!
This is a game for a whole family. You get a set of cards and each card presents a character, setting or other typical element of a fairy tale.
The game comes with clear instructions, it is suitable for kids from three years above, but it really offers a lot of fun to everybody involved.
Quality time, family bonding and playful way to learn about the composition of a story - who wants more?
A fairy tale or a story?
If you wanted learn how to write a story for kids, you can skip this part.
But if you want to write a fairy tale, some kind of magic should be added too!
Don't be too easy on your hero or the audience. Especially don't be too easy on yourself!
But if you want to write great story add something special, some surprise, maybe humor, unexpected twist, just something to remember.
Note: harder the battle, more glorious the win!
Give your audience a happy ending!
They breathed and trembled with your hero.
Do you believe, you can write a fairy tale now?
Yes, it is really easy!
It is really nothing extraordinary. In fact everybody already lives his very special fairy tale right now!
Will you try to make your own story for children?
@Charito1962: Please do, it's fun!
Thanks for these valuable tips! I must say that writing for young minds is a difficult task. But I'll try to write a tale someday.
Interesting lens! You make it sooo clear and look easy on how to write a tale. it's good that you highlight this here.
Not sure if I would ever write a fairy tale, but your lens is definitely a great resource. It's almost magical how you explain the basics and what makes a fairy tale great. Thanks.
Your writing is so entertaining, I smiled all the way through reading this - but you offer the wannabe storyteller a great deal of good practical advice in there, under the good humour. Well done - I'm bookmarking this one to come back and read again!
Thanks for the instructions. I have often thought about doing this.
What a great lens! My wife illustrated a fairy tale for some friends. It just came out. Even though we are adults, she loves having me read them to her out loud. I do it with an English accent to add a touch of culture. Great fun.
@VioletteRose LM: Maybe you should start with a climax and build a story from there? I sometimes start with an ending and write it backwards!
This is really great information. I have never even written a short story myself, even though I tried many times. I start really great, move forward then get stuck somewhere and I drop it there unfinished. I usually struggle with finding a climax.
I loved your Lens! In my life I've been writing many things, but not stories for children. It sounds like a great and not so hard challenge. Children are great so it's very rewarding to write them a story! Thanks for this great short guide into story telling for our little ones!
This is a great lens for my daughter to read, since she has to write stories and fairy tales for school.
@anonymous: I don't have a system for creating messages. sometimes something happens and I feel the message with such intensity to build a story around it without any planning. On other occasion I simply 'steal' a message from old story, like I presented in my step by step instructions bellow (example: Cricket and Ant by Esop) and make a story with original view, or twisted message, or completely new setting etc.
All good advice thanks Tolovaj - I'm just thinking of writing a children's book so this has been a great help!
I am a writer myself but I have never quite written a fairytale. I am going to now thanks a lot for this! I shall practice it! It seems a lot of fun! But a question, how do you make an over-all message or theme for it?
Great info and tips! I'm inspired to write and create a wonderful fairy-tale with my young sons as co-authors!
@MaryMitchell: Nice to hear that. Good luck!
@anonymous: Depends... I think the hardest is to write something short and meaningful. With fairy tales you have a lot of room where certain mistakes in structure are forgivable.
fairy tales are probably the hardest to write!
You make it sound so simple, and I guess it would be (within reason) now that you have pointed out the things we have always taken for granted in reading a fairy tail.
@KerryVor: I hope my tips help... If you persist, everything could be done, really!
Thank-you Tolovaj. I have a kids novel, half-written, that I think using some of your wonderful advice will help me to finish.
@jeskasight: You just have to start. It gets easier from then on!
@LauraCarExpert: Glad to hear that. Great idea is a great first step. Now you just have to make another step. It is simple. One step at the time.
Yes I already have few ideas to start, and this lens helped me a lot.
@yarfodg: Hope it helped a bit!
Thanks for sharing..this is a lens to refer back to when I start my Fairy Tale!
Thank you for liking my Lens on online guitar lessons. Great Lens on how to write a fairy tale!
Tomo, I absolutely love your writing style! I have almost read everything yours since Zmaji so... I haven't written anything for fun for many many years now, but I am bookmarking this. As soon as I am done with writing a book for my work I'll give it a try. So glad I ran into this. Keep writing!!!!
@webscribbler: Thanks for your explanation. Although I understand the informational oriented writing doesn't have a lot of space for poetic elements, I believe all writers can add something special to any kind of writing. I was working as a sport journalist for several years and trust me - even a boring soccer game can be presented as exciting piece... I also 100 percent agree with you thoughts on writing for small circle of audience like family etc. The most important thing is to try.
Thanks again for your kind visit!
@TolovajWordsmith: I think you may have misunderstood my post. It was meant to be a compliment to you. Reading it again, I'm not sure it turned out that way.
I write primarily informational pieces. My dandelion lens that you so generously praised is a good example. There's not much room for poetic type writing in the pieces I usually write when conversions and keyword count are more important than writing to draw a picture, create suspense or tell a story. I tend to write tall tree. Getting more visual in my writing is one of the areas I hoped to use Squidoo to work on.
I do plan on visiting more of your lenses as they provide the first useful information for aspiring writers that I have seen in a long time.
I love the idea of encouraging people to try. Even if they write fairy tales that only their children will hear and love, they should give it a go. It could even be a family project that becomes a treasured heirloom.
You make it sound so easy but I know it's not. Good storytellers can set the scene by describing it to you. They don't say things like "tall tree" they say "the tree's limbs stretched up to the sky, higher than the birds fly". That style of writing takes practice but also a talent that not every writer possesses.
Thank you for the inspiration and I'm definitely going to check out your other writings too.
@kathysart: So go for it!
I have been meaning to! This is sooo helpful. I love the illustrations you used for your examples too.
I used to write short stories and fairy tales for my younger brother and sister when I was younger (second grade or so). Since then I have graduated to books.
@LouisaDembul: It is not necessary a lot of work although sometimes you need to correct and correct and correct... But you are totally right on being fun:) Go for it!
I've never tried to write a fairy tale, sounds like a lot of work. But would be fun to try!
@anonymous: Yes, do that. It's fun!
Perhaps. This would be fun to do with my kids. I guess we'll have to try one.
@Kimberley Vico: Nice to hear that!
This is something I would like to do. Lovely lens.
I sure will endeavor to! Great Lens... thank you!
I am going to give it a try. I have a little story in mind that I might work up. Just have to think it through.
Although I have a difficult time with character development, I will try to write a fairy tale. Thanks, you have provided excellent tips and advice.
@hmrezaul123: Certainly hope they will!
@Felicitas: Glad I helped a bit:) Thanks for your kind words!
Great lens. I think people will learn how to write fairy tails.
I can see why you've done so well as a writer. I liked and tweeted this lens. The advice you give sounds easy, but to do it well requires a deep understanding of people's psychological makeup. And, you're able to do all that while staying lighthearted. That's rare. I will have to reread this lens a few times, and maybe pick up a couple of the writing books you recommend.
I hope to give it a try. I have been doing some research on how to. Your lens is so encouraging and helpful.