The Archeology of a Story

Tags

Brothers Grimm, Fairytales, Literary Fairy Tales, Mythology, Storytelling, Writing

 

In a recent craft discussion at the GLVWG monthly meeting, professional storyteller Charles Kiernan discussed the evolvement of literary storytelling.  Before the invention of the Guttenberg Press, or handwritten accounts by trained scribes, legends, folktales, and mythology were passed down through generations by word of mouth. The following are notes from Charles’ seminar.

**********

 Mythology, legends, folktales, and fairytales can be lumped together as pre-literary.

Mythology: Myths are the creation stories of a given culture, replete with characters representing fundamental aspects of that culture. And yet those characters have personality traits that appear to be individual. These gods and goddesses are both universal and unique. We, as individuals, tend to identify with one or another of these divine beings. Each of us has our primary myth.

Legend: This form of storytelling deals with maybe/historical heroes and heroines, again associated with a given culture. King Arthur, Sigurd, and Roland come to mind. They touch on and converse with mythological figures. The distinction between the two is not always clear.

Folktales: More often stories of the common people, although not always. Legendary figures like the indomitable Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill can appear as Fin McCool, a downgraded, buffoonish giant in the folktale.

Fairy Tales: These are a sub-category of folktales. The distinction between the two is that fairy tales have the element of magic. It hurts me to say “sub-category.” Fairy tales are superior to folktales and perhaps the origins of myth.

There is the argument among folklorist about whether fairy tales come out of myths, or if myths come out of fairy tales. I suggest the answer is “yes.”

 Literary Fairy Tales: These are, of course, fairy tales written down with an eye on the literate reader, one use to literary conventions. His name is Hans Christian Andersen.

Ok, maybe that is not fair, but he does exemplify the literary treatment of fairy tales.

Fairy tales have their own unique structure.

• Few characters have names. Typically, they are identified by their position—king, queen, youngest son, old soldier.
• Descriptions are sparse. We are told little of how things look.
• Tales are in the third person objective. We never get inside the character’s heads.
• Tales are not dialog driven. Dialog is used to highlight parts of the story.
• There is more telling than showing. Showing is a wordier process than telling. Telling is succinct, as are the tales.

Moving beyond structure:

• There is a propensity for the number three. For example, in The Goose Girl we see three drops of blood. Later on in the story there are three stream to cross, and three passages through the dark gateway.
• Royalty has magical powers. This is always assumed, perhaps a reflection of the times.
• Animals can talk, and not simply animals talk to animals, but also animals talking to humans.
• Evil must be punished and good rewarded. Typically, evil is destroyed in rather graphic terms.
• Story usually ends happily. You can have a fairy tale without fairies, but happy endings are the rule. However, there are cautionary tales that do not end so happily.

Shared traits between oral and literary storytelling.

Both (usually or frequently) have:

• A beginning, middle, and end.
• Characters, particularly protagonists and antagonists.
• Plot.
• Crossing the threshold.
• Helpers.
• Conflict.
• Rising action.

(Note: The above list is less applicable to literary fiction than it is genre fiction. Also, I did not include romantic relationships as a common trait, although there are plenty of fairy tales ending in marriage.)

Limitations of oral storytelling.

Fairy tales:

• Are presented in the third person; never first or second person.
• Lack character development. (Most characters do not even have proper names.)
• Do not get into the heads of its characters. (It is a hallmark of a literary fairy tale when the story does so. As soon as the tale describes what a character is thinking, you know this is not a traditional fairy or folktale.)
• Are highly limited in physical descriptions. (Princesses are typically “beautiful.”)
• Are rarely tragic or melodramatic. (There are cautionary tales that end badly, but do not rise to the level of Greek tragedy.)

Conclusions:

My suspicion is that fairy tales are based on the dream structure of pre-literate, oral storytellers.

According to Marie-Luise von Franz (Jungian psychologist) in her Interpretation of Fairy Tales, “Fairy tales are the purest and simplest expression of collective unconscious psychic processes.”

Examples:

Old Woman in the Wood, Brothers Grimm, Kinder und Hausmärchen (Children’s and Household Tales)

The Turnip Princess. The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales, by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth, Erika Eichenseer (Editor)

The final element I want to mention, that is common to oral and literary storytelling, is the narrator. In the case of oral storytelling we are dealing with real live narrators, who being human are ephemeral. The literary narrators—including those of fairy tales written down—for being virtual, are more likely eternal.

What this means is, for your narrator in your story, who may or may not be you, there is the DNA of long ago storytellers floating beneath your tale.

**********

The GLVWG resident expert on the art of fairytales and the telling of tall tales, Charles Kiernan is the coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild, the Pennsylvania State Representative for the National Youth Storytelling Showcase, the Pennsylvania State Liaison for the National Storytelling Network, and recipient of the 2008 Individual Artist Award from the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission.

He loves to tell the Brothers Grimm and other fairy tales. But, be warned, he does tell them in their original spirit, under the belief that the “grimness” of Grimm serves a purpose, and should not be removed.

He performs at theatres, listening clubs, schools, libraries, and arts festivals.

You can contact Charles at cjkiernan01@gmail.com, and follow him at his website, Chaztales.Wordpress.com, Lostdollar.net, and his Facebook Page.

 

 

Chris Redding Presentation at GLVWG

Tags

Chris Redding, Editing, Ghost Writing, Professional Writing, Writing, Writing Fiction

Aren’t many writers out there, especially new authors, who don’t dream of hitting it big with a bestseller.  The odds of it are akin to winning the lottery.  Chris Redding gave a presentation at the GLVWG September general meeting and offered some tips for making money with the craft before you get published.  In the afternoon session, Chris gave us her top ten list of writing good fiction.  The following is a summary of her talks.

**********

Morning Session, September 24, 2016

How to make money before you get published

Writing for others is a good way to build a portfolio.

1. Who can you write for? Here’s a few examples.
   1. Magazines – which are getting smaller, and more focused by subject matter.
   2. Newspaper contributions
   3. Beta Reading – Sites do exist where people will pay to beta read material
   4. Writing, Editing, Proofreading
   5. Speech Writing – Lot of corporate folks who need a ghost speechwriter.
   6. Ghost Writing – Penning someone else’s story
2. What skills are needed?
   1. Writing ability – Seems obvious, but necessary to gain trust of potential client
   2. Professionalism and good Business Sense.
   3. Motivation, Perseverance, Discipline
   4. Goal Setting
3. Start Broad. Look for specific jobs where you have expertise. If you’re into gardening, search for all on-line sites and publications that do gardening. A few more examples:
   1. The academic community can be very lucrative, especially students where English is not their primary language. Graduate students who need someone to pen their thesis.
   2. Reputable book review organizations are always on the lookout for credible reviewers
   3. Business writing for corporations, executives in need of someone to take their ideas and organize it into a presentation.
   4. Doctors who don’t have time to pen their articles.
   5. Short fiction for magazines. Chris mentioned the “Confession Market”, or short stories written in the 1st person for magazines such as Women’s World, or True Confessions.
4. In choosing markets, look for news agencies, writers markets. Writer’s Digest and Publisher’s Weekly good places to look.
5. For those without a portfolio, Chris suggested a few sites to browse, but cautioned a need for careful vetting of potential clients.
   1. Upwork.com, Freelancer.com, Guru.com
6. Then, there’s the money side.
   1. When starting out, might have to accept lesser fees until established.
   2. Editors and Proofreaders may charge by the page or number of words
      1. Established, well-known editors charge hourly rates, ranging from $35 – $100 per hour.
   3. Ghost writing someone else’s book can run from $7,500 – $50,000.
7. Things to consider with a writing job.
   1. Will it further your career?
   2. Most periodicals pay by the article, which usually have a defined word length. Some periodicals don’t pay, operating on the premise “the writer gets exposure”. Unless you’re desperate, suggest avoiding these.
   3. Pay careful attention to fee structure and fine print with bigger jobs
   4. With big projects, like ghost writing a book, or preparing materials in business, insist on a written contract. Always front-load the fee. Chris recommended at least 50% of the fee up front, 25% when rough draft is complete, the remainder upon completion. Agree on how many rough drafts will be allowed.
   5. Try to avoid ghost writing projects where potential clients unrealistically believe their story will be a bestseller, and offer percent of future proceeds.
   6. Always have an “out” in all contracts, if project isn’t working for you and the client.
8. Problems you might encounter.
   1. Chris looks at all writing jobs with respect to how much of a “pain-in-the-derrière” a potential client might be.
   2. Client not making themselves available to keep the project moving in a timely manner.
   3. Subject matter not a good fit for your expertise, or not a good fit with potential client.
   4. How taking on writing jobs affects your work/life balance.
   5. Lot of nutty people out there. Go into all projects with your eyes open.

Program Speakers for September, October, November

Tags

Alissa Grosso, Chris Redding, GLVWG Program Speakers, Kathryn Craft, Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips

Mark your calendars, GLVWG’s Program Chair, Brenda Havens, has lined up excellent speakers for the new fiscal year, following the general meeting at the Palmer Library in Palmer Township.

Chris Redding

September 24, 2016

Chris Redding will present a morning session on “How to Make Money Before You Hit It Big”. Ghostwriting is just one of the ways that a writer can make money while building a career. Chris Redding will take writers through the various types of writing that will make them short- term money, and to websites where they can find those jobs. Included in the session will be tips on obtaining and retaining clients for a steady income.

In the afternoon, Redding will lead a 90-minute workshop on “Layering: Not Just for Cakes”. In this class, students start with two pages of dialogue, and transform it into a fully functioning scene. By adding each element of what needs to go into a story individually, students will see how it all makes the whole, and will be able to add all the elements seamlessly, including description and character emotions. Instead of deconstructing a scene, they will construct a scene from the ground up.

The afternoon workshop is free for GLVWG members, and $15 for non-members. Register at glvwg.org

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey juggling her family, a part time job, and her writing. She has seven books, a short story and a collection of short stories published.  Website: http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com/

 

Alissa Grosso

October 22, 2016

Easton author Alissa Grosso will speak in a morning session on “10 Lessons for Writers from a Former Indie Book Reviewer”.

In the afternoon, Grosso will lead a 90-minute workshop titled “From First Draft to Published Novel (a talk on revisions and edits)”.

The afternoon workshop is free for GLVWG members, and $15 for non-members. Register at glvwg.org

Alissa Grosso is a young adult novelist whose books have been published on four continents. She’s the author of the novels Popular (Flux, 2011), Ferocity Summer (Flux, 2012) and Shallow Pond (Flux, 2013). She frequently speaks about the world of books and publishing,  and the ups and downs of being a writer on her YouTube channel Awkward Author. Her writing has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines and websites, and she is a monthly contributor to YA Outside the Lines. Alissa is represented by Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. Her website is alissagrosso.com

 

Kathryn Craft

November 26, 2016

Pennsylvania author Kathryn Craft will present a morning session titled “Developing a Confident Voice”. Readers respond to the confidence in an author’s tone. It’s that “mysterious something” that elevates prose beyond the ordinary. It inspires trust. The reader may not be able to analyze it, but he knows it when he sees it, and responds by continuing to read. Writers despair that author confidence is an intangible, bestowed by sensibility or absorbed by osmosis. Both may be true, but there’s a third element: craft. In this presentation, writers will pick up tips to infuse their prose with confidence.

In an afternoon workshop, “I Wrote It, Now What?”  based on the presenter’s personal experience as well as the types of issues she encounters daily as a developmental editor, attendees will take a hard look at what it really means to “develop” a work of writing. Hint: It isn’t only about dotting “i’s” and crossing “t’s”, and it can’t possibly be addressed in one additional draft. Attendees will leave with a game plan for how to organize a multiple-drafting process that will bring to fruition the full potential of their work. Prerequisite: a near-to-fully drafted novel.

The afternoon workshop is free for GLVWG members, and $15 for non-members. Register at glvwg.org

Kathryn Craft writes stories that seek beauty and meaning at the edge of darkness. Rich with material for further thought or discussion, her novels make a great choice for book clubs. Long a leader in the southeastern Pennsylvania writing scene, Kathryn served for more than a decade in a variety of positions on the boards of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group and the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, and volunteers as time allows with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Kathryn also hosts writing retreats for women and speaks often about writing. She writes a monthly series, “Turning Whine into Gold,” at the Writers in the Storm blog, and freelances as a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppies Writers, a marketing cooperative of women’s fiction writers.