Building a Fractured Fairy Tale
Create a Good Character A fairy tale needs someone to root for. They don t have to be perfect. (Just think Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk or Red in Little Red Riding Hood ) Readers should like them and want them to succeed. Think of traits that you like in others add those to your character.
Devise an Evil Character A fairy tale must have an evil character that works as an antagonist to the good character. The evil character usually has special powers of some sort and they must use those powers in a way to cause the good character pain. Think character foil what traits would be in direct opposition to your good character? Or, what similar choices have the two characters been exposed to and how did the evil one decide?
Design a Magical Character The magical character can be the evil character but many fairy tales have both good and evil magical characters that work to off-set the other s influence. Be sure that the magical traits make sense within the story for updated versions of stories, choose a trait/ power that fits with modern times.
What is an archetype? The original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype. (in Jungian psychology) A collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.
continued THE GUILELESS FOOL This character type is typically marked by an uncommon lack of common sense, an honesty of spirit, and an almost preternatural luck. Will brave many challenges that he manages to overcome without a scratch and without any particular skill, but simply by being so simple that he is cunning and by being so clueless that he is courageous.
continued THE MEDDLESOME FAIRY The most high profile of the fairytale character types. What is interesting about the fairy character is how different they are from our modern view of fairies in modern tellings, fairies are naturalistic and wise, but in most of the original stories they are petty to an extreme.
continued THE WICKED CHRONE The wicked witch or old crone is standard fare for fairytales. Characterized as cruel, wicked, and pretty terrible. You can generally count on the wicked crone being punished terribly for her crimes, which typically entails the witch being burned to ashes at the stake.
continued THE CHARMING PRINCE They are inevitably dashing and handsome, usually well spoken, and somehow manage to convince young ladies to marry them nearly as soon as they ve met. (All of the classic princesses, Cinderella, Briar Rose, and Snow White all marry their prince after at most a single meeting.) Quite often these princesses reward their princes for doing very little. The best you can say for these princes is that they are lucky and have excellent timing, but that is another lesson that fairytales often repeat, that good luck is sometimes better than heroic feats.
continued THE BEAUTIFUL DAMSEL The number one most repeated character type. It is also the most diverse of the character types. Although most often they are royal and rich, they can also be poor peasants; although they are usually cherished, they can be treated cruelly; they can be pure of heart and noble or the can be petty and spoiled; they can passively await their rescuing prince or they themselves can be the rescuer. They MUST be beautiful, in some cases surpassingly beautiful, and in a few embarrassingly beautiful. Ultimately, this is the universal truth of the princess character, her virtue must be reflected by her outward appearance she must be beautiful.