The
(anti)Fairytale
It
seems apparent fairy tales have made their reemergence. I’ve seen everything
from the classic retelling with a twist to modern, futuristic, dark, even
horror...pretty much every genre has their spin on it. I’m actually enjoying
this trend because I like classic fairy tales. Granted, a classic fairytale
isn’t what most people envision. I’m thinking Grimm’s; most people think
Disney. But, no matter which version you’re familiar with they still follow a
similar formula. One that most know and love.
And
what’s not to adore about an enchanted kingdom, a beautiful girl meeting a
handsome prince and, of course, the ever important happily-ever-after. Sounds perfect...sort of. I think the
same fairy tale could also be interpreted as a beguiling kingdom entraps
ordinary girl who meets complete stranger and is expected to instantly fall in
love and/or marry. Hmm, that actually sounds frightening, especially if you’re
the ‘ordinary girl’ with other plans in life.
Happily-ever-after
is different for everyone, which means sometimes it goes against everything we
learned as a child. This is what I like to call the anti-fairytale. It doesn’t
mean the story won’t end happily. It simply means in order to get there we may
have to go against the standard formula. Often we find ourselves presented with
two different paths, each with its own pros and cons. One looks shiny and
bright, but doesn’t necessarily mean it’s perfect. The other route may be a
real challenge to venture down—you know the one...dimly lit, filled with bumps,
uphill both ways, crappy phone reception, no place to stop to use a bathroom,
incessant muttering of ‘are we there yet?’ (wait, that might just be a trip
with my children...a very hard road
to travel). Either way, the path is scary, the outcome is unknown and it’s
definitely not the easy choice. But, when the time comes to make a decision,
ultimately, only one question must be answered: Which of these paths leads to my happily-ever-after?
I like
to think Gossamer is two-parts faery and one-part fairytale. (Which is why I
spell faerytale with an ‘e’. The emphasis is on faery.) While the story focuses on Irish Legends involving Fae, it
has a sprinkling of what should create the standard fairytale formula ending
with a classic fairytale twist. So, can it still be considered a fairytale?
Well, when your main character is a faery searching for her happily-ever-after,
then it seems the only thing you could call it is a faerytale, right? So, yes.
Kylie’s story is a faerytale. It may be flawed, but in the end, she will decide
which path leads her to where she ultimately wants to be.
So
which path would you choose—the fairytale or the anti-fairytale?
Author Bio:
Renita Pizzitola writes Paranormal Romance and
Urban Fantasy. An avid reader herself, she has always enjoyed stories with
witty humor, romance, and fascinating characters. Renita lives in Texas with
her husband and two children. When not writing, she enjoys reading everything
she can get her hands on, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and playing
referee to her two typically adorable children.
Gossamer Blurb:
Shouldn't
all faerytales end with happily-ever-after?
Kyla Ashbury is nearing her eighteenth birthday
when a mysterious boy appears at school. Her instant attraction to him
inexplicably awakens something inside her and she discovers her true identity.
Now, armed with the knowledge of her past, she is
forced to leave behind the life she has always known for a new one filled with
temptation, faery charm and magic, and a future she wasn't prepared for.
Kyla is left with a difficult decision…but no
matter which path she chooses, someone will get hurt.
I like the description of your story; it sounds like something a lot of people can relate to. We often find ourselves with more than one path that we can take, and it's hard to figure out which one to choose.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to decide whether I would pick the fairy tale or the anti-fairy tale for myself. I always loved fairy tales when I was younger, because I believed that they could come true. But now that I'm older, it's different.
I think I'm an anti-fairytale kind of girl :) Thanks for reading and commenting!
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