CINDERELLA

The Prince and the Willow: I'm still not sure I'm sold on the title... but I've submitted my Cinderella retelling and that's the title that went with it. :) Now I can focus on the sequel to The Orb and the Airship (I'm sensing a trend in my titles lately...)

I really had rather a blast working on this retelling. I explained some of my hesitations regarding this contest in my blog post about Ever After, but that wasn't the only reason. I mean, have you ever read Cinderella? I love the story, I do. But there are so many weird things about fairy tales in general, and that one in particular.

Ignore the Disney version, for a moment, with its talking mice and singing Godmother. As I began writing my own version, I knew I wanted to do several things differently. But first, I wanted to re-familiarize myself with the actual fairy tale. This, of course, meant a trip to the library (I go to the library twice a week or more) to check out as many versions of the Cinderalla fairy tale as they had.

Disney definitely changed more than talking mice.

In most of the tellings, there is actually a series of balls, and Cinderella gives her sisters multiple chances to include her, by asking them to lend her a dress.

In many of the tellings, Cinderella's father is present... but not at all helpful.

Often there is a magical tree that manages to grow by being watered with Cinderella's tears - and it sometimes takes the place of the fairy godmother (Cinderella goes out and says something like, "Tree, tree, I'd like to go to the ball, please shake a dress down on me.")

If it's not a magical tree, it's a sick or injured bird that Cinderella nurses back to life who ends up transforming into a fairy godmother and helping Cinderella in return for her kindness.

And then there's the whole nobody recognizes her thing. I have this issue with superheroes, too. In most of the stories, Cinderella actually goes and talks to her stepsisters at the ball, and shares oranges or something with them... and they NEVER recognize her. What's up with that?

So, as you can see, there are a few things about this story that are just odd. I've always had a problem with the concept of the father not dying. If he is around, how am I supposed to really believe that this loving, devoted, caring father could possibly NOT notice or care that his new family is treating Cinderella so cruelly?

Also, the magical tree thing. (Magic in general) Because it's never mentioned or even alluded to in the story until Cinderella isn't allowed to go to the ball. And then she just happens to know the magical incantation that will cause the magical tree to give her a pretty dress? (The fairy godmother thing actually makes more sense).

So, all of this is going through my head as I'm writing the story. It took me three or four drafts (my first draft lacked an ending, and my second draft got vetoed by my husband who said he enjoyed everything about the story EXCEPT... so I had to rework the ending again, and make Ella less prone to bursting into tears) but I came up with something I'm happy with, and if I don't win the contest, I'll probably publish the story on my own. So, either way, you can be excited, because eventually you'll get to read it.

Want a couple of hints? Well, as you can tell by the title (hopefully), I made the prince a much more main character (gave him "top billing" as it were). And, yes, I went with the tree theme... but the tree isn't magical, nor does it mystically thrive on saltwater. There is a fairy godmother, but that's not who ends up helping Ella. And there's a bird... who is... somewhat more than a bird (but not a fairy godmother... if you think a little more Fantasy than Fairy Tale, you'll probably figure it out). Oh, and it's a masked ball. :)