Stories, Frogs, and Kisses

One of my favorite things about fairy tales is that all of the princes tick off not-so-innocent old women, and end up as frogs. There's something wonderful about the journey. Boy starts out as a prince, sometimes spoiled, and looking for adventure. Then the boy finds adventure in the temper of a little old woman with a pointed stick. Many times he finds that his idea of adventure is not the same as living one. And of course, True Love's Kiss makes things better. Eventually.

How does this apply to writing? There's the obvious answer of being able to take out Real Life frustrations on hapless, imaginary people. And while this can help sometimes, my favorite is the second reason: change.

Great stories, and history for that matter, all hinge on change. The story isn't in it when everything's balanced and peaceful. That's the end--or the beginning--of the story. The story is about the change that happens, that upsets the balance, and requires the characters to act, to respond, to live, and to change. That's what a good
story's all about: taking a character and a set of circumstances, knocking them off their feet, and watching to see what happens.

One of the most important things about change is growth. The character at the beginning of the story should not be the same character at the end. The character may act and look the similar to how he/she was at the beginning of the tale, but there needs to be a difference in who they are, or how they see the world.  omethSing the reader can see and relate to. Something that shows that the tale did more than mark time--that it marked a person or a society, real or imagined. If the characters aren't the same at the end of the story, chances are good that the reader won't be either. And isn't that part of what makes a good story so good--the reader becoming part of the ink and paper until the story becomes part of them?

This also compares to the manuscript itself, and not just the story. How many wonderful ideas there are floating around, waiting to be written. And how many of those ideas somehow become frogs in the process, flawed and in need of some serious intervention to bring them to their greatest potential? Again, it's the journey that works about the transformation from manuscript full of holes and inconsistencies to a story that uses words to effect change, to provide a glimpse through a window into the author's world, and a little bit into their soul. Some manuscripts have fewer warts than others, but all require time, dedication, work, and the courage to kiss *dedicate one's self* to something that might not look too promising on the surface. But the rewards of puckering up are always worth it.

Which brings us to a true fact of life: not all frogs are princes in disguise. Not all stories exist to be published. Some exist to show the author that they can sit down and hammer out thousands of words from "Once upon a time," all the way to "And they lived happily ever after." Some exist to show the author how much effort is truly required to find a prince. And some exist as guideposts in the author's life, small maps that show the past, and what the future can hold.

What are some of your frogs? Ones that have become tall, dark, and handsome, or simply remained small, green, and slimy? 


Do your characters change through the story? And does the story change you? 

Danyelle collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers in her spare time. She is currently getting ready to query SLIPPERS OF PEARL, a YA fantasy. She also enjoys making new friends, and can be found at http://myth-takes.blogspot.com.