Welcome to Conversations with Fairy Whisperers, Allison! So happy to have you as our guest here today. I understand that you débuted as an author by publishing short stories and fairy tale retellings. Can you tell us what fascinates you about fairy tales and how did you begin writing retellings of them?

Hello! I’ve been writing retellings since I was very small. I’ve been drawn to symbolism since a young age: it’s how my mind works, and I love the overt allegorical elements of classic fairy tales, so I think that was my “on ramp” for the genre.

There are incredible themes of truth tucked in amongst the magic of these stories.  I also enjoy the whimsy. Fairy tales naturally have strange and lighthearted oddities, fantastic creatures, and wondrous settings. I also love stories that almost demand sweet endings. I love the guarantee of happy endings that fairy tales provide, where readers can be assured that they will be satisfied and happy when they reach the final page.

Of all the styles and formats retellings come in—pictorial, screen, graphic, illustrated, or written—which do you most favour as an author and as a reader?

What a fun question! Can I say all of them? I think that’s part of what makes fairy tales so exciting: they work so well in any format! I have enjoyed fairy tales as films, graphic novels, and books…but I’ll always have a soft spot for written fairy tales, since that was what I grew up with.

The first retelling of yours I read was a Cinderella one from the standpoint of the fairy godparent. How did you pick this fairy tale in particular? Do you have a favourite fairy tale, and what aspects of it appeal to you personally?

The idea of Burndee (the irascible baking fairy who finds himself embroiled in the story of Cinderella) simply popped into my head one night. I suppose The Reluctant Godfather was simply the culmination of years of loving both fairy tales and baking.

In addition, I always try to do something fresh with fairy tales. I like to do something a bit quirky, something that hasn’t been done before (or at least, something that I personally haven’t seen before). My tagline is “Retellings That Surprise” you, so that’s often my starting point with retellings. 

I love your tagline! After so many retellings, it’s rare that one surprises me these days, especially for a popular fairy tale. Do you have a favourite fairy tale? What aspects of it appeal to you personally, and why?

One of my favorite fairy tales is Rumpelstiltskin. The part of that story that appeals to me is that there is no overt villain—or rather, you could say, there is no true hero. Everyone is behaving so inexplicably and so selfishly that it’s downright farcical, and I do love a good farce!

That explains your retellings being comedic as your trademark. In your opinion, what makes a retelling stand out? What do you consider the joys and challenges of writing in this specific subgenre?

One of the things that makes a fairy tale retelling stand out to me, personally, is something that isn’t just a fluffy romance. Something with a little quirkiness and humor always grabs my attention, because those are both such crucial elements of the classics I grew up reading. I also like fairy tales that make you think. Again, most classic fairy tales had very strong moral lessons, so I love a fairy tale with strong themes! 

I think one of the joys of writing fairy tales for me is that I find it very cathartic to fix things, even if it’s just stories. When life doesn’t make sense, I can still take something weird and try to inject logic and reason into it. I’m not able to answer all the world’s questions, but I can provide answers for why Cinderella’s father married the wicked stepmother! Writing fairy tales is a way for me to bring answers, order, and clarity to a part of my mind that craves it.

I would say one challenge of writing fairy tales is sometimes not being taken seriously as a writer. I’ve found, on occasion, that people can be a little condescending towards fairy tales and the people that write them. I’ve even had a few individuals tell me to stop playing with fairy tales and start writing my “own” stories. Doubtless those individuals have since encountered their fairy godparents and been turned into frogs, but I digress. 

I can relate to being targeted by that dismissive attitude all too well, it’s unfortunate that folklore’s complexity and depth is ignored. And speaking of complex, in your opinion, what fairy tale is the most complicated to reinvent, and why?

As far as which fairy tale is most complicated, Sleeping Beauty is always tough, since your heroine is out of the action for such an extended period.

Unless one is particularly inventive, the author is left with three options: don’t narrate from Briar Rose’s perspective, have most of the story take place before or after the infamous hundred-year sleep, or have part of the story take place in a dream world of sorts. An author has a little less elbow room and flexibility with that story, so they have to be extra clever.

You recently published the audiobook edition of Break the Beast, your reimagining of the medieval legend of Beowulf. When I first read the book, I was struck by it having a faint but very noticeable Beauty and the Beast thematic vibe, sans romance and infused with a Christian angle the original legend does have but is usually overlooked in retellings. How did you come across the idea for this reinvention, and what can you tell us about its creative process? 

I’ve been obsessed with Beowulf ever since I read Seamus Heaney’s translation: I think I knew that I would have to do my own reiteration of it eventually. My love for it was so intense, it was inevitable. 

Sometime after reading Beowulf, I read Into the Heartless Woods by Joanna Ruth Meyer (a book with very defined Beauty and the Beast themes) and was so enchanted by the initial narrative voice (a beast-girl that communicated with a raw, broken POV) and the fascination for that very specific narrative voice and Beowulf collided and my Grendel came to life in my mind. I wrote one scene with her and Beowulf and then temporarily shelved it, because I knew the project would be very demanding and I wasn’t sure I could do it justice.

Sometime after that, I began arranging the multi-author series, A Classic Retold. I originally intended to work on Break the Beast for that collaboration, but then hesitated, because the story intimidated me so much. I tried to work on other retellings for the collaboration but, in the end, the beast called to me and I had to answer. I was right to be nervous about it, though. Writing Break the Beast was one of the hardest undertakings of my life, but it was worth the fight. 

Many authors who started their careers writing retellings later abandon fairy tale and myth retellings for other genres and story ideas. Do you plan to continue writing retellings or will you move on to other projects?

I’ll always be writing retellings, no question! But I’ll definitely be exploring many different kinds of stories in the future. I can never limit myself to one genre. Most of my published short fiction are “original” stories and not retellings—representing various Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and even contemporary genres. I even published a Western anthology last year!

Do you ever see yourself writing an original fairy tale as opposed to a retelling of one?

I’m in the middle of developing an idea right now that has an original fairy tale flavor. It’s very Knightcore/Fairycore and features lady knights, comedic dragons, and enchanted towers. I’m excited about it!

I like the name Fairycore for original modern fairy tales very much! As for retellings, if there was a Hall of Fame for retold fairy tales, which would you consider the best retold stories and why are they worthy of inclusion in said Hall of Fame?

Well, naturally, I’d have to say Beauty by Robin McKinley! I still remember where I was when I first picked it off the shelf.

The chokehold that book had on me was truly incomparable. Most of my early stories were retellings of THAT retelling (I think I worked on about twenty different retellings of Beauty and the Beast in those first years after reading Beauty). It permanently altered my brain chemistry, that’s for sure. I still love Robin McKinley’s writing style. 

Is there an author who you view as a role model for your own writing?

Definitely C. S. Lewis. I’m inspired by his compassion and try to emulate it. It pains me to see so many stories where authors kill off and torture characters arbitrarily because they need to shock their readers to keep them interested—it’s so lazy. And it’s careless of people’s feelings. Many people read to escape from various painful situations, so why would I traumatize my readers for my own amusement? Break the Beast tackles some very intense subjects, but I make sure that tough things only happen for a good reason.

 
I can’t think of any other author that was as conscientious about his characters and his readers as C. S. Lewis. Any torment or pain in Narnia was there for a specific purpose—it was never gratuitous. The weak and the helpless received mercy and kindness. The reader was never shocked or grieved beyond all repair.

His restraint not only showed respect for his readers, but it also allowed him to keep a good, firm grip on story tension, one of the most important elements of storytelling. By not going overboard on suffering throughout his books, Lewis always had the proper amount left over for the Darkest Moment. He inspires me every day.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Allison! We will be keeping an eye on your future books, which we hope will be many more in the years to come.

Thank you so much for having me!