Top 5 Reasons for Writing a Fairytale Retelling By David Estes
With my SciFi Pinocchio retelling, STRINGS, having been just released, I’ve been thinking a lot about why I wrote the book in the first place! Here are my top 5 reasons for retelling a fairytale:
- Nostalgia! When I read awesomely creative and action-packed fairytale retellings like Cinder by Marissa Meyer, I love those moments when, despite the originality of the retelling, I connect the story to the original fairytale. As a reader, it gives me a sense of nostalgia, taking me back to my childhood, when the magic of fairytales and Disney were a major part of my life. I want to give those same nostalgic moments to my readers, when someone picks up STRINGS and reads about an AI nano-robot named Fig and says, “Hey! That’s supposed to be Jiminy Cricket!”
- The challenge! As a writer, I love to challenge myself. I pride myself on being as original and creative as possible, which made retelling a fairytale such a formidable task. How do you be original while also not losing the magic of the original fairytale? That was a question I asked myself a million times throughout the process. Honestly, though, I loved the challenge, and felt that, in the end, I was up for it. STRINGS truly captures the complexities of Pinocchio’s journey through the eyes of a completely new set of teenaged characters in a futuristic world of my own creation. I hope readers will draw parallels to the original story, but view STRINGS as its own story.
- A dream! Honestly, I had no plans to write a fairytale retelling, although some of my readers were encouraging me to do so. But then I had a dream. In the dream, there was a girl, who looked real enough, but whose every movement was dictated by what looked like strings. However, as the dream continued, I realized that the “strings” were some serious technology, metal arms that could sense her movements and flow with her or against her, depending on the situation. The idea started to form in my head and I couldn’t get it out. The question “Am I real?” kept cycling through my mind. It was Pinocchio’s ultimate question, and it was then that I knew I couldn’t tell the story any other way than as a retelling.
- Fairytales are full of magic! And I don’t just mean the magical kind of magic. I mean the magic of emotions, of feelings, where you want to cry and laugh and bite your nails all at the same time. Fairytales make us feel things. So although the world I created in STRINGS is devoid of “magic”, it has a different kind of magic.
- A literary opportunity! Over my last few novels (particularly my most recent dystopian series, The Slip Trilogy) my writing has been moving in a very literary direction. I’ve been inspired by writers like Tahereh Mafi, Marissa Meyer, and Beth Revis, who have shown that writing can be action-packed, suspenseful, and poetic, all at the same time. STRINGS is a work that is equal parts science fiction, fairytale retelling, and literary. I felt a fairytale retelling was the very best opportunity to take my writing to new literary heights!
That’s it! Those are my top five reasons for writing my newly release SciFi retelling of Pinocchio, titled STRINGS! I hope you all enjoy the read, which is available in Kindle ebook, Amazon paperback, and an audiobook narrated by the incredible Kate Rudd. And a special thanks for having me on your AWESOME blog!
Strings
Written by David Estes
“A wonderful retelling of the Pinocchio story… I simply couldn’t put this book down.”
Rysa Walker, bestselling author of TIMEBOUND
Sometimes the strings that tie us down are the same strings that set us free.
Sixteen-year-old Pia has always lived in a mysterious facility where mechanical strings control her existence. She plays apprentice to her father, Gio, in performing nanotech designs for the Company, and she soon suspects there are diabolical human forces behind the manufactured reality of her world.
Though her childhood memories and the origins of the strings remain strangely elusive, she begins to find solace with the introduction of two unlikely friends: daring, irrational Sofia, and calm, tender Marco.
As the truths of the past and present unravel together, Pia must find a way to free herself from her strings and escape the facility before facing the wrath of the unstable head of security, Mr. Davis. But to gain her freedom, she must navigate the dangers posed by Davis and by her suspicious new friends to find the real identity of the puppeteer.
If Pia can succeed in revealing the secrets of the Company, she may very well find the independence she so desperately seeks. But in her controlled world nothing is as it seems, and the closer she gets to the truth, the graver the consequences.
Giveaway
About the author
I’ve heard good things about David Estes’ writing, so he was already on my radar. I love his reasons for writing a fairytale retelling though…especially the challenge! Thanks for sharing about Strings. It’s going on my tbr. 😀
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