Fairytales I Want to Retell

I love classic tales. I love making them new even more. It’s a type of writing that goes back to the great J.R.R. Tolkien who’s tales were just twists and his own in depth versions of old Norse and Celtic tales blended into the wonderful world we call Middle Earth.

I’ve been reading his “The Fall of King Arthur” and it got me thinking about other fairytales or myths I’d like to try my hand at rewriting. The Custodian Chronicles is the opening of a whole world I’ve been working on, opening it up early in this world’s lifetime with a retelling of the rise of Merlin. So I’ve always been one to rewrite a classic! I decided to share my top 10 fairytales/myths/legends I want to rewrite.

10. The Princess and the Pea – Gail Carson Levine did a series called “The Tales of Biddle” that I loved listening to over and over. Sadly, those recordings are lost, but I still loved them. Her version of the Princess and the Pea I always enjoyed and made me want to see “Once Upon a Mattress” which also is super fun. I’d love to create my own more exciting tale of how the princess was kept awake by a pea. (2024 Update, The Enthronement Series was inspired by this idea after reading several books with princess test/contest themes :D )

9. Swan Lake – I love “Swan Princess” and one of my first introductions to my love of fairytales and their retellings was an old Barbie Movie call “The Princess and the Pauper” and so I watched all the fairytale based Barbie movies including Barbie Swan Lake. I like the differences in them and would love to tackle this one someday.

8. 12 Dancing Princesses – I honestly wanted to be a ballerina after I saw Barbie’s 12 Dancing Princesses. I even started lessons and got really good before I had to quit for financial reasons. But this one just captured me, and I’ve wanted to venture back into that world I fell in love with and create my own version since.

7. The Little Mermaid – This one is Disney’s fault in part, but also partly because I just want to do a mermaid tale, and I’d love to go back to the roots of the original tale of Hans Christian Andersen rather than relying on Disney’s softer, typical weaker princess style.

6. Cinderella – Because you can’t write fairytale retellings for a living and not od this one… that’s it. Honestly that’s it.

5. Sleeping Beauty – I have a very exact idea for this one. What if the prince that has to love her to awaken her can’t remember her? It’s really because of the scene in Disney “maleficent” I got the idea, but I really want to expand on that question into a flushed out story.

4. The Sword in the Stone – Because I love the TV show Merlin and I love Disney’s Sword in the Stone, and I love Disney’s the Black Cauldron and I love the original book series for black cauldron, and I’d love to combine them into one story. I may do a few version of this one because who doesn’t love a magic sword?

3. The Ice Queen/Frozen 2 – Frozen 2 hit so many right notes and so many sour ones. I actually would love to use some of those ideas and actually expand on better ones I thought they were going for in the movie. So I blame Frozen 2 for this one, but I literally have been dreaming up ideas so am looking forward to talking this project.

2. Aladdin and the Magic Lamp – Again ,Disney’s’ fault. I always felt Beauty and the Beast was my favorite growing up because I love the old castle, book worms, and all of that, but honestly, I would pick Aladdin as the movie to watch more. And I was shocked how much I liked the Live action. Hate on me if you want, but I really enjoyed it! Yes, even Will Smith’s unique Gennie. I liked his different take. Not that it eclipses Robin Williams at all. I love them both, but my style just fits the live action more. And it got me really thinking, and wondering if Beauty and the Beast really is my favorite. I think I’ll do a few versions of the tale of the diamond in the rough.

1. Beauty and the Beast – Because I have an idea for this one that mixes my love for Disney’s Classic, Disney’s live action, a rare old version I love, the original tale, and “Hunger Games” and “Tiger’s Curse” Into one big story. And I’m so excited to write it. So it’s at the top of my excited list, though it’s likely not going to be written until later, but I just am falling in love with the growing characters coming out of this story.

What fairytales would you like to see me rewrite? Which one of these ideas are you most looking forward to and why?