Bring Magic into Your Fiction: How Fairytales and Folktales Can Enhance Your Story

August 2010 — Bring Magic into Your Fiction: How Fairytales and Folktales Can Enhance Your Story
Presented by Beth Barany
Dates: August 5-27
Deadline: August 2

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Course Description:
“Once upon a time there was magical woman who loved fairy tales. But alas, the evil monster had eaten every tale in the land. And thus, the magical woman had no more power, because all her power was bound up in the tales she would tell around the fire at night.

So early one morning, she packed her rucksack and grabbed her walking stick. She turned to her cat, “Come along, Kitty. We’re off to find a way out of this mess.” She shut the door behind her and set off.

She didn’t look back, not even once, though she had no idea if she would ever be back to her cozy cabin at the edge of the woods. She did know, however, that she had to find a way to recover her magic.

She had to defeat the evil monster…”

Deep within dwell the tales of our childhood. These tales stretch their roots back through the mists of time into legends and myths of yore. Tap into your inner archetypal storyteller by learning how to use fairy tales, folktales, and other elements of fantasy to write fiction that is more powerful.

In this workshop, you will:
• Learn how to identify folktale and fairytale motifs, understand their applications and benefits, and how they can shape and improve your story
• Enhance the power of your fiction by mastering the use of your story’s magical objects
• Increase your tools of world building, including setting, history, “pantheon of power,” and more
• Be inspired and motivated to move your story forward
• Gain clarity in what’s already working well in your fiction
• Get structured exercises both about and on your writing
• Harness the subconscious power of oral story telling

Instructor Bio:
Beth Barany, a certified creativity coach, coaches, consults and teaches writers and those want to write. She offers workshops, e-courses, and products to support writers who want to enjoy the writing process AND get their books done. As a service to the writing community, Beth offers free support via her blog, Writer’s Fun Zone, www.writersfunzone.com, and her site, www.bethbarany.com

After working in journalism for 15 years, and teaching ESL in the US and France, Beth switched her writing focus to fiction, and now writes young adult fantasy. Her young adult fantasy novel, THE DRAGON STONE, is under consideration by agents and editors. Beth is a contributing author to the anthology, WRITING ROMANCE.

On her off-hours, Beth enjoys walking, the outdoors, gardening, watching movies, and reading. Beth is married to singer/song-writer and high school physics teacher, Ezra Barany.