I am SO ridiculously excited about this week’s prompt! Retellings! I LOVE RETELLINGS. I love them because they are a glint of a childhood storey I’ve loved for years BUT they can be new, and original, and extraordinary.
But there are many retellings I need in my life that don’t even exist. THE HORROR. This is why being a writer is marvellously handy. I shall write them all! I shall! Huzzah! I need, perhaps, 42 clones to actually be able to write all these in a life time…but, pfft, small hiccups.
This list is of all the retellings I want to write. Eventually. And, ahem, there are possibly a few more than 10, but rules are for mere mortals and we all know that I am Queen Of The World. In a well ordered universe, I would like to think I could write some of these and just wattpad them for human enjoyment. So tell me which ones intrigue you so I can prioritise!
This Week’s Prompt: Ten Fairytale Retellings I’ve Read/Want To Read (or fairytales I want to be retold)
You may have noticed that I’m monstrously slightly obsessed with Persian folklore. I CAN’T HELP IT. I JUST AM. I have been since I was twelve, for goodness sakes. (I don’t let go of these things easily.) I adored The Wrath and The Dawn which came out this year, BUT I NEED MORE.
I want to write about:
- Sinbad! And his crazy sea adventures.
- Also Aladdin and the evil wizards and trapped genies.
- Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves!
- Also another Scheherazade retelling, but this time where the Sultan is a Sultana and kills off all the boys. A WOMAN based fantasy world. I’m not even joking — this is super high on my to-write-list.
I mention this occasionally on twitter, but I need to write a Ginger Bread Man retelling…preferably one centring around bakers and cannibalism. Sweeney Todd meets fairy tales?
Apparently this tale is also sometimes called The Fleeing Pancake, which is an excellent title I might add. Very dangerous. Very intriguing.
Of course I want to write my own Alice in Wonderland retelling!! OF COURSE. Did you know that my blog was born of Alice and Wonderland? My first post is the Jabberwocky poem (hey, cut me some slack, I didn’t even understand what a blog was when I began). OH FRABJOUS DAY.
Ahem.
I would like to write:
- By the point-of-view of the Mad Hatter.
- Also have Alister in Wonderland.
- Focus a book around the Red Queen.
- Make it as creepy as creepiness can creep. (This is why I’m a writer. I’m so eloquent.)
I am the forefront of this genius idea since I’ve written a Beethoven retelling. BUT WE NEED MORE. This could be a whole thing, peoples, it could. Retelling the lives of famous people if they were modern! Put Bach in high school. Have a teenage Van Gogh. (That would be scary.)
I also think sci-fi retellings of history is endlessly pleasing. I’ve got a sci-fi Marie Antoinette plotted out.
All of them. Everything. I have no idea why I’m still picking up books about female Cinderellas. BEEN THERE. DONE THAT. I want to read and write all the gender bends.
- Little Merman
- Princess Charming and Sleeping Handsome
- Sisters Grimm
- Georgina and the Dragon
I did attempt this and it was AWFUL. But eventually I’m going to rewrite it and toss it on the grill for you peoples to eat because creeptastic Peter Pan, yes please and thank you. Trust me: my version has Frankenstein’s monster creations, blood-sucking fairies, a psychotic moon, and human sacrifice. It’s beautiful.
Why isn’t anyone rewriting the French tales?! The Hunchback of Notre-Dame would be incredible retold in a French-ish fantasy world. Plus diversity. Plus French food. There is literally no downside.
I quite loved The Secret Garden when I was a tiny moppet. But what if the garden was…evilly enchanted and ATE THE CHILDREN WHO ENTERED? Don’t say it doesn’t intrigue you.
I am very very confused as to why a female!Sherlock does not exist. I want it. So I will write it one day (although I have no idea if my tiny brain could manage a genius crime-solver but…only one way to find out). I also want a female!Watson as her companion. And as much as I think this would be epic for modern times…imagine a FANTASY WORLD with Sherlock in it too?!
King Arthur in highschool? WHAT COULD GO WRONG. (Read: everything could go wrong.) I’m not really versed in my Arthur folklore but, psssht, it doesn’t take much for me to devour everything the library has on the topic.
You know Mowgli and Tarzan? I WANT THEM. They’d be fascinating in the same book but also separately, perhaps companion novels. Definitely still set in India (or Africa) and modernised. Although I wouldn’t say no to a sci-fi version either. Or gender bending it. Basically: THE OPTIONS ARE ENDLESS.
Please do not tell me children’s books are for children. Firstly, I don’t believe you. Secondly, they are so full of ingenious plots and incredible worlds. Like Where The Wild Things Are? NEED A YA CREEPY RETELLING. Also Pocahontas? Fantasy world were cultures clash. And how about Robinson Crusoe in space? Or Oliver Twist and zombies? Please sir, I want some more…brains. Or Seven Little Australians in a fantasy world set in Australia. Because we totally do NOT get enough fantasies or epic fiction set in our country. It isn’t fair.
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Basically I have an insufferable amount of ideas and I desperately want to write them all. THEN I WANT YOU TO READ THEM ALL. Oh, where are my 42 clones? I need them now. But this post was so inspiring to write. Excuse me, I need to go plot 97 new books.
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I need and want all of these in my life!! Please write quickly!!! 😋😋
*clones self wildly* I’M WORKING ON IT. XDXD
OH MY GOSHHHHHH *bows down to this post* I’ve hereby decided that when I’ve finished HSC I’m going to write about three bazillion retellings before I start university. I ESPECIALLY like the ideas of Notre Dame, THE SECRET GARDEN (I WAS LITERALLY JUST THINKING THIS THE OTHER DAY AFTER I READ CRUEL BEAUTY OMG) AND GINGERBREAD MAN.
WHY CAN’T I JUST HAVE ALL THESE BOOKS RIGHT NOW.
I SHALL LEND YOU MY CLONING MACHINE SO YOU TOO CAN CLONE AND KEEP UP WITH ALL THE FANTASTIC IDEAS BECAUSE OOOOOOMG. THEY BURN TO BE WRITTEN. And I forgot, but the Phantom of the Opera too! Basically: FRENCH RETELLINGS. With much croissants.
Oh my goodness, these are all amazing ideas! You are brilliant. Please write them all. Especially the secret garden one, and the POV of the Mad Hatter. Those are my two favourites. 😀
I am brainstorming a fantasy based off of Australia a little bit because we really do need more set in our amazing country.
Good luck with the cloning machine!
OMG THANK YOU!! *feeds you chocolate cake because clearly you are the best* I have such a Wonderland infatuation. I want to do the Mad Hatter so so badly. AWK. You are doing an Australian fantasy?! THAT IS THE BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE. I want to read it. x) Our country needs more! It totally does! (Or any?! I can’t even think of a single Aussie fantasy, tbh. 0_0)
I do like your mind Cait, all of these ideas are fabulous. Some of them I didn’t know I needed in my life, but honestly a female Sherlock. Just Yess.
Mind if I steal a few.
XD
My mind is nefariously fabulous. *awards mind with chocolate* NO YOU CANNOT STEAL THEM THEY ARE MINES. *SNUGGLES RETELLINGS AND THEN COLLAPSES UNDER THE WEIGHT OF TRYING TO WRITE THEM ALL* xD
I NEED CREEPY PETER PAN!
(even though regular Peter Pan was already quite creepy what with Peter REALLY enjoying murder and Tinkerbelle’s orgies and what not) BUT I WANT THE CREEPY PETER PAN YOU MENTIONED.
*GRABBY HANDS*
He is kind of creepy right?! I mean, sneaking into windows and stealing children and obsessing over Wendy? THAT IS PRETTY MUCH NOT OKAY, PETER. *ahem* But squeee!!!! I’m glad you like the sound of mine. #daymade
I wish I could spend some time in your head, it sounds like a fantastical place to hang out. I would love a story about the Mad Hatter, I want to know everything about him and I feel like reading something from his POV would give such a fun view of the world. Have you ever read Avalon High by Meg Cabot? Modern day version of King Arthur in high school. It’s quite good, I really liked guessing which modern day character was which King Arthur character. Also, I love anything Peter Pan so would love to see your take on creepy Peter Pan. Really enjoyed reading through your list this week, and actually feeling inspired to do some writing by the end of it! Happy writing! 🙂
AWK. I think a day in my head would send anyone mad. HENCE I AM THE PERFECT CANDIDATE TO WRITE ABOUT THE MAD HATTER. *cackles maniacally* hehe
I would read every single one of these SO FAST. I haven’t read some of the stories you mentioned, but I love history retellings because I love history so much. More of these need to exist. And India (Indian history nerd right here) has a lot of awesome myths like all the gods and the girl who turned into a swan and lots of others. I love the idea of a scary secret garden. The secret is bluebeards chest, clearly. dead bodies. Colin is a murder and has been punished with an inability to walk by the spirit of the garden. And Dick is doing some wierd things with the birds (yes yes yes yes) sleeping handsome, too, like maybe it’s a feminist society that is so feminist they’re anti men? I don’t even know, but this is fabulous.
Hunter by Joy Cowely is an MG involving Maori myths and a plane wreck, but I have no idea how easy it would be to find.
WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD WRITE THE CREEPY SECRET GARDEN. *hands you pen and paper* BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC. XD Don’t forget an evil enchanted swing. *nods* Ohh, I shall look up Hunter. Sometimes the awesome obscure ones are so hard to find, right?! *pouts*
I feel like half of these retellings are just CREEPY VERSION retellings. Which of course is a FANTASTIC thing — I for one would love having the creepiness of Gingerbread Men finally revealed. AND OMG SECRET GARDEN YES. I loved the story as a child because of ALLLLL the food descriptions (I still have the best bits bookmarked, I think) and creepy food is the best. And I’ve seen your Peter Pan retelling and YES YES YES I JUST WANT ALL OF THIS JUST WRITE IT NOWWWWW.
Yes. YES THEY ARE. Because creepy writing is just who I am apparently. I loved all the food in Secret Garden too! I LOVED MARY. I totally connected with her on a spiritual level because as a kid everyone always said I looked cranky too and I was there like “THIS IS MY RESTING FACE, DANGIT.” XD
I love this! You must instantly write all of these instantly! Especially Peter Creepy Pan and Secret Creepy Garden and anything else creepy!! I will read all of these. I didn’t know that I was missing them in my life until right now. Write them thanksbye
ME NEITHER TBH. I JUST MADE 90% OF THEM UP ON THE SPOT AND NOW I NEED THEM LIKE I NEED AIR. *hyperventilates quietly*
Oh my goodness, I’d read ALL of these! Get writing Cait! 😉 x
I WILL. I JUST NEED THOSE CLONES.
What a list ! I love that you volunteer to write all of these. Let me just say that I’d be more than ready to read more about Alice’s gang in Wonderland, and of course, I’m always here for gender-swaps, especially merman !! (*mumbling, wringing my hands, looking at the floor* also I’ll be sitting right here in case you ever need a French person for advise on French stuff *now I can go*)
Omg. I will. I will come screeching for help when I invade France with my retelling ideas! 😀
Um your list is EVERYTHING. I will read them all. I honestly love the historical retellings. I think it is a fun spin on the idea. And the gender bends.
AHHHH THANK YOU GRACE. XD 😀 I’m so so excited and just flailing because I’m inspired right now.
This list is PURE genius. I would love the gingerbread retelling, mainly because I freaking love gingerbread men. Okay, now I’m hungry and craving cookies. Thanks. Now, if I decide to write a book based on any of these ideas and it becomes a huge success, I guess I have to share my royalties, right? 🙂
I love eating gingerbread man. I adore it. In fact, this entire post is making me crave gingerbread. AHHH I NEED TO WRITE IT OBVIOUSLY. (And stockpile gingerbread while I do?!)
PFFT. MY IDEAS. MINE. *huggles ideas*
I love your ideas of retellings of children’s classics and historical characters. YES PLEASE!!
As I said, I’m rather piqued for your “Beethoven” story :)) *nods*
Nice collection, Cait! I love retellings too 😀 (especially when its only little subtle and hidden references. . . they’re great!)
😀 YAY! THANK YOU! I absolutely die with delight whenever someone says they like the sound of my Beethoven. I JUST HOPE IT LIVES UP TO EXPECTATIONS.
Okay, all of these ideas are so AWESOME! I love the idea of Alice in Wonderland in Mad Hatter’s POV since I never heard/read a book like that. Also the Ginger Bread retelling! That’d be awesome. I’ve read one modern King Arthur retelling, which is Avalon High by Meg Cabot. It’s pretty silly, but I still enjoy it (it’s Meg Cabot!)
Anyway, if you ever write them, I’ll definitely going to read it!
AJFDKLA I AM RIDICULOUS KEEN FOR THE MAD HATTER. Although, tbh, I’m keen for all of these. My brain is like an idea machine. WHERE ARE MY CLONES?!
I absolutely loooove the idea of a female Sherlock. That definitely needs to happen. And we definitely need more history retellings! I feel like we need more crossovers. Like a Peter Pan/Cinderella crossover. Or a Rapunzel/Sleeping Beauty crossover…
YES! CROSSOVERS! I didn’t even think of that but that is pure genius.
Let me tell you a funny story first. I cheated on today’s topic and did my own take on “tales I want to be retold” list. At the moment, your post wasn’t up yet, but I somehow knew that this is going to be your topic today as well. I know you very well,huh:)
Anyway, ALL THESE CONCEPTS SOUND GLORIOUS! Write them all soon! I want to read these books!
OMG REALLY?!! YOU KNOW ME TOO WELL, MISHMA. I seriously have been planning this post in my head for WEEKS. I was so exciteD!! But half of these ideas I made up on the spot. *dances* I just wanna write them aaaall.
These all sound amazing! I’ve been trying to outline a Peter Pan retelling for the last year or so but it hasn’t worked out.
Plus; there is a series called The Sisters Grimm. It’s a middle grade series by Michel Buckley about the great-great-great-however many greats grandchild of the brothers Grimm. It was like my favorite series in middle school.
*whispers* My Peter Pan didn’t work out so well either. Setting = awesome. Main Character = as interesting as the back of a cereal box. SO THAT NEEDS HELP.
And yuuus. I did just hear about this Sisters Grimm MG series. My bad! I shall need to check it out now. 😉
1. How many times do we have to go over the same thing before you just write the damn Gingerbread Cannibal thing?! I NEED IT.
2. SECRET CREEPY GARDEN. So much yes.
3. Isn’t there a series which is about Sherlock & Mycroft’s sister? Or have I imagined that? Hmmm. I also think there may be a YA book with a female Sherlock in but I can’t remember what it’s called.
4. I actually think I’d cry if someone did a beautiful retelling of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
What I’m saying is JUST GO WRITE THESE ALREADY!!!! I’m adding you to my list of authors who frustrate me most because they don’t write awesome things quick enough for me. It consists of you and good old George RR Martin.
1. I WILL. AND I WILL DEDICATE IT TO YOU. JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE.
2. Wouldn’t it be sooo deliciously creepy?! This is gonna happen soon.
3. I have no idea?! But if you think of it LEMME KNOW THE TITLES. It’s not Every Breath you’re thinking of is it?
4. Well, you would probably cry with terror/horror if I did it because I am not a nice beautiful writer. I am a mean one. *nods*
OMG. DID YOU JUST GROUP ME WITH GEORGE RR MARTIN? :’)
Me oh my. I’m loving this post. All your ideas sound creepily fantastic. I think I am most excited about the gender bent Arabian Nights. Seriously, hop to it. I need some more Persian food and culture in my life right now.
If I was to do a retelling, it would probably be about Cinderella or Snow White, but placing them in a REAL HISTORICAL TIME PERIOD… I’d probably plop them down in Europe smack dab in the middle of the 1348 outbreak of the black plague. I am cruel.
I WILL. I’m actually seriously considering NaNo-ing something Persian because reeeeasons. *hyperventilates with ideas*
That’s quite a list! Yay for Persian folklore! I am currently working with the Book of Kings for a full hour storytelling show. I am in love with Persian tales.
Also, I think there has already been a King Arthur in high school. My brain just deleted the details (I just posted yesterday about Arthur retellings 🙂 )
And I am all for gender bends! There are some really great ideas on this list 🙂
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary TTT
I totally devoured a whole STACK of Persian folklore books last week because I am addicted and not ashamed. XD It’s just so inspiring and interesting and I looove the culture. Ah yes! I did just get told about the King Arther in Highschool books. *pouts* I’ve been beaten to it. XD
I would love to see your stack of books, I am always looking for new recommendations, especially if it’s Persian tales… Have you read the Seven Wise Princesses? 🙂
Ooh, no! I have not! I shall look it up.
This list is basically too fabulous for words, but that Scheherazad retelling idea really has my brain going. I might be borrowing some of these for my ten minute writing prompts soon!
AHHH YOU’RE WELCOME. XDD I am so dead seriously abut that gender-bent Scheherazade though. I’m totally considering doing it for NaNo now!
Cait, I wouldn’t mind being a clone for you. Though, I would be an Honorary Clone. Heh heh. I can totally go for these retellings. Dark and depressing is my jam. (I have a short story anthology idea about these people who are outcasts, and they have magical powers. And a short story idea about an asteroid coming to kill us all and some teens having fun and all. And then Ravensoul. My pet. An antihero and death and betrayal and I LOVE IT.)
Just saying, there are a lot of Alice in wonderland gender bends in manga. Are You Alice and Pandora Hearts to name two.
And, after I went to bed, I started to think about a gender bend of Sleeping Beauty.
What I have so far:
Set in the future. The prince was well-known and well-loved. His evil stepmother (I know, I’m mixing things up) who was a witch put him into a coma with a needle full of poison after he had a hover car crash. The heroine of the story is working with a rebel faction that wants to free the prince and crown him king. The prince is locked up in the palace as his stepmother works the king behind the scenes. The heroine breaks into the palace and steals the boy.
And that’s all I have. And my details are a bit muddy. (I do a lot of thinking between the time when I go to bed and when I fall asleep. It’s a good time to think. And it’s an hour long or so. So yeah.)
I do SO MUCH plotting while I’m waiting to fall asleep too1!! IT IS THE BEST TIME FOR IDEAS. That and whilst one is showering. (But I always forget my shower ideas so fast. grrr. I need, like, a waterproof notepad or something. xD) Ahhhh, but I LOVE the idea of your sci-fi Sleeping Beauty! DO IT.
It’s either plotting or fantasizing about imaginary boys. Take your pick. 😉
I verbally talk out my ideas in the shower. My parents probably think I’m insane. (Not that I’m denying it or anything.)
Challenge accepted!
I’m not in the mood to write fluffy Fangirl Seeking Fanboy right now. So it’s time for nitty-gritty, kickassery.
OOOH! These are all such wonderful ideas for retellings Cait – I absolutely love what you’ve come up with! ♥ I really love the idea of a Ginger Bread retelling (that sounds absolutely adorable) and the concept of history repeating itself in the form of a retelling is absolute genius. And I really want more Peter Pan retellings, except that I’m nervous that none of them will be as
heart-breakingepic as Tiger Lily. 😉 Thanks for sharing and wonderful post! ♥The Ginger Bread man will not be adorable when I finish with it. *cackles maniacally* eheheheXD AWK but thank you Zoe!! I don’t think anything could live up to the beautifulness of Tiger Lily though. NOTHING.
OH MY GOSH YES YES YES!!!
okay so first, I have been wanting a modern-day Arthur for /ages/! I saw a fantastic fan art of Merlin and Arthur from the BBC Merlin show, and it was so /perfect/. A modern prince that is undercover as a spy or something, with a companion who does magic. Weird maybe, but totally awesome!!! *dies*
Second, gender bends. I have always loved these! In fact, when I was young me and my sisters did a play with stuffed animals and dolls that I invented called “Handsome and the Hag”. I still insist that it was quite good. 😉
Have you read Marissa Meyer’s retelling about the Queen of Hearts? I’ve wanted to read that one for a while. It sounds interesting.
You have made me desperate for some of these which I’ve never thought of before! Please do clone yourself and write them all!
AFDJLKSA YES YES! (I need to watch Merlin though, because it looks so hilarious. But I saw spoilers for the ending and I’ve been saving myself the heartbreak. XD)
Oh oh you were obviously an ingenious child. *nods* Handsome and the Hag though?! I LOVE THAT. XDXD
I WILL read Marissa Meyer’s book when it’s out. 😉 You mean Heartless, right?! It’s not out for several years but I’M SO EXCITED FOR IT. 😀
I have only watched the first few episodes of Merlin, but it’s a great show. /Really cheesy/, but great. I don’t know if you watch Doctor Who, but it’s kind of like the first (new) season of that in terms of cheesiness. 😛 But Merlin and Arthur are epic and their frenemyship is so realistic and compelling!
Oh, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t out yet. It sounds good; I’m super excited for it as well.
Thanks for replying! 🙂
YES to all of these.
Definitely more Persian folklore retellings. Aladdin is my favorite ever and i’d love more retellings of it.
“The Fleeing Pancake” That’s awesome. But it also raises some questions. Is he a pancake or a cookie?
Creepy Peter Pan would be awesome. Like, 99% of your retelling ideas involve creepiness. Or food.
BUT, I think female Sherlock is the one I want to see the most. There should be more Sherlock retellings! I recently came across an upcoming release that’s about Watson’s great-great grandson and Sherlock’s great-great granddaughter. (It’s called A Study In Charlotte) I’m looking forward to that one.
OOOH KING ARTHUR. GREAT IDEA.
All of these NEED to happen because they’re all such fabulous ideas.
Olivia @ Fluttering Pages
Yessss. Perisan folklore will always be one of my top passions, TBH. I just can’t handle it whenever I see a YA persian folklore tale coming out. I JUST HAVE TO GO READ AND EAT IT IMMEDIATELY. I just wish there were more!!
I imagine the Fleeing pancake wouldn’t like to be labeled. IT’S PROBABLY BREAKING STEREOTYPES WHILE IT VAULTS FOR THE OLYMPICS.
They do. Actually. Food + creepiness (with bonus points for creepy food) are basically all the basises of my ideas.
AH YES! I forgot about a Study in Charlotte!! BUT I’M EXCITED FOR THAT TOO!! 😀
Avalon High is a King Arthur retelling that takes place in high school. It’s very fluffy and ridiculous, but also intriguing.
OH. WELL THEN. I have been out-written.
CAN WE HAVE THEM ALL NOW, PLS?! LIKE, TOMORROW?!
Oh Cait, these are fabulous, once your Beethoven retelling finally debuts you must write us ALL THE THINGS!!!!! It’s your royal duty.
Give me some reccomendations of your fave books set in Aus? I haven’t jumped on that bandwagon yet.
If I had to choose one, it HAS to be the one about the Mad Hatter!!! I LOVED HIM. I LOVE ALICE IN WONDERLAND!!! Jabberwocky poem? Would you be so kind as to link? I shall scour your site, anyways after I finish this comment. I would write a retelling titled Jabberwocky, and two black queer queens would be fighting other clans to get a teenage dragon that could be a dangerous time bomb or give peace. Some of the Jabberwocky’s alternate childhood? I want to NaNo it. I shall NaNo it. THE MAD HATTER AND PERSIAN FOLKLORE AND TEEN VAN GOGH! GO GO GO! *gives you Oreo ice cream cake to prep* *coaches you through writing warmups* *cheers as you mash away on your keyboard*
YES. YES I’LL JUST DOWNLOAD THEM FROM MY BRAIN. BRB.
AFDJKLSA I want to. I reeeeally really hope the Beethoven goes somewhere because BEETHOVEN. And my ideas for Mozart-child-genius-in-modern-world? SO MANY RIDICULOUSLY EXCITING IDEAS. *hyperventilates* I absolutely excite myself too much over my ideas. I DO.
I love Alice so so much tooooo. I’m like getting out ALL the Alice retellings I can get my clammy paws on. Splintered will forever by my favourites though. <3 DUDE BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY NEED TO WRITE AN ALICE RETELLING TOO. NANO IT. NANO IT.
*eats all the oreo ice cream of ever*
Bring on ALL the gender bends! I’d also like to see more NOT happily-ever-afters and more LGBTQ characters. Great list!
My TTT: http://www.allensteachingfiles.com/2015/08/top-ten-tuesday-ten-fairytale-retellings.html
YES. I need gender bends like I need air. I mean, why isn’t it more popular?!! And more diversity = YES PLEASE.
Wow that’s quite the list! And I love your ideas; they’re all so fascinating and creative! Honestly, I’d read a book on any of them, lol, though I think my favorite would be the children’s classics redone. Those have particular potential to be awesome. 😀
Also, there actually is a series called The Sisters Grimm. I read it a couple years back and adored it. Plus the series Avalon High is basically King Arthur in high school. So, you know, if you wanna check those out. 🙂
And I’m writing a female Sherlock! (well, on a spy team in a YA spy thriller, but close enough 😉 )
Alexa
thessalexa.blogspot.com
verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com
I know right?! Why haven’t people gotten into that yet?! I’m desperate for a YA creepified Where the Wild Things Are or some of the other super arty fantastical books. AHHHHH. And yes! I’ve just heard of the Sisters Grimm MG series. xD I shall need to look them up!
I am 10001% all for a modernised or sci-fi-ised version of Tarzan! I will constantly bribe you with food and books to get you to write it. I’m only kidding, but I really would like to see how Tarzan could be brought into another world, since it is one of my favourite books ever.
And yes to alternate history stories! I love seeing how things would have happened if something was even just a little bit different. These are amazing ideas, Cait! I’m starting to feel a bit inspired myself now 🙂
I WILL EAT THE FOOD AND TAKE THE BRIBES AND WRITE THE STORY. I PrOMISE. XD I’ve heard of one modernised Tarzan before?! But I haven’t had a chance to read it BUT I WILL AND THEN I’LL WRITE MINE. *nods* It’ll happen. Just working on those clones.
This post is genius! I love all your fantastic spins on these fairytales. I would read them all! I love the idea of famous people retellings! Great post!!
YAY! THANK YOU!! I wish super awesome authors would write them and then I could just sit back in ease and read them. xD
OK, I absolutely love all of these ideas. But oh my gosh, a Gingerbread Man retelling? THAT IS GENIOUS! Now get to work! Muhahaha.
HAHA. THANK YOU. XDXD It sounds totally nefariously creepy and I’m eeeexcited.
I could be wrong, but I thought I heard about a female, YA Sherlock a while back. Can’t recall the title, though…
I’d like to see more retellings of stories that haven’t already been retold a million times. Or even some original fairytales! (One of my favourites is George MacDonald’s The Light Princess. It’s loosely based on “Sleeping Beauty”… though only very loosely. In this one, the prince has to actually do something to win the princess, rather than just kiss her. I like that.)
YES! I just got told…a Study in Scarlet coming out this year? Or something? SOMETHING LIKE THAT TITLE. Either way I obviously need it. *whispers* I still would love to write my own tho.
I really do wish writers would branch out more! I LOVE retellings but I’m tired of Cinderella!!
CAIT, you really need to write all of these so I can read them! SINBAD, I remember watching the cartoon version when I was little, I need to read the actual tale though but I loved it anyway! Love all of the ones on your list, we have some in common 😉
My TTT: http://simplybookishthings.blogspot.com/2015/08/ten-fairytale-retellings-i-really.html
I REMEMBER THE CARTOON VERSION TOO. Actually that’s 94% of why I want to rewrite a fantastical or sci-fi or I DON’T KNOW JUST SOME SORT OF RETELLING. I loved that cartoon. x)
I tip my hat to you!!! This is awesome 😀 I’m currently playing with the idea of a Frankenstein retelling (having some great nightmares to fuel this one!).
I’m all about Wonderland. I would read all of those in a heartbeat! Especially the Mad Hatter…I love him so 🙂
And a creepy Peter Pan…sign me up! Last year I read Second on the Right by Elizabeth Los that has a similar theme and is told from Hook’s POV. READ IT! It’s great 🙂
Omg omg a Frankenstein retelling?! YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU. *lines up to buy it* I’ve only read one of those (Man Made Boy) and it was funny but I NEEED MOOOOORE. Ahem. And yes, more Wonderland. I will never read enough of those. Omg, I need to look up Second on the Right. HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT EXISTED?!!
PLEASE DEAR GOD WRITE THE LITTLE MERMAN FIRST. I did not realise how much I needed him in my life, but you’ve started me off now – either you write it, or I’ll write it terribly for myself!
I think this is a genius idea though – I didn’t realise how many fairy tales there still were out there that needed to be retold. I’m in love with the idea of Peter creepy Pan too.
WE SHALL BOTH WRITE IT AND THEN COMPARE. XDXD HAAAAA!! I’m seriously unsure why gender-bends aren’t done more?! They are fantastic.
Wow, you have some great ideas. I love these! There is an MG series called the Sister’s Grimm though – so check those out if you wish. I’ve never read them, but I like the idea. And I WOULD LOVE a female Sherlock.
I just got told that!! 😀 I never ever heard of them but now I need to check it out. BECAUSE HELLO SISTERS GRIMM!
I’ve taken exactly one good history class in my life, and it made me want to write EVERYTHING. There is so, so much to be explored there that’s just… not??? I don’t understand.
I can’t pick a favorite of your ideas, but you DID remind me of a Peter Pan retelling I’ve been wanting to write forever. Some day I’ll find time for it…
AWK. yes! History was like one of my top-favourite subjects in school just because it was all world-building for delicious fantasy worlds I wanted to create. XDXD
Have you heard of the YA book coming out next year called A Study in Charlotte! Yes, you have it right. Sherlock is a girl! It looks awesome.
oMG I HAD NOT. I AM GOING TO LOOK IT UP RIGHT NOW!! SOOOOO EXCITED!!! I’ve wanted a Girl!Sherlock for so long.
So… you only have to clone yourself 41 times, because I’ve got the Arthurian retelling covered! (Though it’s college, not high school, so more NA?) Also, what I mean by “I’ve got it covered” is I have some character profiles and a pinterest board. That totally qualifies it as a WIP. BUT STILL. It’s there.
The Fleeing Pancake is an Eastern European thing, no? Because I heard that Ukrainian version from my grandmother long before I heard the gingerbread version. Ukrainian pancakes are top notch and I’d rather eat a fleeing pancake than a fleeing gingerbread man.
Thanks to you, I am now IN LOVE with the idea of a Notre Dame retelling. I really want to write one – that would be SO FUN.
Also, GENDER BENDS GENDER BENDS *bounces up and down* They need to happen.
In my Arthurian retelling, I think there are going to be some gender bends because they are awesome. I think Merlin is going to be a woman, and mayyybe other characters will be flip-flopped too.
And now, excuse me, I’m off to look through my Ukrainian fairy tale book for writerly inspiration. 🙂
YEs yes, a pinterest board TOTALLY is a WIP. It is. It’s progressing. One pin at a time. *nods* I have so many murder mystery pinterest boards, it’s utterly shameful. Shameful because I haven’t even TRIED to write a murder mystery, but apparently my brain thinks they’re uber interesting.
HA. NOTRE-DAME IS MINE. WMAHAHAHH. Omg, but I need everyone to write MORE of these obscure tales. I mean, everyone’s versions will be different, right?! But I want aaaall the French tales. Like Phantom of the Opera too.
THIS POST. YES. SO MUCH. I love love love retellings.
Yours sound interesting and also terrifying BUT YES YOU SHOULD WRITE SOME OF THESE.
I’m going to write a Twelve Dancing Princesses one for this NaNo that has the gardener and the soldier and a prince and a half-fairy. SO MANY ROMANCE SUBPLOTS.
And I’m going to do a Sleeping Beauty where both the prince and the princess fall asleep halfway across the country from each other. HOW WILL THEY WAKE UP. Mwahaha.
And a fantasy Cinderella with mind-reading where she’s an agent person sent to the ball as a spy.
And of course my modern Cinderella who is a writer and set during NaNo.
And I’m going to do a mashup retelling with Snow White/Beauty and the Beast/Sleeping Beauty/Rumpelstiltskin/Swan Lake/Cinderella/Twelve Dancing Princesses. THIS TOTALLY WORKS BY THE WAY. (And I know, I know, I reuse fairytale ideas. But still! There are so many awesome ways they can be retold!)
And a gender-bent Snow White where Snow White is a guy and is also Robin Hood and his evil stepfather is Guy of Gisborne. (Do not question my awesomeness.)
And I’m actually currently plotting a gender-bent Little Mermaid that is STEAMPUNK and has airships instead of ships and the merman is an insubstantial air-siren thing instead of in the sea, and the princess a fiery thing who’s captain of a skyship. IT’S GOING TO BE SO FABULOUS OH MY GOSH.
Basically I have ALL OF THE IDEAS.
INTERESTING + TERRIFYING = MY WRITING LIFE. *nods nods*
Omg, your 12 Dancing Princesses sound spectacular. That’s a story I don’t see many retellings of either, which is weeeird because IT’S SO AWESOME. ALSO DANCING. And alfdkjsa I already love the Sleeping Beauty twist. Agent!Cinderella is exactly my kind of book, btw. Write that. Do it now, Deborah and give it to me so I may hug it. ALSO STEAMPUNK. GO YOU. I haven’t read much steampunk. >_< But I kind of do need to try eventually!!!
How do you manage to have so many novel ideas, Cait? Although I’m fairly sure that some of your ideas already exist… There’s definitely a modernised King Arthur written by Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries one. I’m not sure if I’ve spelt her name properly). And there are some history repeating themselves novels out there too – Diana Peterfreund has rewritten The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jane Austen’s Emma, and I’m sure there are others that I’ve forgotten off the top of my head.
But yeah. Basically, give me all of the fairytales (and preferably, give me all of your ideas too, please!)|
Beth x
I DON’T EVEN KNOW. 90% OF THESE I MADE UP WHILE I WROTE THIS POST. That is my brain. It is SO STUFFED with plots and ideas and no characters. XDD And yup, I’m sure some of these exist. I mean, I’m sure they’re not totally my invention?! Although I haven’t read ANYTHING by Meg Cabot. >_<
OH MY GOODNESS!!! Cait, you need to clone yourself right this very second.
If I had the time (or if I had the clones) the top three retellings on my list would be The Little Mermaid as a contemporary YA where the mermaid is killed/commits suicide in the end (because she really did die, not marry the prince), Peter Pan set in Victorian London, genderbent and a little steampunk (I have to investigate steampunkyness a little further because I know next to nothing about it), AND The Wild Swans about a sister who cares for her brothers or a brother who cares for his sisters and the fun times they have forever and ever (once they’ve broken spells and learned to fly).
I love the idea of retelling children’s classics and history.
Amazing post, Cait … now I’m inspired.
YES. YES I DO. I NEED WASTE NO TIME BECAUSE THESE BOOKS MUST ALL BE WRITING. ALL #58390 OF THEM.
Wild Swans. WILD SWANS. OMG THAT ONE JUST GRABS ME 100% BECAUSE I’VE NEVER SEEN A RETELLING OF IT. That would be so fantastic. Plus = flying. x) Ahhh we shall go be inspired TOGETHER.
I would love sci-fi retellings of historical figures. That just sounds like so much fun. Also modern King Arthur. Merlin isn’t really so much modern, but it’s young King Arthur and I liked that quite a bit. I would love to do both Robin Hood and King Arthur but I feel like they’ve been done so much in so many different ways you’d really have to have a unique take to make it worthwhile. Then A.C. Gaughen went and did Scarlet and it’s AWESOME and so that idea is done 🙂
I need to watch Merlin!! I almost started an episode but…ergh, my computer crashed on it or something, I can’t quite remember, and I never ended up watching it. D: I WILL ONE DAY THOUGH. (there are literally so many shows to watch.) And yes, yes, *nods* you’d have to be super good for Robin Hood and King Arther, because they are uber popular. I NEED TO READ TAHT VERSION OF SCARLET. I’m desperately hoping my library gets it eventually. x)
Ahh, I absolutely love what you did with this list. I’d 100% read all of these retellings! I mean, a female Sherlock? Gender Bends? A Gingerbread Man retelling? This list is genuis! LOVE LOVE LOVE. <3
Nattie @ Book Rambles (here is my Top Ten)
AAHHHH! THANK YOU, NATTIE!! I was freakishly inspired when I finished writing it. XDXD I just want to write aaaaall of them NOW.
Wow, looks like you have a lot of plans for your clones! My current WIP is a retelling of cinderella, but from the stepsisters point of view. I’m trying to stick to the grimm version as much as i can, so the protagonist will cut off her toe and get her eyes pecked out *rubbs hands together maliciously*. Also, there is a series by michael buckley called the sisters grimm. Its about two sisters who are related to the actual brothers grimm and live in a town filled with fairy tales.
Basicly making any retelling creepy will put a smile on my face. Especially any stories that seem bubbily and happy in the original. Love the ideas!
Oh oh from the step-sisters POV?! OKAY THAT IS JUST AWESOME. I am already in love with that idea. (GO YOU, BTW.) Awk. The original stories are so scary, right?! I can’t remember which one it is, but it terrified me when they locked one of the evil stepmothers in, like, a barrel of nails or whatever. Ew and ew and NO. It sounds like something George RR Martin would write. *huddles in corner being terrified*
So many great ideas! I love the gender bent Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming! I immedaitey cracked up when I read the Gingerbread man idea because I just thought of the giant gingerbread man from Shrek on the cover of a YA book! That is something I need in my life.
Thanks for stopping by the The Local Muse
Omg, Shrek. XD OKAY YES. THAT WOULD BE HILARIOUS AND TERRIFYING. XDDX And more gender-bends need to happen!
I LOVE ALL OF THESE, GET CLONING NOW PLZ THNX.
Basically YES TO ALL. (I was about to recommend the best female Watson I know and then had a head desk moment when I realised that it WAS YOUR REVIEW THAT MADE ME READ IT IN THE FIRST PLACE… Basically all the love for Every Breath, SO MUCH LOVE)
I cannot even put into capslock enough how much I love these ideas and how much I wants them all now. Basically GENDERBEND EVERYTHING NOW. Ahem.
HAAA YES EVERY BREATH. (But omg you really went and read it because I loved it so much?!! SERIOUSLY, ROSY. DAY = MADE.)
HELL YES. ALL YOUR FAULT. ALL MY MYCROFT/WATTS FEELS ARE ON YOU.
hey cait!
I haven’t even finished reading your fabulously fabulous post, BECAUSE I simply just had to let you know THE SISTERS GRIMM already exists!!! You must read it! Its’s a series of nine (maybe eight?) middle grade (ish) books (secretly I don’t believe in middle grade, probably because there is no middle grade equivalent school thing where I live, but alas I do not run the publishing world as of yet) about the sisters Grimm and their escapades. It is one of my favorite series of all time, though I did start reading it when I was younger so maybe my memory is slightly rose tinted. Not only is it a Sisters Grimm retelling, it also re tells all the stories of the characters they captured in their books. I’d love to see what you think of it but I’ve rambled enough for one comment. Happy reading.
x
alannah
HELLO ALANNAH! *waves* I did not know that. Omg. 0_0 I feel huge inspiration to look those up! (We don’t have MG in Australia really either. XD)
I would read anything you write, of course, but I’m most interested in Persian folklore, gender bends (especially Sherlock!), and King Arthur. I’m least interested in Alice in Wonderland, haha. I’m realizing, though, that retellings are not my favorite thing in the world. I tend to be picky about which ones I like. (Thumbs up: Daughter of the Forest, Ella Enchanted, The Lunar Chronicles, The Wrath and the Dawn; thumbs down: pretty much everything else. :P)
AWK. YOU’RE NOT A BIG FAN?!! This is sadness for me, Maraia. *curls into a burrito of sadness* hehe, just kidding. I SHALL STILL TALK TO YOU, MY FRIEND, EVEN THOUGH YOU DO NOT LOVE THEM AS MUCH AS ME. *nods* TW&TD is clearly absolutely perfect though. It’s the standard all retellings should be.
Well, Daughter of the Forest is my favorite book in the world besides Harry Potter, so I rather think that makes up for not liking most of the rest, don’t you? 😉
YES. IT MAKES UP FOR IT. I need this Daughter of the Forest 100000x more than.
As much as I love Daughter of the Forest and want everyone to read it, I’ll admit I’m a little worried that you won’t love it. It’s a) very long, b) an adult fantasy instead of YA, and c) a slower-paced story. But you’ve put up with Game of Thrones, so maybe it will be okay? And also I’m warning you ahead of time, which I failed to do with Uprooted. Anyways, it’s still my perfect book.
Oh oh don’t worry too much because my library doesn’t have it. *cries* I checked. So it sounds like one I’d need on audio, right?!
FAIL, LIBRARY, FAIL. Especially since the author LIVES IN AUSTRALIA. You must be able to request books at your library, right? Either way, I do think audiobook would be the way to go for you. 😀
OOHHH Sinbad yes please!!! I loved that movie as a kid 😀 ALSO I WOULD GIVE MY SOUL FOR A GENDER BENDING THOUSAND NIGHTS.
Peter Pan is creepy in the first place so I’m all about your creeptastic ideas!!
I think Lock and Mori is an upcoming female!Sherlock retelling?? Or is it fem!Moriarty… Must investigate.
I DID TOO. I can remember the first time I saw that cartoon and I even remember what we ate for dinner while watching exactly because I was so so excited. (Homemade fish fingers and herb potato wedges, btw. Just to prove it. 😉 OKAY YES I AM RANDOM. But I have love for Sinbad.
Ohoh I didn’t realis Lock and Mori would be a female Sherlock! OR EVEN MORIARTY I DON’T CARE I LOVE THAT IDEA.
Highly highly entertaining! Ready to read when you have these written!
hehe! YYA!!! I just need to live 87 lives so I have time to write them all, eh?!
*grabby hands* Can I have them all please?! Especially female!Sherlock because, um, yes. And the brilliance of the Gingerbread Man and Secret Garden retellings is making me flail right now. I want these books on my shelves immediately.
I’ve wanted to attempt a fairytale retelling for the longest time now, but it’s all so intimidating to redo something that already exists. xD I’ve been toying with the idea of a female!Robin Hood as well as a modern day Beauty and the Beast (which would probably be a tragic love story between a librarian and the town outcast–though why he’s an outcast I don’t know yet–because I love tragic love stories and, well, books). Oh! And a book where Snow White is a ninja?! Or a spy or secret agent of some kind, because I just love the idea of Snow and her seven little sidekicks running around and being awesome while the bad guys can’t figure out what keeps hitting them.
(I alos started a modern day Little Red Riding Hood, too, buuut . . . that one will never see the light of day.)
I WANT TO WRITE THEM, ALL. LIKE. NOW. I have waaay more ideas than I have patience to write. XDXD
Oh oh! I love the idea of a librarian and town outcast. But, hehe, I think I Just love the idea of ANY kind of character that’s obsessed with books because come now. Boooooks.
Oh my gosh! I hadn’t even thought of a bunch of these! I would totally read a Sinbad retelling!! (I got way too excited over this one). And Mad Hatter? YES PLEASE! Now that would be a very entertaining story to read. I WOULD LOVE TO READ MODERN KING ARTHUR STORY!!!! Please write one on Wattpad. I’ll be a very faithful reader and I would promote it so bad! Please please do! Oh gosh I got even more excited over this one!!!! We need to get you those clones. Not 42 clones. You need like 100 of them so these stories can be written faster 😀 These are fantastic ideas!
YESSSSS. What I want to know is why aren’t more authors doing more obscure tales?! Enough of the average ones. WE WANT PERSIAN AND RUSSIAN AND INDIAN FOLKLORE. *stomps foot* AHHHH!! I WANT TO DO MOSTLY ALL OF THESE. And I think publishers aren’t very interested in more retellings from teeny tiny writers (like moi) so I could probably just wattpad them as sort of fafict so IT’LL HAPPEN.
I FORGET PETER PAN OMIGOD. Ahem. I have 47 clones, Cait. Beat that. I would give up cake for a week if there could be a Red Queen POV retelling. FOR A WEEK. Do you know how DIFFICULT THAT WOULD BE?!
WELL THEN. I WILL JUST HAVE TO GET 48. And omg for a whole week?!! This dedication is to be admired.
You are an idea machine! I love all of these, though maybe space Marie Antoinette the most.
YAY! THANK YOU, ANNE! XD I have more ideas than patience to write them though. >_<
Your list makes me all 80 kinds of happy! Clearly you share my love of creepifying things that aren’t usually creepy and we should take over the world together with psychotic retellings of beloved childhood favorites. 😀
I’m sorta actually working on a Bearskin/The Princess in Disguise retelling, and I TOTALLY want to write the creepiest Alice retelling that’s ever given someone nightmares. Also I’d love to get more into Russian and Persian folklore, or some extra creepy Irish stories (people are always getting stolen in those).
C.J.
Sarcasm & Lemons
YES. Everything should be creepy. EVERYTHING. I can’t even pick one fairy tale that I want to see fluffy. PFft, why happy when you can be creepy? RUSSIAN AND PERSIAN THO YES. I haven’t read a lot of Russian folklore, but there are some that are tooootally intriguing.
I just want to Tim Burton the shit out of everything.
I want Tim Burton to remake ALL the movies. EVERY MOVIE EVER.
Do you think he’d listen to a petition, or do we just need to kidnap him?
I don’t read a lot of retellings, but THESE ARE FABULOUS IDEAS, CAIT! I shall be waiting for your 97 books! ^__^ Especially that one about Mad Hatter and the creepy Peter Pan. Ooohh, I love!
Where are the authors when you are spouting off brilliant prompts? Psh. Although I think you’d do a lot better than them. 😀 GO CLONE YOURSELF AND WRITE YOUR BOOKS NOW!!
BAHHA! YES. I’m torn between wishing my favourite authors would just write them and make them peeeerfect, and me wanting to write them. xD
Either way would be perfect! <3
I love retellings, and all of these ideas sound awesome! I would definitely read all of those. Especially if you wrote them, Cait (I read your story The Dead Boy and the Paper Cut on Wattpad, and holy crap I thought it was brilliant. You’re a really good writer 🙂
Great post!
~Haley @ My Addiction: Books
AFDJSKLAD REALLY?!! ERK. I’M JUST GONNA DIE OF HAPPINESS RIGHT THIS MINUTE, HALEY. THANK YOU THANK YOU. <333
All the ALICE!! 🙂 You have some great ideas here. Umm…the Fleeing Pancake? I’m intrigued…
I know right?! I was just googling to see who invented the Gingerbread Man (apparently neither Grimm or Anderson…who knew?!) and some website talked about it’s alternate name. I SNORTED. Omg. Fleeing pancake. xD
ALL OF THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE SO EFFING AMAZING. I’M SERIOUS. THIS HAS GOTTEN ME SO INSPIRED TO WRITE NOW (because I was in this awful funk where my brain was so slow and I couldn’t write and all I could half-heartedly spout out was utter turtle poop). YES TO ALL OF THEM. I WANT EM ALL.
THIS POST GOT MY SO INSPIRED I WAS LITERALLY HYPERVENTILATING AND JOTTING DOWN MORE IDEAS.
I really need a retelling of Heidi – I don’t know how or in what way, but that was a big part of my childhood and I.Really.Need.It.
FEMALE SHERLOCK, THE GINGERBREAD MAN – OHMYGOD THEY’D BE AMAZING RETELLINGS!!!
OHHH YES. HEIDI. There are so many awesome things you could do with Heidi and goat cheese. *nods*
I took a Children’s lit course at university and it seemed like the professor stopped forever on The Gingerbread Man story with all the symbolism and what not. I remember the Russians have an unbaked bread dough ball version. Ha! A big yes to the creepy Peter Pan, and the Sisters Grimm. I will add Thumblina. It was my favorite fairytale when I was a child. 🙂
Thumblina would be super interesting retold! 😀 I would pick that up in an instant too!!
Do you know what you’ve just started? YOU’VE STARTED ONE OF THE MOST FABULOUS THINGS IN THE HISTORY OF FABULOUSNESS. Nearly all of your followers are writers, and you give them THIS LIST. This amazing list that could literally keep one writer alone occupied for the rest of their life, and you’ve given it to THEM ALL. I have a feeling that someday in the not-all-that-distant future there will be at least a hundred books on the shelves of book stores and libraries everywhere with notes in the front reading, “For Our Ruler Cait, who of all the people in the universe now under her command inspired me to write this novel about cyborgs and gingerbread men” or “the seven steam-punk voyages of Sinbad” or “horrifically terrifying secret gardens” or “the utterly mad adventures of the March Hare,” because seriously, you cannot possibly read this post without wanting to write ALL THE THINGS. (Or at least read someone else’s, because honestly, if these things existed, I would never leave the library ever again. Ever.)
You, my dear furious paper person, are an inspiration to writers everywhere. Literally. Like, I just stayed up until one a.m. writing about cyborgs and gingerbread men. You are amazing and I could not possibly love this post more.
BAHAHAHAH. THIS IS HALF AWESOME HALF TERRIFYING. *hugs ideas* I’m gonna write them all tho. xD
BRB let me grab a time machine and just go to the future where you’ll have ALL OF THESE PUBLISHED AND I CAN READ ALL OF THEM. YES. EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS JST. UGH. I WANT ALL OF THEM!!!!
WAIT. LET ME GET IN THE TIME MACHINE TOO BECAUSE I WANNA SEE IF THEY WORK OUT. XDXD
Your Peter Pan retelling sounds like something I need, like, now. And Robinson Crusoe in space. SIGN ME UP. Also, the “please sir, can I have some more…brains” just about killed me. So I need that as well. Alister in Wonderland would be wonderful (see what I did there?). (I’m soooooooooooooo excited for Marissa Meyer’s retelling.) There are too many things to retell. Right now, I’m working on an idea for a sci-fi retelling of the Odyssey, so we’ll see where that goes. But there are too many things to retell–we must all clone ourselves.
Hehehe, why thank you. 😉 I was ridiculously excited writing this post. AND I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE. Very punny. AND YES I NEED HEARTLESS LIKE I NEED AIR. *hyperventilates* I wish we had a cover to drool over tho, omg, they love to withold things from us, don’t theY?
Omg, a sci-fi Odyssey?! I WOULD SO EAT THAT.
I’m seeing a trend here.. “Childhood story.. but creepy!” Actually, I think it’s a fabulous idea! I love creepy things! And I love even more the people that aren’t afraid to write them! I recommend to you: White Cat by Holly Black, and Poison by Chris Wooding.
YES! EVERYTHING = BUT CREEPY. Seriously there is not enough creepy books and even if there were, I would want more. I LOVE WHITE CAT. HOLLY BLACK IS MY HERO. I HAVE READ 6 BOOKS BY HER.
Okay, I want you to write them all!! Plus, this whole post was worth reading just for “Please, sir, I want some more … brains.” Yep. It’s genius. 🙂
Braaaaains. MWAHHAHA. I’m just totally envisioning that in a really zombie voice, btw, because that’s just how my mind works. XD
hahaha that gif in the Gingerbread man section. so great. And yes, a horror Gingerbread man retelling must be done! Sounds awesome 😀
lol why are so many of your ideas to make everything creepy. Not that I’ll argue against that- we need more creepy YA to be honest XD
It would be delicious and malicious. < -- My entire marketing scheme right there. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. MY BRAIN JUST WANTS THE CREEPY. xD
Oh my stars…I would read the living daylights out of a Secret Garden retelling!!!!!!!!!! And I 112% agree that there NEEDS to be a female Sherlock retelling. OMG that sounds fantastic.
I’ve been itching to write a Princess Bride retelling. Or a spinoff. Or a continuation of sorts. I just need more of TPB in my life.
I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE NO ONE HAS DONE A SECRET GARDEN RETELLING YET!! It has sooo much potential for creep. xD
Holy ravioli, Cait — this is a gigantic list of stories you absolutely HAVE to write now!! Totally love The Secret Garden idea. A garden that eats children? I WILL READ THAT. Haha.
I do! I do! WHERE ARE MY CLONES?! I need them. ASAP.
CAIT WHY HAVEN’T YOU WRITTEN THESE YET I NEED TO READ THEM LIKE RIGHT NOW THEY ALL SOUND SOOO GOOD
I DON’T EVEN KNOW. WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING? JUST SLOBBING AROUND BEING USELESS. GEE. I NEED TO GET WORKING.
I love Persian folktales too 🙂
And all of these sound promising.
I love genderbending fairy tales (did you read Gail Carson Levine’s fun childrens series that did exactly that?).
King Arthur is kind of my thing 😉 I kept picturing the 3rd Shrek, but I’m thinking you meant giving KA the Percy Jackson treatment! Which is an awesome idea.
I only read Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine! But that’s cool she did gender bends too! 😀
Wow, these are so many retellings! I personally would love to do some Greek Mythology retellings of my own, because that is just my thing and has been for a really long time, but still, some of yours intrigue me as well. Notre-Dame, for example, would be really interesting, as well as genderbends. I read a genderbent Snow White earlier this year and it was very good, and made me quite pleased with the kinds of things that were ever-so-slightly switched around, or sometimes switched around in big ways. And, whenever doing retellings, it is always fun to see how the author pays homage to the original in unique and interesting ways. 😀
Ohhh, you should! You should! The only really good Greek retellings I’ve read are Cruel Beauty and Rick Riordan’s bunch. WE NEED MORE ON THE SHELVES. *nods*
I LOVE YOUR LIST. I was going to write a retelling of the Grimm Fairytales for Nano one year, but that didn’t go very far. I also have a WIP that is a mash-up retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. I JUST WANT TO WRITE ALL THE RETELLINGS.
BTW, I love the idea of a Beethoven retelling! If you ever decide to publish it one day I would buy it in a heartbeat. Beethoven is my favorite composer.
MASH UPS ARE INTENSE AND COOL. I will forever love The Lunar Chronicles for how much mashing-up it does. *nods*
AFDJLSKA WELL. Hopefully my Beethoven will be published traditionally one day! *crosses fingers and toes and eyes*
ALL THE GENDER BENDS. I want some really amazing ones of any kind. (But one of your 42 clones should really write Male!Cinderella.) And, in the same vein, Female!Sherlock. If you ever find any of these, you need to share!
-Monica @ Tomes Project
Someone in another comment said there WAS a female!Sherlock coming out…A Study in Charlotte, I believe it’s called. I NEED IT. But there are like 249820 Male!Sherlock retellings, so I’m totally still going to write my own girl version. XD Soooomday.
OH. MY. GOSH.
Please clone yourself ASAP and write these retellings! They sound like they’d be awesome!
A female Sherlock?
Pocahontas??
The Hunchback of Notre Dame???
BEETHOVEN????
*Faints and falls over from awesomeness overload*
*collapses beside you because so many stories, not enough time* I JUST GOTTA GET ME SOME CLONES TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN. BECAUSE IT’S TOO EXCITING.
Can you PLEASE really write all of these? PLEASE? Like, seriously, these sound magnificent! Especially The Secret Garden and Ginger Bread Man ones. (But how can you interchange ginger bread and pancake? HOW?) Also, the gender bends and the eloquence of “make it as creepy as creepiness can creep.” HA!
PS. When I saw this week’s prompt I was like, CAIT!!!!!
PPS. Of course there has to be an Alice retelling.
PPPS. But we already have a Red Queen book! *Smiles knowingly remembering your review.*
I don’t know how they interchange pancake vs ginger bread but DUDE I WILL NOT STAND IN THE WAY OF FREEDOM OF THE FOOD. *nods* I will protest food rights if need be.
YES THIS PROMPT WAS LIKE MADE FOR ME. :’) I have never been so happy as writing this post, omg.
I will call my book THE REAL RED QUEEN. And be famous and everyone will buy it and all that. < -- solid plan
A solid plan, yes. *Nods vigorously.*
Gaaah! Love this list. I would read the hell out of Peter Creepy Pan. I would read everything on your list actually. But especially the Peter Pan one! 😮
YAAAY! BECAUSE I’M TOTALLY WORKING ON THE PETER PAN STAT. XD
SO LIKE, DO I GET TO BETA READ THOSE TALES YOU PLAN TO RETELL, BECAUSE ALISTER IN WONDERLAND, YASS PLEASE. (also, don’t name him Alistair, because that would make me think of someone who talks in his throat and tortures Dean so yeah. Don’t do that.)
YES YOU CAN BETA READ ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU ARE MY WONDERFULEST FRIEND, SO JUST SAY THE WORD AND YOU GET WHATEVER. OH OH BUT I AGREE. No Alister. I literally though of him *shudders* while I wrote this post.
YAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS. WELL THEN, THE WORD HAS BEEN SAID. (Well ALISTER is okay ALISTAIR is not. Slight difference in pronunciation, see.) XD
I love all your ideas! It’s so awesome, I really love the gender bends haha!
Gender bends are LIFE. And I totally don’t understand why they’re not more popular THEY ARE JUST SO FABULOUS. 😀
Um, could you just please write them all? Your clones could do it, right? RIGHT? I want all of them, especially the gingerbread man, female Sherlock, the Mad Hatter, more gender-bending stories, and Peter CREEPY Pan. Yes, all of these + the others. Basically I just always want more retellings, especially of the fairytale variety because I am obsessed.
Love how you twisted the topic, Cait! Keep breaking the rules, girl. 😀
YES I’LL JUST GET MY CLONES ONTO ALL OF THIS. I WILL. JUST WAIT AND SEE.
That female Sherlock though- I’d LOVE to read something like that!
I think the modern retelling I’d most like to see is Nancy Dres. The modern books they came up with never felt right, I’d do it differently where Nancy is older and kicking butt and taking names. And her friends are a lot smarter (sorry Bess and George).
Also, you should know that The Sisters Grimm is an awesome books series! You should totally check them out (in all your free time :)).
I WANT TO READ IT TOO. XD And failing it exists, I Just guess I’ll have to write it. *trains to be a genius* Oh oh I could totally do a modern Nancy Drew too! (Did you ever see the movie? I kind of liked it back in the day. xD)
And yes! I only JUST found out in these comments about the Sisters Grimm already existing (darn it, missed out on that one. xD) so yes, in all my spare time I shall look them up.
Cait, you need to write a Ginger Bread Man retelling stat!! I would so rush to read that!!
I also really like the idea of an evil Secret Garden. It was one of my favourite books growing up would it would totally lend itself well to a creepy, horror-themed story!!
Actually, all of these ideas would be awesome – you really are an evil genius!! In the best possible way of course. 😉
IT IS ON MY TO-DO LIST. Although, as you can see, my to-do list is 9 million books long. *collapses in a despairing heap* I NEED THOSE CLONES. BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH TO WRITE.
If you do decide to write your Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Fleeing Pancake, find me. Find me. So I can love you.
Aw, I will find you. I will paddle across the oceans in a canoe made from gingerbead to deliver these stories to you.
I’m so with you about The Wrath and the Dawn. Was so surprised at my love for it but it definitely made me want more of those types of retellings!
Okay, your Sweeney Todd meets fairy tales concept caused me to pause. Please write this. I’ll totally read that. lol
SISTERS GRIMM.
Honestly, it’s so funny about your Secret Garden comment because I recently re-read it (it was a favorite of mine as well) and upon completion I was confused about where the fantasy was because my little person memory made me remember it was more of a fantasy than anything.
Okay, now that I’ve read all your ideas I have to say: you have an amazing mind. I’d love to read every single one of these!
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your post. 🙂
I just KNEW I would love TW&TD but I want more Persian stories! MORE! MORE! (Although I think someone is coming out with an Aladdin based series in 2016 or 17??? I Can’t remember the title tho, omg.)
I read The Secret Garden soooo long ago I’m totally due for a reread. 😀 AND THEN I CAN CREEPIFY IT. hehe.
Wow, Cait. Pretty much all of these are fantabulous ideas for stories to retell, and you need to write them now. *sets to work trying to figure out how to make clones for you*
While I absolutely love fairytale retellings, I think what intrigues me most are retellings based on classics and history-perhaps because there seem to be less of those in the world. I actually really want to tackle one of those someday, and this post has got the gears churning in my brain. *gets stampeded down by torrents of plot bunnies*
YES. JUST GET ME THOSE CLONES AND I CAN START. And yes yessss, I want more classics based retellings. It kind of brings the story back, I think and is just that little bit different. I WANT MORE OF THEM SO I CAN READ THEM TOO.
These are pretty good ideas Cait! Gender bends and history retellings are my favorites and makes me wonder with a lot of WHAT IFs. Please please please clone yourself and write these! Lol!
AWK. THANK YOU, ELLA. I will write! *salutes and writes furiously* XD
How about you just write them all, and we’ll come along and read them? Good?
Okay seriously, the gender benders NEED to be a thing. Especially the Sheherazade one, let’s make that happen, for real. I would absolutely read about any feral children, definitely the scary ass garden, the Hunchback, HISTORY, yes to that!
But um.. The Fleeing Pancake? I laugh too hard. I mean, I would read it if YOU wrote it because I think you could pull it off but I don’t think a lot of authors could. Consider yourself in a very small, very elite group with The Gingerbread Man. Who is NOT a pancake. He is a cookie, why is he suddenly a pancake!? My confused brain…
Yes, yes, I am good with that. Absolutely. *nods* It should slow down my insane reading habits too, if I write more, right? And that should please the universe. *nods twice*
THE SCARY GARDEN HAS GOTTA HAPPEN. I literally thought of it while writing this post and now fajdlksa I am ALL ABOUT IT.
Dude, the Fleeing Pancake could be monstrously scary. DON’T DOUBT THE PANCAKE. (What about the Skipping Donut? Or The Sprinting Cupcake? The possibilities for twists of food are endless.)
I’m plotting a play based on The Snow Maiden. I don’t even know. I’m weird.
YOU ARE NOT WEIRD. YOU ARE FANTASTIC.
Cait, I know you haven’t mentioned it here – at least not in detail – but if you could write a The Little Mermaid retelling, I might just love you forever. I want a retelling of the original Hans Christian Andersen story. I hear The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler seems to be a retelling of the disney movie in small ways, which excites me, but I want that original tale of sacrifice and tragedy! I WANT IT! It doesn’t even need to be modern. Just novel length. Oooh, how I would love to have that story!
I’m loving the idea of most of the retellings you’ve discussed, however… as much as I am a fantasy fan too, my brain reacts badly to the idea of fantasy/sci-fi retellings of them. I know most are based in fantasy in some way, but I don’t know, it just sounds wrong to me. But I have a lot of retellings to catch up. The sci-fi Cinder, etc books did pretty well. I need to be more open minded, but my inital reaction is noooo! Lol. I do love fantasy though! So I don’t really understand my objection.
GENDER BEND SOMETHING, CAIT! Do that! To anything good! This sounds AMAZING! MAke a gender bend your most top priority! Pleases?
LITTLE MERMAN. IT’S GOTTA HAPPEN. IT isn’t my favourite fairy tale ever though, so no promises, but FOR YOU, JO, I SHALL WRITE. :’) I just need, gee, i need more time in my life. I NEED TO WRITE FASTER. *dashes away like a mad headless chicken*
And you don’t like sci-fi retellings?! OMG. THOSE ARE MY FAVOURITE. And I love fantasy-retellings. Like Game of Thrones is basically just a historical retelling of the War of Roses and it’s sO GOOD. 😀
I LOVE ALL OF THESE IDEAS. I was actually considering doing a Persian folklore retelling last year for NaNoWriMo, and again this spring . . . might give it a shot this year. I’m getting a little tired of fairy tale retellings, to be honest, but only because people keep retelling the same stories over and over again and it gets really old really fast.
Also, I need to borrow your cloning machine when you’re done with it. I need a couple hundred clones to plot out my WIP. And find me a story to write for NaNoWriMo. And write all those ideas I never got around to writing. Especially that thing with the jinn that sounded awesome but for some reason wasn’t.
But a female Sherlock DOES exist! I love the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. Amelia has the keen skills of Sherlock.
And then there is the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King and Shelock is ACTUALLY in this series.
Last year, I found Shelock’s sister, Enola Holmes, and she may be smarter than Sherlock. Those books are by Nancy Springer!
SCI FI RETELLINGS OF HISTORY. GENDER BENDING yessss! Persian folklore oh please make this happen. You’re right where are all the french tales? My gosh there are so many wonderful tales to be told and you have all the ideas Cait! (especially the Persian Folklore)
Okay, I know this post was days ago (I’m getting behind on blog reading, gah) but I just HAD to comment because…RETELLINGS!!! I love retellings, adore them! And Cait, CAIT. These ideas! Have you cloned yourself yet? Because I need these, like now. NEED!!! I’m pretty much in love with ALL of them. But I really, really, really think a Wonderland story from you would probably be the greatest thing in the universe and I don’t even know if my brain can handle that much awesome. I am OBSESSED with all things Wonderland. Like…I don’t even have words to describe the obsession. Just give me ALLLLLL the Wonderland things. And a Wonderland retelling from our very own Cait? I may explode from overdose of awesome. (Also the Mad Hatter is one of my favorite fictional characters PERIOD, so yeah. GIMME.)
I also love Peter Pan stuff probably as much as Wonderland things. Basically, I reeeeally need you to clone yourself soon because I need these things like I need air.
I’m a huge King Arthur geek. LOVE me some Arthurian Legend, I even wrote my own Arthurian Legend retelling once. (That also involved Robin Hood ’cause that’s another obsession of mine.) A modern version sounds epic. o.o
I could go on and on but to sum it up: I NEED ALL OF THIS BRILLIANCE GIMME NOW.
Yes, Persian Folklore would be amazing. My boyfriend is Persian so I always love reading about and learning more things of the such. I would totally read whatever you wrote about this topic.
Also, every other topic sounds quite wonderful!
This is a wonderful idea! If I had the opportunity, I’d love to re-do Cinderella and Snow White. I know they’ve been told a thousand times over, but those are classics that deserve the love! Hugs…
You. Have. So. Many. Amazing. Ideas. Cait, I am totally in love with some of these suggestions and I can imagine how inspiring this post would have been to write. IT IS INSPIRING TO READ. You have my writers mind thrashing about.
+The idea of switching genders of characters in classic fairytales is so neat, although I wouldn’t say no to LGBT+ fairytales, either. I would say a hearty yes, actually.
+psychotic moon? PSYCHOTIC MOON? Cait. I want that Peter Pan. I want to meet a psychotic moon.
+Phocahontas retelling? YES. YES. There really isn’t anything else to say. Just YES.
You better get onto writing some of these. Start the lackey creation process.
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