Mirror, mirror
No joke, but I started reading a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood last week. When I saw what this month’s prompt was, I felt delighted at this bit of serendipity. Retellings are some of my favorite types of stories because reading one is like reading two stories at once. There is the story you are reading in front of you, and then there is the anchoring original story, coloring the lens through which you see everything about the new story. Because the original is inescapably part of the new story, it provides a ready way to interrogate meaning, style, context, culture—there are just so many avenues to mentally explore. And for what else do we read but to mentally explore?
For a variety of reasons, my favorite retellings have always been based on fairytales or folklore. What are some of your favorite retellings?
~Natalie
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay retelling the above myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It doesn’t have to take place in the ancient world, but it does need to feature two characters representing Apollo and Daphne, as well as their situation–one desperately in love, the other not so much. Maybe she turns into a tree, or maybe the tree appears elsewhere in the story as a symbol. Stuck? We’ve gone into detail in this month’s Technique Toolbox on Navigating Prompts.
There are no word limits. You can write fiction or nonfiction; you may interpret the prompt any way you like, or choose to take on the challenge as though you were submitting to an anthology or competition. Share your response in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook or Discord, by linking your blog post, Google Doc, or other file. Check out your fellow YeahWriters’ responses, and don’t forget to leave them some love in the comments!
Looking for our weekly grids? After nearly ten years, they’ve been retired. Read more about the latest changes to YeahWrite in the #500 Weekly Writing Challenge Kickoff Post.
The Schedule
We will release a new prompt on our blog every Friday at 12pm Eastern.
Then it’s up to you! Write your response to the prompt on your own blog or website and share the link in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook or Discord. If you prefer to keep your work under wraps (and away from the eyes of potential publishers), you can still ask for beta readers in the Coffeehouse and share your work privately!
Every Monday, we’ll check in to see how you’re doing and what your writing goals are for the week.
Wednesdays are “Work-in-Progress Wednesdays.” Share a few sentences or even a paragraph or two in the Coffeehouse (no more than 250 words, please). Even if you’re not done writing, this could be the boost you need to stay motivated.
Did you publish a book? Do you have a story in a magazine? The First Friday of every month is for self-promotion, where you can share commercial links to your work for purchase. (You can always share the news that you’ve been accepted for publication, though!)
And of course, the entire community is here 24-7 to share your victories and setbacks, challenges and accomplishments. So come on in, pull up a chair, and say hello. We’re all writers here.
Upcoming and Ongoing
Sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any upcoming classes, workshops, or competitions.
Ongoing: Navigating Prompts - Retellings (Free Workshop)
In our monthly Navigating Prompts series, we’ll talk you through how to analyze and respond to a specific prompt style. We’ll coordinate the weekly prompts with the monthly post so you’ll have a chance to practice, compare notes with other writers in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook or Discord, and get advice from beta readers and YeahWrite editors. You’ll get to hone your skills when you’re not in crisis mode, trying to meet that fast-approaching deadline. And who knows—maybe you’ll end up with a new story or two in your back pocket!
In September, we’re revisiting some old advice that we’ve given time and time again: Nobody can tell your story like you do. To prove it, we’re diving into retellings. To retell a classic story, you’ll need to be able to analyze the original, extract its critical elements, and make them your own. Ready to write your fresh take on an often-told tale? Check it out!
Super Challenge #21 - Nonfiction
Super Challenge #21 is officially underway! Good luck to all our remaining participants as they anxiously await the final results! Miss out on registration? Be sure to sign up for our email blast so that you don’t miss out on any Super Challenge announcements.
About the author:
An English Professor living in Southern California, Natalie enjoys too many hobbies to be a practical person. When her children give her a minute, she writes essays, fiction and poetry on her personal blog, The Cat Lady Sings. Natalie is a Contributing Editor here at YeahWrite.
