September 03, 2020

A Grimm Shadow Mentor by Lynn J Simpson




There must have been a book, once upon a time, that somehow made me a reader. The book would have been a story that took me on an unknown adventure with pictures, since my own imagination was limited to my toddler mind. I wonder what book that might have been? I do remember a big blue book with many, many stories, some just a page or two long and all the stories having colourless pictures. It was the called The Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the book was my first introduction to the tales of Cinderella, Hansel and Gretal, and Rapunzel. It would be years before my mind saw the colourful Disney versions in comparison to the darker, even more gruesome, tales written by The Brothers Grimm. For example, The Brothers Grimm wrote of a step sister cutting off her toe to get the glass slipper to fit. There was no toe chopping in Disney’s Cinderella.

Those dabs of darkness, even blood (“Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was running from it”- from Cinderella by The Brothers Grimm) are likely not found in children’s stories today but I am grateful for having been a child, once upon a time, whose fairy tale reads were not so Disney cute. Life can be, dare I say, a gruesome mess at times. The Grimm Brothers wrote complex characters who made choices that led to tales of death or of everlasting love. Their stories may be termed ‘disturbing’ today and the retellings have been changed to be more appropriate for children’s eyes and ears. I know they are not ones I would willingly read to my grandchildren. However, I do still seek stories that end rather a little messy than neatly tie up in fairy tale perfection.

Maybe that is why I am drawn to the stories in literary journals where life’s darker themes are often explored and endings are more like beginnings. These stories can show the messiness of life through precise paragraphs and sentences and words —nothing is out of place and not necessary. Literary short stories, like fairy tales, focus on one event, yet still have all the elements of a novel: character, plot, conflict, setting and theme. Like a beautiful painting, an excellent literary short story captures details in a single writing piece that leaves one lingering over the structure and details.

Short story writers, like all story writers, have to chop and cut. Short story writers, like all writers, can feel bruised after battling through the edits. And short story writers, like all writers, experience rejections. Although the short stories I have written thus far have not been accepted for publication, I carry on writing. Sometimes there is darkness and messiness, but there is also always grace and hope, too.

After all, hope is no fairy tale.

But for those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31


You can read more of Lynn's writings on the writing life and other tales at Lynn J Simpson, Author/Coach/Photographer

17 comments:

  1. Short stories are my favourite thing to write so I resonated with your words about the beauty and value of short stories. I also grew up with fairytales that were not so whimsical and I wonder if that influenced my writing as well. Good thought - I hadn’t pondered that before!
    Pam M

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    1. It was while writing on this month's topic that I realized maybe those early fairy tales had an influence on my writing. Pondering can lead to unexpected insights!

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  2. Let's face it, life is grim. We all die in the end too. But this world is like a temporary filling. It's there until the permanent filling of eternal life is installed. We Christians know the drill. :-)

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  3. I also remember enjoying the original fairy tales by the Grimm brothers as well as Hans Christian Anderson, and in both cases, they were not as neat and 'PollyAnna' as the Disney versions. (Younger people won't get that reference either, I suppose!)

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    1. I loved Hans Christian Anderson too, and still want to visit Denmark sometime!

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  4. I like the original fairy tales better! Short stories are a challenging, but rewarding, genre. All the best to you!

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    1. The original stories do seem to be much more colourful even though their original pictures printed black and white!

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  5. Thank you for the nostalgic post, Lynn. I too grew up on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and still have the original red-cover book from those childhood days. Perhaps I will reread these stories again for some refreshing authenticity. Life, as you say, can be a gruesome mess sometimes!

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    1. Yes, it sure can Susan! Very cool that you still have an original red-cover Grimm's Fairy Tales book!

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  6. Love the fairy tales! I seem to remember Snow White making the witch dance in shoes she'd stuck in the fire :)

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  7. Jemi, I don't remember that but what a visual! That is a scene that would stick in one's mind for sure!

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  8. Lynn, you had me at, "Those dabs of darkness, even blood..." This is a fun and thoughtful post. My childhood was one of imagination and the Brothers Grimm type stories filled my mind with thrills. Perhaps this is why I also gravitated to Alfred Hitchcock movies later on. Your post took my mind back decades and I enjoyed the nostalgic mind journey.

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  9. Hi Lynn, Grimes tales weren't originally children's stories, as I discovered in a children's literature course. So that's one reason they've been sanitized.

    I idemtify with your metaphor of how writing can be a "grimm" experience in rewriting and revising, and yes, being rejected. But thanks for leaving us with hope and God's enabling as we pursue our craft.

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  10. I too still have the red covered Grimm's fairytale book of my childhood. I loved the 12 dancing princesses and so many stories that had the motif of a Grand Quest. Maybe why I devoured Pilgrims Progress as a teenager and new Christian. There are many motifs in fairytales that can flow well in Christian stories as well. Thanks for sparking some interesting reflection.

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  11. Dear Lynn, thank you for reminding me of the Grimm's Fairy Tales. I also had a colorless rendition. And like you, I respect the original classics more than the Disney versions.
    I also love how you chose the perfect ribbon to tie this post up with: Hope.
    Blessings - Wendy Mac

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  12. While teaching during the 1990s in Barrhead, AB, we had a group of young actors from Alberta Opera, I believe, come to the school to perform operas from Grimm’s fairytales. This was maybe four times. I remember Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel in particular. These operas were a real treat for the kids and the staff. Thanks for uncovering that memory for me, Lynn.

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