tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post4622583561179380074..comments2024-03-23T02:45:17.058-04:00Comments on Tales of Goldstone Wood: Interview Feature: Melanie DickersonAnne Elisabeth Stenglhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09462605949792523331noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-61608305110798428242013-11-20T18:26:13.583-05:002013-11-20T18:26:13.583-05:00Oh, that sounds awesome! My sister adores Beauty a...Oh, that sounds awesome! My sister adores Beauty and the Beast, so if you do all those different versions I will be sure to let her know! :)Megan Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-89012207339058507402013-11-20T14:43:24.353-05:002013-11-20T14:43:24.353-05:00Hi, Megan! So happy you like my books! :-)
My favo...Hi, Megan! So happy you like my books! :-)<br />My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. I did retell that tale in The Merchant's Daughter, but I feel like I will retell it again in the future. It is just too good and there are so many themes in that one fairy tale to explore, that I think I could write several more and just do them in different time periods and with slightly different twists! Maybe I'll do a Regency B&TB story, then a Southern 19th century B&TB story, then maybe a contemporary B&TB story. The possibilities are endless! :-)<br /><br />Janalyn, yes, I agree with you about the covers! LOL! And I think probably most writers can say that they loved reading at an early age! Thanks for stopping by.Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-1602740208914382192013-11-20T12:40:36.266-05:002013-11-20T12:40:36.266-05:00Your books have the best covers, Melanie!
We sha...Your books have the best covers, Melanie! <br /><br />We share a love of writing that evolved at a young age from a love of reading. I wonder how many other authors can tell the same story? Janalyn Voigt, escape into creative worlds of fiction.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16233710536302581735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-56887867892460357332013-11-19T15:21:55.535-05:002013-11-19T15:21:55.535-05:00Hello, Melanie! You are easily one of my favorite ...Hello, Melanie! You are easily one of my favorite authors! What is your all-time favorite fairytale? And if you haven't written about it, will you ever do so in the future?Megan Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-18098833498540964632013-11-19T14:16:06.638-05:002013-11-19T14:16:06.638-05:00Charii, there is usually one story that is more in...Charii, there is usually one story that is more insistent than the others! Also, a publisher's deadline is another great motivator! I just have to decide on a story and stick with it until it's finished. And since I'm a person who hates to leave anything unfinished, I usually finish one story before moving on to the next. Usually. :-)<br /><br />Writer4Christ, I have never been an outliner, but I am becoming more of a plotter. I try to make sure I have certain parts of the story already decided, and certain aspects of the characters already set in my mind before I start to write. I am starting to write more of this down. I used to keep it all in my head, but I guess my head is just getting too crowded. :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-49508715188653282652013-11-19T01:58:47.106-05:002013-11-19T01:58:47.106-05:00I myself write fairy-tale-like stories but am tryi...I myself write fairy-tale-like stories but am trying to set them apart from the originals. I enjoy your books!<br /><br />Question: do you outline or do you have a small idea of how the story is going to go?Emilyn J Cloverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00892659942186331664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-8526028483625602812013-11-18T22:56:13.881-05:002013-11-18T22:56:13.881-05:00Melanie, I love your idea of rewriting fairy tales...Melanie, I love your idea of rewriting fairy tales into real life scenarios, and look forward to reading your books! I have always desired to write my own such tales, but I have a similar problem having too many wonderful story ideas going at once. How do you decide on which story deserves your dedication,and what do you do to keep from getting overwhelmed?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03169974229659743418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-47027160370856477682013-11-18T19:45:27.251-05:002013-11-18T19:45:27.251-05:00A, what inspired me was watching Sleeping Beauty w...A, what inspired me was watching Sleeping Beauty with my daughters. I thought it would be fun to take the premise of the fairy tale and make it more realistic, fleshing out the characters and putting them in a real historical setting. Then it just seemed natural to write a whole series of fairy tale retellings. :-)<br />And I always tell people to request my books from their library. That way they will get to read it and so will other people! :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-10375279711163836382013-11-18T19:42:42.521-05:002013-11-18T19:42:42.521-05:00Rebeka, I love breathing life into the fairy tale ...Rebeka, I love breathing life into the fairy tale characters! It's kind of a process, but I usually get an idea about the characters right away, what kind of people they are, and part of it is based on historical accuracy, and also what fits with the story and with the other characters, plus what makes sense according to the situation the character is in, if that makes sense. :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-47965785664494438792013-11-18T19:40:07.001-05:002013-11-18T19:40:07.001-05:00Meredith, thanks so much for stopping by! I really...Meredith, thanks so much for stopping by! I really hope my publisher will some day make an accessible version of my books. I will suggest they do just that. I have been hoping for audio format. We should start a letter-writing campaign. :-)<br />Yes, sometimes it is challenging to make the fairy tales work without magic. For my Frog Prince, I have a young Englishman who gets stranded in Germany where he can't speak the language. He is actually from a very wealthy family, where he is a lord, but in Germany, everyone thinks he's mad, since they can't speak his language and he can't speak theirs. He ends up working in the stable at Hagenheim Castle where the stable master calls him "Frog Boy." The heroine is Margaretha, and she is almost the only person in town who can speak English. So the frog thing is mostly symbolic. :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-41570285115436748042013-11-18T19:34:11.529-05:002013-11-18T19:34:11.529-05:00Ryebrynn, Ivanhoe is one of my favorites too. I...Ryebrynn, Ivanhoe is one of my favorites too. I'm working on a Frog Prince story and a Regency romance--a romance set in the early 1800's in England. Not sure what I'll do after that!<br /><br />Anonymous, thanks for coming by! So glad you enjoyed The Fairest Beauty! Yes, I am writing a Frog Prince story and hope to write more fairy tale retellings after that, but I'm not sure which ones yet!Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-84877994288746779742013-11-18T19:31:05.229-05:002013-11-18T19:31:05.229-05:00Cajun Huntress, I really like the book, Beauty by ...Cajun Huntress, I really like the book, Beauty by Robin McKinley, and I also like the Disney Beauty and the Beast movie. And as I said earlier, I love the movie Penelope. It's not exactly a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but it's similar.Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-76269514737098978692013-11-18T19:28:54.960-05:002013-11-18T19:28:54.960-05:00Rina, I spent one summer in Germany, and that town...Rina, I spent one summer in Germany, and that town really inspired my setting, but I don't speak German, sadly. I just look things up. :-) Hopefully I'm not too inaccurate. I'm going to try to get a German speaking person to help me make sure I get the grammar and everything correct with the next book. :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-61860283538512124442013-11-18T19:26:32.933-05:002013-11-18T19:26:32.933-05:00Jenelle, my least favorite fairy tale? That's ...Jenelle, my least favorite fairy tale? That's hard to say. I don't like fairy tales with sad or violent endings. I don't particularly like Little Red Riding Hood, so I'll go with that one. :-)<br /><br />Galadriel, I am not sure which movie would make a good fairy tale, but I really loved Penelope. If you haven't seen it, it's wonderful. It's kind a Beauty and the Beast story but the beast is the woman, and she has a pig snout and pig ears. It's really romantic, trust me. :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-53693238081318860952013-11-18T19:19:32.310-05:002013-11-18T19:19:32.310-05:00I'm so sorry I forgot to come over earlier tod...I'm so sorry I forgot to come over earlier today! <br />Thanks for all the great comments!<br />Anna, I see you were able to enter the drawing. Yay!<br />Sarah, it's so hard to say which was my favorite. I think The Merchant's Daughter (Beauty and the Beast) was the hardest. I will go with The Captive Maiden, since the story just seemed to flow, and the romance was really fun to write. :-)Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-31752964448570534862013-11-18T17:48:01.807-05:002013-11-18T17:48:01.807-05:00THANK YOU SO MUCH ANNE ELISABETH!!! :D I just ente...THANK YOU SO MUCH ANNE ELISABETH!!! :D I just entered! Annanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-48018733599552803852013-11-18T17:41:18.789-05:002013-11-18T17:41:18.789-05:00I first came across your series while browsing the...I first came across your series while browsing the internet. I saw the cover of The Healers Apprentice and thought "Wow that looks interesting!" Sadly, I haven't had a chance to read it yet. Definitely going on my Christmas list!<br />Question: What inspired you to write this gene of fiction?<br />AAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-42992074437178318722013-11-18T15:39:07.645-05:002013-11-18T15:39:07.645-05:00Your books sound so intriguing! Thanks for stoppin...Your books sound so intriguing! Thanks for stopping by and offering a giveaway. :)<br /><br />My question: How do you take the rather two-dimensional characters of fairy tales and breathe life into them, making them more realistic and historically accurate?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171567731644896572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-32139446627815718682013-11-18T15:08:17.880-05:002013-11-18T15:08:17.880-05:00I loved this interview and have been intrigued a l...I loved this interview and have been intrigued a long time by your fairy tale retellings. Being blind, I have been unable to locate them in an accessible format but hope to read them one day. Congratulations, Mrs. Dickerson.<br />Is it particularly challenging to retell fairy tales without magical elements? For instance, what is your stand-in for the "frog" in "The Frog Prince?" Hope this question makes sense.<br /><br />God bless you and keep up the outstanding work.Meredithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-27764499591497638342013-11-18T15:00:35.749-05:002013-11-18T15:00:35.749-05:00I have read all of Melanie's books, (I think),...I have read all of Melanie's books, (I think), and found them all fun and interesting... can't wait to read The Captive Maiden!!! :) I especially enjoyed reading the one about Snow White, The Fairest Beauty. <br /> A great thanks to Melanie Dickerson, for writing Christian fairytale retellings! They're pretty rare I've found!<br /> A question... are you going to continue writing fairytale retellings after the Cinderella one, Melanie?<br /> Thanks for this! Would love to win a copy of Captive Maiden! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-37717703412562849602013-11-18T12:46:11.681-05:002013-11-18T12:46:11.681-05:00Wow. I've wanted to read one of Melanie's ...Wow. I've wanted to read one of Melanie's books for awhile, so this is epic. <br />Melanie, you've read Ivanhoe? That's one of my favorite classics! <br />What are you planning on writing next?<br /><br />-RyebrynnRyebrynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03849670168099288393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-90241545103938790972013-11-18T11:32:18.360-05:002013-11-18T11:32:18.360-05:00Wow! I am super excited to get a chance to read yo...Wow! I am super excited to get a chance to read your book. I love retelling of Fairy Tales. You said that your favorite fairy tale was Beauty and the Beast, what is your favorite adaptation of that fairy tale and why. Domhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09496614689049191013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-83901950962089417732013-11-18T10:28:03.821-05:002013-11-18T10:28:03.821-05:00I love Valten's horse' name! Great job bri...I love Valten's horse' name! Great job bringing a bit of German into the story. Question: Do you speak German? Or do you just look things up for the books?Rina's Readinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-19257324895765067142013-11-18T10:16:06.196-05:002013-11-18T10:16:06.196-05:00What recent movie would you turn into a fairy tale...What recent movie would you turn into a fairy tale if you could?Galadrielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03121966867701210958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-46549781519334940792013-11-18T09:59:55.237-05:002013-11-18T09:59:55.237-05:00I love fairy tales, and your books sound amazing.
...I love fairy tales, and your books sound amazing.<br /><br />Question: What is your least favorite fairy tale?Jenelle Leannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07123087491869123579noreply@blogger.com