Fairy tales Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Bertie, the Bookworm…..gets glowing review

‘….Being a great-grandma and a big fan of the Fabled Forest stories, I read “Bertie, the Bookworm and the Bully Boys….” before I sent a copy off to each of my many grandkids and great grandkids. I thought it was wonderful. The children I sent the books to are enjoying reading it. Hard for me to believe some of them are reading without the help of a parent. Sugarek makes a lot of parents very happy with her fairy tales and gentle lessons about being kind and not bullying others because they might be smaller or different. I really enjoy the series because many of the characters return to each story and I look forward to seeing what they are up to now. I highly recommend these fables to parents and grandparents…..’ Margaret C. A great-grandma

To buy or review all the children’s books
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“Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon”
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The Exciting Exploits of an Effervescent Elf” ====>

Writers, do you research enough? (4of4 Fairy Tales)

While writing another short play, “Daughterland“, I wanted a whole new spin on Disney’s Tinker Bell. So more research. This is what I found: James Barrie’s first draft of his famous story (1924) of the magical boy who never grew up originally christened the world’s most famous female fairy as “Tippy-Toe.” By the time the play was first performed, the little pixie had been renamed “Tinker Bell” and has remained so ever since.

Probably most readers know that a tinker was an itinerant tradesman who mended pots and pans. He rang his distinctively high pitched “tinker’s bell” to announce he was in the neighborhood

Barrie pictured the fairy with fiery red hair because she was so small she could only have one emotion at a time, and the red hair seemed to reflect her most common emotions. From Barrie’s unpublished screenplay, here is the description of the first appearance of Tinker Bell:

“The fairy, Tinker Bell. Swallows perched on the outside of the window. The fairy music comes up. The fairy, Tink, flies on and alights on the window sill. She should be about five inches in height and, if the effect can be got, this should be one of the quaintest pictures of the film, the appearance of a real fairy. She is a vain little thing, and arranges her clothes to her satisfaction. She also keeps shoving the birds about so as to get the best place for herself. Finally, she shoves all the swallows off the sill.”

When the animated feature was first released, the Disney publicity department insisted that this would be the first time that Tinker Bell would be visible as more than just the little spot of light flitting around the scenery. In actuality, a silent movie version of Peter Pan released by Paramount in 1924 had a live actress appear briefly in some close-ups as Tinker Bell. Courtesy of Wade Sampson My research changed the way I thought of Tinker Bell, the Disney version. In doing so, my ‘Tippy’ (yes, I went with her orginal name) is quite different. But the play is really about a father and daughter trying to find new ground in their relationship after divorce.

Do you ask yourself, “when will my writing be discovered?”

Okay, so now you have a publisher…your books will fly off the shelves or through cyberspace, right? Au contra, it’s still going to take some time. Or at least, that’s certainly been my experience….

Samuel French (biggest publisher for stage plays) picked me up in 2004 and has since published four of my stage plays. I am so grateful to be in the same publishing house as Louisa May Alcott, David Mamet, Anton Chekhov, and Tennessee Williams. And the staff is so nurturing to their authors. But, here’s the reality: No sales the first year, a few the second year, more the third year and so on…….but, sadly, no BIG immediate discovery of this playwright! Not like in the movies!!

So I kept writing and editing and submitting……and writing more!

I am happy to share with my readers the news that I received a nice fat check from French with reports that reflected my biggest sales period EVER, the first quarter, this year! Over the last six months they have sold seventy scripts of mine. Most orders were in multiple quantities which means a theatre company was buying enough books for cast and crew. And that means that somewhere, out in the world, theatre companies are producing my work! You might be saying to yourself, ‘that’s not so many’ but think about it. That’s 11.6 scripts per month. And like I said, most of them were NOT perusal copies (of one) but the number that they would need to produce a show! One production in Bangor, Maine and the other in Phoenix, AZ.

This summer has been a benchmark for me. We have created a vibrant, new, interactive web site and as of this writing August will exceed any other month on the other sales channels that I use besides my on-line store. My books are finally flying off the shelves of amazon.com (USA and Europe) after eight long years!!

So my message to you is: Keep writing, fellow writers. When you get rejection after rejection (as I did) let that be the spur to write more! Use private publishing. ‘Self publishing’ is not a dirty word anymore. ‘Vanity’ books are a thing of the past…or almost. Most of us, as writers, have something important to say and vanity is far, far away from our thoughts. With the advent of ‘print on demand’ self publishing is not the huge investment it used to be. I self publish for less than $100. plus the wholesale cost of the finished book. Sure your publisher takes a cut……but! You’re published!!

Writing is a lonely business but keep at it. I’ll believe in you if you’ll believe in me!

Who, What Inspires your Writing? (part 2)

You find inspiration in the strangest places. I was dedicated to writing scripts for the stage. A few years back, I attended this production of my children’s play, Emma and the Lost Unicorn, outside of Boston .

After the actors had their curtain calls, the Director told them that if they changed out of their costumes and did their assigned tasks back stage, they could ‘have some time with Trisha’.

So I found myself holding impromptu stage craft classes with these adorable young actors (age 5–18). I was struck how serious they were about their craft. Their questions were very sophisticated. And then it happened……the inspiration to dare to write something completely out of my comfort zone…..a book.

The youngest ones begged me to write the stories from my scripts in storybook form. They wanted to have Emma, Stare, Cheets, and Stanley in their personal libraries. Three children’s books and one novel later I have found a new outlet for my story telling. These children, who knew no fear, gave me enough courage to try chapter books, poetry, and a novel. Experimental at times, risky at times, scary, but so rewarding. So step out of your comfort zone and try writing in a different format… it’s very liberating and you might surprise yourself. I did!

Bambi was romping in the Austrian forest long before Disney…. [3 of 3 in series]

I sure didn’t want the fury of Disney coming down on me because of copyright issues while writing “Bertie, the Bookworm and the Bully Boys“. So it led me to do some serious research on the origins of Bambi and make certain it was public domain. Now for you new writers, if you don’t understand what that is, write me a comment and I will share. Did you know that Bambi, a Life in the Woods is considered one of the first environmental, ecology-minded books ever written? Amazing, right?? Bambi, a Life in the Woods, originally published in Austria as Bambi. Written in 1923, an Austrian novel by Felix Salten. The novel traces the life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, the lessons he learns from his father and experience about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest. An English translation by Whittaker Chambers was published in North America in 1928, and the novel has since been translated and published in over 20 languages around the world.

The novel was well received by critics and is considered a classic. It was adapted into a theatrical animated film, Bambi, by Walt Disney Studios in 1942, two Russian live-action adaptations in 1985 and 1986, and a stage production in 1998. Janet Schulman released a children’s picture book adaptation in 2000 that featured realistic oil-paintings and many of Salten’s original words. Still available on www.amazon.com.

Now a version of Bambi graces my newest children’s book, “Bertie, the Bookworm and the Bully Boys“. Rather than take the obvious route of having Snow White, Cinderella, or Beauty appear I thought it would be so much more fun for my readers to meet some of the sub-characters like the wicked stepsister, one of the dwarves, Red Riding Hood, and the little piggies….and of course, Bambi.

Does anyone out there love “Stanley, the dragon….”?

Two great kids are ‘professional reviewers’ with their Mom. They loved Stanley so I thought I would reprint it here for you to enjoy. Or click below and read it in its original location:

http://www.readerviewskids.com/ReviewSugarekStanleyStalwartDragon.html

READER VIEWS, Reviews by kids, for kids Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon: The Fabled Forest Series (Volume 1) Reviewed by Sophia (age 6.75) and Madeline (age 8.5) McElroy for Reader Views (12/09)

Sophia: I liked this funny story about a dragon named Stanley. He ran away from home, because he couldn’t breathe fire. He found himself in a forest full of creatures – fairies, elves and animals. He made a lot of new friends, until one day when a bad raven came along named Slick; he talked Stanley into going to join the circus. After his friends found out he had run away again the Queen sends them on a mission to rescue poor Stanley.

My favorite part is when Cheets the elf yells “dragon breath!” and starts running around and keeps yelling. My favorite picture is when Stare is on top of Stanley’s head with big saucer eyes!

My favorite characters are Stare and Stanley. Even though Stare only knows the word “Who?, or Who!, or Who! Who! Who!,” I really like him because he is cute and funny. I like Stanley, because he was a kind dragon who didn’t like to burn things up. I think this would be a really good movie!

Madeline: This is an amusing story about Stanley the dragon. This story will take you on many adventures, including some with a nutty little elf named Cheets, a Queen named Cleo who rules over the faeries in the forest, and Stanley who will be the cause of all these exciting tales. Stanley is not your ordinary dragon; he is quite interesting and friendly. Stanley decided to run away from home, because he wouldn’t breathe fire and this was a big disappointment to his parents, especially his Father. Stanley finds himself in a magical woods filled with farires.

The happiest moment in the story was when the Queen ordered the rescue of Stanley. I enjoyed this part of the story, because of the plan his friends had to save him from his trouble again. My favorite character is Cheets the elf, because he is crazy and funny. He always talks about himself in the third person! When he gets too carried-away the Queen “snaps” him into a time-out, of which he had many. This is a very enjoyable fairytale.

Parent: What a delightful story! I loved reading this with the kids. At times I was tempted to copy the pages so we could read it as a play. The characters are really sweet and it has a running dialogue of positive messages. I would highly recommend “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon” by Trisha Sugarek to all parents.

Do you like free stuff? Read “Stanley, the Dragon” FREE

Offering a promotion to read “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon” for FREE August 10, –August 14, 2012. Go to Amazon.com’s Kindle KDP Select Don’t miss this opportunity. Go to Kindle’s “Lending Library” at the link above.

Synopsis: Stanley, a very young dragon, has run away from home. He feels that he is a failure. As dragons go, he probably is. He’s kind, soft spoken, a good friend and can’t for the life of him, breathe FIRE! The story is full of wonderful characters. A lady bug, named Persnickety is Stanley’s best friend and side kick. Emma, an earthling girl who lives on a farm and plays in the forest, with her magical friends. The loveable villain is a raven named City Slick, the Third. Thomas, the pedantic, sea turtle, and Cheets, the elf, are just a few of Stanley’s new friends.

One dark night Slick lures Stanley away from the forest and sells him to the circus. He is left chained, alone in a tent, until he breathes fire. The Queen of the Faeries gives Donald and Emma a quest; to go and find Stanley and rescue him.

While this is an adventure story full of laughter, it teaches children that no matter what, it is never a good idea to run away from home and is frequently very dangerous. The fable addresses bigotry, greed, loyalty and kindness to others. Ages: 2–12

Where did our fairy tales come from? [2 of 3 of series]

The Brothers Grimm (January 4, 1785 – September 20, 1863) were German academics, cultural researchers, and authors who together collected folklore. They are among the most well-known storytellers of Europe. Their work popularized such stories as “The Frog Prince” (Der Froschkönig), “Hansel and Gretel” (Hänsel und Gretel), “Rapunzel“, “Rumpelstiltskin” (Rumpelstilzchen), and “Snow White” (Schneewittchen). Their first collection of folk tales, Children’s and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), was published in 1812. During his life time the master animator, Walt Disney [1901-1966] adapted the ancient fables to film.

Through the centuries the stories have been ‘cleaned up’. For example in one of the earlier versions of Cinderella the glass slipper was filled with the blood and toes of the wicked stepsisters. Not really something we would want to read to our children today. I left it out of my fabled forest stories.

more about where our fairy tales came from next week…..please check back.

“Must Read” rating for “Stanley, The Stalwart Dragon”

BookReview.com gave the first in the Fabled Forest series, “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon” a wonderful review. Head over to their site to see it, or read on below!

Book reviews from all genres: children's books, mystery novels, biographies, alternative health books, sci-fi books, humor, history, music and more

Children’s Books
Title: Stanley, The Stalwart Dragon
Author: Trisha Sugarek
Rating:

Must Read!
Publisher: CreateSpace
Reviewed by: Eric Jones

Trisha Sugarek is often known for her stage plays for children which take on a fun, but instructional tone and lend children an eye-opening narrative on the problems and decisions that come with growing up. Her first novel, “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon”, is an extension of her stage work. Fully illustrated by Mitchell Lamar Larkins, it is a collection of life lessons rolled into a single journey, with a loveable protagonist who finds friendship and hardship out in an unfamiliar world. Stanley is very different from other dragons because he doesn’t blow fire. No, he blows bubbles. This leads him to feel ostracized with the dragon community and in a fit of anger he runs away to the woods where he’s greeted by a band of mixed races; elves, pixies, animals, clowns, and faeries all gather to remark on Stanley’s mysterious condition. What’s remarkable about Sugarek’s fiction is in her ability to draw depth into what might have simply been cartoon characters. City Slick is, without a doubt, my favorite. He has the sly veracity of a huckster, but appears genuinely friendly. He’s also illustrated to resemble Woody Wood Pecker, and although he’s not quite the villain, he plays the role of a trickster who gets Stanley into his predicament by convincing him to join the circus. Stanley moves then from a nice group of misfits to a bad group of misfits, and learns a strong lesson in comparing the two. There is no shortage of fun and interesting characters to grab children’s attention and engage their imagination. Being a playwright, Sugarek comes from a medium that’s heavy on dialog, and that transitions well into children’s fiction, making “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon” a great book to read out loud to children. Parents can change voices to represent different characters, or they can highlight character’s lines that the children themselves can play. This is a novel, so there’s a slight issue of length. It’s best read as a serial over a number of nights rather than straight through, although the appearance of the book can be deceptive since it’s about the same height and width as children’s books like “Polar Express” or “Green Eggs and Ham”. However, Sugarek makes no bones about it being more advanced. She uses big words to stimulate her young readers such as ‘effervescent’, or ‘rhetorical’, which is a method reminiscent of the works of Roald Dahl. “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon” is a captivating children’s novel from start to finish, a cartoonish romp through a fantastic world that’s full of jokes and lessons that will ensnare any child’s ear.

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