P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
There are a number os ways you can extend the life of a story series. This post is a basic guide to help you brainstorm ideas and presents various options to extend a story series you’ve already written or a well known series. Sometimes it’s hard to end a series because fans want more of the characters they love and you don’t want to disappoint them, but there are limits to stories and authors as creators.
A great reasons to extend the life of a story series is well known characters , like Robin Hood, Zorro, Frankenstein, and Tarzan already have a fanbase you can tap into. A second reason is to tap into the equity of older work by sparking new interest in it. Both options can help you grow your writer fanbase platform. And a third is to quite a series before you, or it, wears out.
Write a Character Spinoff
One of the easiest ways it to write a spinoff of a character. You can do this with stories you’ve written or when writing a fan fiction piece. Note, if you plan on publishing it or selling it make sure the characters are out of copyright and now part of the public domain, like Sherlock Holmes and many fairy tales are.
If fans had a favorite character in your last series, maybe it was the villain, write a new series about them. This can also help refresh your enthusiasm for a long running series. Writing a long running series can be hard on writers when they don’t want to diss point fans, but are tired of coming up with new ideas. Taking a side step can help get your creativity flowing again.
Extend A World
You can extend the life of a seres by writing a new story that takes place one, or more, towns from where your original story takes place. Have your main character move. You could write a subplot about the politics between the two towns, or pull in cameos of characters from the original series that fans already love.
You could also write a parody of a classic series, like Emily McIntire did with Hooked, part of her Never After Series. This series is actually stand alone books of fractured fairy tales under a theme. If you like dark romance with a twist, give it a try. They are a bit steamy.
Write a Prequel or a Sequel
Prequels and sequels are great way to add life to a series by jumping your series forward or backward in time. This could be a small jump in time to when your characters are younger or older, or even a much bigger jump. Linking to the original series through the history or future of place or an organization can be fun and you’ll get to write new characters. If you have a well developed world that is character like in it’s own right this is a good choice.
P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
The Mysterious Subplot post takes the mystery out of writing subplots, or maybe puts them into mysteries. You’ll have to keep reading to find out!
Subplots can be intimidating, but they don’t have to be. The key to solving any mystery is information. Let’s follow the clues and solve the mystery of subplots.
What is a Mysterious subplot?
A mysterious subplot is a subplot that you can’t figure out how to make work. When I was plotting out my urban fantasy series I ran into this problem. I’ll share what worked for me later in this post, but I’ll give you a clue. It can be hard to see the nature of something when it’s complex.
What is a subplot?
To understand something complex you must break it down into smaller, simple parts. Simply put, a subplot is a smaller story within a larger story.
If you picture them like Matryoshka dolls it can help you understand some of the complexity of subplots. Just like the mother doll holds her children, a good subplot is the child of the larger story. It will have the characteristics of the main story it is related to. However, subplots are also different stories because they have a purpose in the story all their own.
A subplot is also a tool to make a story wonderfully complex and satisfying to read. It does this by mimicking some of what happens in real life through layering. This is the scary part, a poorly crafted subplot can confuse a reader and break a story. If the story breaks the reader may put down the book and you could lose them as a reader forever. I’ll tell you how to avoid this once you understand the basics makeup subplots.
What can you use a Subplot for?
Subplots work just like main stories do for the most part. However, they must play a supporting role in the story or they will break the story’s flow. You can use a subplot to explore themes, deepens character development, share complex ideas or feelings, and add more tension through conflict. It’s their job to add layers to a single storyline, and pull the reader interest in deeper.
Subplots should not steal the spotlight away from of the main story’s plot points. So, its best to have them end before the main story’s climax. However, romantic subplots are an exception. In romance the the theme is always love conquers all, and readers expect a “happily ever after” or “happy for now” ending.
Two Types of Subplots
To make it easer to understand how subplots we will break them down into the two basic types. Yes, you can define subplots into more groups, but this makes it easy to understand. The first, an Affinity subplot helps the protagonist to reach the story goal in the climax. The second type of subplot is an opposition subplot, it works against the protagonist reaching their goal in the climax scene.
However, even this can be confusing because subplots have their own story arc. Both types support and deter the protagonist from reaching their climax goal at different points in the story. The key is to look at what they do in the end. Dose the subplot bring your protagonist closer to reaching their story goal or further away from it?
I like to think of subplot stories in music terms to separate them from the main story. Your mains story is the melody and your subplots are countermelodies. Each have their own its own independent musical line with a “trough” (the lowest point) and the “peak” (the highest point). What happens in the peak (the subplot’s climax) tells you what type of subplot it is.
Affinity Subplots
Affinity subplots are small stories about the positive relationships in the protagonist’s life. The relationship may be with a protagonist’s friend, a sidekick, a love interest, or a mentor. Though they can also be an animal, object, the weather, or a place depending on the type genre you’re writing in.
Opposition Subplot
Opposition subplots are the negative relationship stories in the protagonist’s life. Some examples of this are a jealous rival, a storm, the political structure of a particular place and time, corruption within organizations, a sick relative, an abusive partner, or any other outside inflicts that impede the protagonist from reaching their climax goal.
Can You Vanquish The Mysterious Subplot
Can you vanquish the mystery behind subplots? Yes you can, if you are talking about the confusion many writers have over how to create, use, and fix them when you break your story! However, if you are talking about reading a mystery the answer is no, or rather you shouldn’t. By definition a mystery is something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain, and the best way to create a complex story is with subplots. (wink)
As I promised, here is how I made my subplots work. What worked for me was writing down the basic bare bones of each subplot’s five arc plot points and the five plot points of my novel. I placed each one in the order they occur in, writing a single sentence with the protagonist their goal and the consequences if the goal fails. Then I placed read it and that helped me see what the root of the problem was.
My solution is basically plotting in revers. If you prefer to outlining a story first, you can write the plot points scene as one sentence skeleton blurbs each until they work. Next, do the same with your subplots, adding the subplots skeleton blurbs into the framework of our story one at at time, adapting them, and moving the order around as needed. Once you’ figurer’s sure the first subplot structure is sound you can add in a second and even a third if you want to.
Plot Holes
When you first start writing subplots, it’s beneficial to keep the number subplots low until you get the hang of interweaving them into a cohesive whole. Making sure your story structure is sound is the best way to keep your readers happy, and this is important because happy readers keep reading. You’ll get better at finding and removing inconstancies (plot holes) the more you practice. And you’ll figure out what methods work best for you as a writer the more you practice.
Thank you so much for reading my post. I hope this helps you write some amazing and deeply interesting stories.
P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
I like this image and imagine it’s what my mind looked like, full of demons and dark swirling shadows, when was trying to figure out how to get out of revision hell. Title: A witch at her cauldron surrounded by beasts, by Etching by J. van de Velde II, 1626. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to Get Out of Revision Hell, My Story
Every novelist’s journey is unique; and I want to start by sharing how to get out of revision hell. Welcome to my pre-launch blog post series introducing: The Amara Orrick Series! My first novel and urban fantasy series!
Anyone who knows me well knows I like dealing with facts, but can also enjoy a healthy debate of opinions. I’m blunt and outspoken, but also tactful, showing sensitivity, and show kindness. I love fighting for the underdog and helping people solve problems. So, it is with this passion for problem solving that share my personal journey of how I got through writing my first draft to where my project is currently at today.
If you want to know how I got out of revision hell, I answer that at the end of the post. So you can skip to the bottom if you want. Or you can read how I got there. I’m sharing with the hope that it will help other writers avoid some of the coldly mistakes I made along the way.
The Beginning
A dream about a witch, turned into an idea for a fantasy novel in my 20’s. A good friend, who was an editor at White Wolf publishing at the time, encouraged me to write it. However, I lacked the confidence to try. Many years went by and still the idea would not leave me alone, so in the early twenty-teens I finally gave in and started writing to the little voice in my head would shut up.
How I Established my Writing Practice
Kindness
Unfortunately the voice inside did not stop. It turned it’s monologue around on me: what makes you think you can write a novel, your dyslexic, who would want to read something you wrote, you can’t even spell, and on it went. I plucked around until I found Natalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down the Bones. As a cafeteria buddhist this book hit just the right notes and helped me quite my inner critic.
Community
I love the phrase Goldberg uses, “Shut up and write.” You have to start somewhere and there is no perfect time. Reading her experience as a poet turned novelist, I realized I needed to team up with someone else who wanted to establish a writing practice. I posted an ad on Craig’s List and found a writing partner.
Later, I found the ShutUp & Write community. I became an organizer for them and my writing partners came along with me. Once the pandemic hit, all events were taken online and I stopped organizing for them and lost touch with them and many in the community I had created. However, by that time I was in a habit of writing even moving before anyone else was up, and I found new ways to reach communities online. This is when I found the Fictionary community.
After the pandemic I gathered together what was left of my writing group and founded the Brooklyn Writers Exchange, a support group for writers who want to establish a wring practice and network. We meet every Thursday at 6pm in the Brooklyn Heights Library’s craft room. Come join us to write. You can find out more here.
How to Start a Writing Process, My Story
I started by writing the backstory for each of my major characters, the world they live in, and the magic they use. Using Google, I found the Snowflake Method, created by Randy Ingermanson. It’s not a perfect method, but it fit the process I used to write short stories. So, I felt comfortable starting with it; and It was a simple.
I hand written wrote notes posed on my bulletin board, notebooks full of scene, and scenes, as well as editing notes in different files all over my computer. I knew I needed to get organized, but wasn’t sure how to do it. And so, I compiled all my work into two flies in Google Documents.
It wasn’t until the pandemic that I found out more about how to write a more structured novel. I took a writing class and rewrote my first draft almost entirely from scratch a second time. All the while I felt like I was an imposter when it came to calling myself a writer. Even though I had wrote content for many blogs and was a published poet.
How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome, My Story
Education
Until a few years ago I considered myself a pantser. I’m not, nor do I believe any writer can be just a pantser or a planner. Being in tune with your inner voice is an important skill that is hard to cultivate if you insist on planning all the personality out of your writing and replacing it with hard dry structure. All writing is rewriting as my college professor used to say.
I took the course Good With Words, taught by a law professor at the university of Michigan. It boosted my confidence. It wasn’t until I started to try and strengthen the areas of my writing that were the weakest that I finally felt like I could call myself a real writer. The same thing happed when I decide to become a Fictionary certified story coach.
How to Get Out of Revision Hell, Status Update
Until about two years ago I considered myself a pantser. I’m not, nor do I believe any writer can be just a painter or a planner. Being in tune with your inner voice is an important skill that is hard to cultivate if you insist on planning all the personality out of your writing and replacing it with hard dry structure. All writing is rewriting as my college professor used to say.
I took the course Good With Words, taught by a law professor at the university of Michigan. It boosted my confidence. It wasn’t until I started to try and strengthen the areas of my writing that were the weakest that I finally felt like I could call myself a real writer, but I still didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing when I worked on my novel.
The manuscript is currently in the homestretch of the revision phase. It took a very long time to get here. It was because when I first started I had no idea how to write a novel, or edit one, let alone revise one. I will talk about that here, plus how there is no one correct way to write a novel, or edit and revise one.
Once the cover art has been finalized it will show here, follow me on your favorite social media poison of choice or my blog for the lates updates.
P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
A sustainable writing practice is one that can, and will, sustain. Like most things in life with value, it takes work. It should look different for each writer and fulfill their unique needs. What you need will change and grow as you grow as a person and writer because your writing goals will change.
I like to think of sustainable writing practices as a relationship between the writer and their writing. Checking in with yourself and asking what you need at each step of your journey is an important step. How long you practice is entirely up to you. If you love writing and want to sustain it throughout your life, you’ll need to plan carefully to avoid burnout.
I share basic actionable steps below that can work for any writer, follow or break them, make them your own.
How Do You Build a Sustainable Writing Practice?
The first step to building a sustainable writing practice is making a commitment to write regularly. How often you need to write is particular to your goals as a writer and your current skill level. Some say daily writing is a must. However, this can be detrimental to some writers, and we all need time to rest and recharge.
One key aspect of building a sustainable writing practice is understanding each writer’s needs are their own. A one-size-fits-all approach does not apply to writing practice. All writers have their own set of goals, therefore they need different things out of their practice. A songwriter, comedian, novelist, screenplay, blogger, copywriter, investigative reporter, or playwright will all have different needs. Circadian rhythms and the personality of the writer also add complexity to a writer’s needs.
I prefer doing my creative work early in the morning when my mind is relaxed and not fully awake. I get up early so that I’m not interrupted and I can slowly wake up mentally while I’m writing. I reserve this time in the morning when my brain is still in contact with my subconscious mind for problem solving, brainstorming new article ideas and fiction writing. I do editing and content writing later in the day when I am at my peak, not being a morning person.
I write every weekday in the morning when I first wake for an hour focusing on my personal creative projects, weekday I work as a copywriter and blogger, and I reserve weekends for personal journaling, no editing happens, and the rest of the day is open for relaxing and recharging. I take writing vacations when I feel I need to.
Find what works for you by experimenting. Figuring out the best time for you to write is a huge first step. I tried different times of the day until I found the sweet spot for me. Don’t feel obligated to write every day, regardless of what others say. And you should not feel guilty or inadequate if you can’t keep up with someone else’s ideal schedule. Find out what works best for you.
Actionable Steps to Sustainable Writing Practice
Start small.
Set an attainable word count goal within a set time period. (For example, write a short story within three weeks.)
Commit to it by setting aside a regular time.
Play to your strengths. And take time to learn the areas you’re not confident about. (For me, I wasn’t confident about editing my work. I have dyslexia. Once I knew how my confidence soared.)
Evaluate what works, what doesn’t and why, then make changes. (Once you get going, you can skip this step. You can add it back in when you want to experiment at anytime.)
Reward yourself when you reach a goal. (I usually have a cup of matcha latte tea, but sometimes I cheat and get it while I’m writing. I love tea!)
Repeat.
How can you maintain your writing habits?
Reading Good Writing
Make time to read good writing. This is an important part of training your mind’s ear to recognize good writing. It can increase your vocabulary. Help you become more in tune with rhythm within a language’s written word.
Reading can help you maintain your writing practice by giving your creative mind a rest and stimulate other areas of the brain that process storytelling.
Divide Up Large Projects
Divide large projects up into manageable parts of time you can do in one setting. Using a word count goal can help you decide how many words you can write within the time you have for writing practice. As you become more comfortable, you can increase this, but start where you are now.
A Sustainable Writing Practice Includes Rest
Give yourself permission to rest. I take regular breaks. Sometimes, I do another task or take a walk. However, if I’m having a difficult time a few days off when I feel need it. Other times it is a weeklong vacation. This schedule supports me and helps me grow. When I first started writing, I wrote only two to three times a week for a short period. At first, I discovered that a gradual and consistent pace was necessary. And what I needed changed as I changed and grew as a writer.
Making Mistakes is Part of Learning and Growing
You will make mistakes, everyone does. Learn from them what you can and move forward. Sometimes this means telling your inner critic to piss off. I have a nasty inner critic who tries to undermine my writing practice any chance it gets.
One way I silence mine is by agreeing with it. Next, I tell it that learning comes from making mistakes. The best writers were not great when they stated. Be kind to yourself. There is no shame in learning. Leaning takes curage and should be celebrated.
The initial draft of a project isn’t a polished piece of work. Its purpose is laying down the bones of foundation to support the next step in creating a polished piece of work. It’s supposed to be messy, fun, or whatever it needs to be for your process.
Don’t make unfair comparisons of you work with other writers. They are not you and you are not them. You each have your own obstacle to overcome. Don’t let your inner critic tell you if you’re not the best, you should just give up. Everyone has parts of writing they are better at than others. Play to your strengths and spend as much time as you need to learn in the areas you struggle with.
P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
Sitting cat, from behind (1812) by Jean Bernard. Artwork used to illustrate The Witch by Andrew Lang.
About Andrew Lang’s “The Witch”
The Witch by Andrew Lang is a tale with English origins. It was first published in 1894 in “The Yellow Fairy Book, a book of Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang.”
Once upon a time there was a peasant whose wife died, leaving him with two children—twins—a boy and a girl. For some years the poor man lived on alone with the children, caring for them as best he could; but everything in the house seemed to go wrong without a woman to look after it, and at last he made up his mind to marry again, feeling that a wife would bring peace and order to his household and take care of his motherless children. So he married, and in the following years several children were born to him; but peace and order did not come to the household. For the step-mother was very cruel to the twins, and beat them, and half-starved them, and constantly drove them out of the house; for her one idea was to get them out of the way. All day she thought of nothing but how she should get rid of them; and at last an evil idea came into her head, and she determined to send them out into the great gloomy wood where a wicked witch lived. And so one morning she spoke to them, saying: ‘You have been such good children that I am going to send you to visit my granny, who lives in a dear little hut in the wood. You will have to wait upon her and serve her, but you will be well rewarded, for she will give you the best of everything.’ So the children left the house together; and the little sister, who was very wise for her years, said to the brother: ‘We will first go and see our own dear grandmother, and tell her where our step-mother is sending us.’ And when the grandmother heard where they were going, she cried and said:
‘You poor motherless children! How I pity you; and yet I can do nothing to help you! Your step-mother is not sending you to her granny, but to a wicked witch who lives in that great gloomy wood. Now listen to me, children. You must be civil and kind to everyone, and never say a cross word to anyone, and never touch a crumb belonging to anyone else. Who knows if, after all, help may not be sent to you?’
And she gave her grandchildren a bottle of milk and a piece of ham and a loaf of bread, and they set out for the great gloomy wood. When they reached it they saw in front of them, in the thickest of the trees, a queer little hut, and when they looked into it, there lay the witch, with her head on the threshold of the door, with one foot in one corner and the other in the other corner, and her knees cocked up, almost touching the ceiling. ‘Who’s there?’ she snarled, in an awful voice, when she saw the children.
And they answered civilly, though they were so terrified that they hid behind one another, and said:
‘Good-morning, granny; our step-mother has sent us to wait upon you, and serve you.’
‘See that you do it well, then,’ growled the witch. ‘If I am pleased with you, I’ll reward you; but if I am not, I’ll put you in a pan and fry you in the oven—that’s what I’ll do with you, my pretty dears! You have been gently reared, but you’ll find my work hard enough. See if you don’t.’ And, so saying, she set the girl down to spin yarn, and she gave the boy a sieve in which to carry water from the well, and she herself went out into the wood. Now, as the girl was sitting at her distaff, weeping bitterly because she could not spin, she heard the sound of hundreds of little feet, and from every hole and corner in the hut mice came pattering along the floor, squeaking and saying:
‘Little girl, why are your eyes so red? If you want help, then give us some bread.’ And the girl gave them the bread that her grandmother had given her. Then the mice told her that the witch had a cat, and the cat was very fond of ham; if she would give the cat her ham, it would show her the way out of the wood, and in the meantime they would spin the yarn for her. So the girl set out to look for the cat, and, as she was hunting about, she met her brother, in great trouble because he could not carry water from the well in a sieve, as it came pouring out as fast as he put it in. And as she was trying to comfort him they heard a rustling of wings, and a flight of wrens alighted on the ground beside them. And the wrens said:
‘Give us some crumbs, then you need not grieve. For you’ll find that water will stay in the sieve.’
Then the twins crumbled their bread on the ground, and the wrens pecked it, and chirruped and chirped. And when they had eaten the last crumb they told the boy to fill up the holes of the sieve with clay, and then to draw water from the well. So he did what they said, and carried the sieve full of water into the hut without spilling a drop. When they entered the hut the cat was curled up on the floor. So they stroked her, and fed her with ham, and said to her:
‘Pussy-cat, grey pussy-cat, tell us how we are to get away from the witch?’
Then the cat thanked them for the ham, and gave them a pocket-handkerchief and a comb, and told them that when the witch pursued them, as she certainly would, all they had to do was to throw the handkerchief on the ground and run as fast as they could. As soon as the handkerchief touched the ground a deep, broad river would spring up, which would hinder the witch’s progress. If she managed to get across it, they must throw the comb behind them and run for their lives, for where the comb fell a dense forest would start up, which would delay the witch so long that they would be able to get safely away. The cat had scarcely finished speaking when the witch returned to see if the children had fulfilled their tasks. ‘Well, you have done well enough for to-day,’ she grumbled; ‘but to-morrow you’ll have something more difficult to do, and if you don’t do it well, you pampered brats, straight into the oven you go.’
Half-dead with fright, and trembling in every limb, the poor children lay down to sleep on a heap of straw in the corner of the hut; but they dared not close their eyes, and scarcely ventured to breathe. In the morning the witch gave the girl two pieces of linen to weave before night, and the boy a pile of wood to cut into chips. Then the witch left them to their tasks, and went out into the wood. As soon as she had gone out of sight the children took the comb and the handkerchief, and, taking one another by the hand, they started and ran, and ran, and ran. And first they met the watch-dog, who was going to leap on them and tear them to pieces; but they threw the remains of their bread to him, and he ate them and wagged his tail. Then they were hindered by the birch-trees, whose branches almost put their eyes out. But the little sister tied the twigs together with a piece of ribbon, and they got past safely, and, after running through the wood, came out on to the open fields. In the meantime in the hut the cat was busy weaving the linen and tangling the threads as it wove. And the witch returned to see how the children were getting on; and she crept up to the window, and whispered:
‘Are you weaving, my little dear?’ ‘Yes, granny, I am weaving,’ answered the cat. When the witch saw that the children had escaped her, she was furious, and, hitting the cat with a porringer, she said: ‘Why did you let the children leave the hut? Why did you not scratch their eyes out?’
But the cat curled up its tail and put its back up, and answered: ‘I have served you all these years and you never even threw me a bone, but the dear children gave me their own piece of ham.’ Then the witch was furious with the watch-dog and with the birch-trees, because they had let the children pass. But the dog answered:
‘I have served you all these years and you never gave me so much as a hard crust, but the dear children gave me their own loaf of bread.’
And the birch rustled its leaves, and said: ‘I have served you longer than I can say, and you never tied a bit of twine even round my branches; and the dear children bound them up with their brightest ribbons.’
So the witch saw there was no help to be got from her old servants, and that the best thing she could do was to mount on her broom and set off in pursuit of the children. And as the children ran they heard the sound of the broom sweeping the ground close behind them, so instantly they threw the handkerchief down over their shoulder, and in a moment a deep, broad river flowed behind them.
When the witch came up to it, it took her a long time before she found a place which she could ford over on her broom-stick; but at last she got across, and continued the chase faster than before. And as the children ran they heard a sound, and the little sister put her ear to the ground, and heard the broom sweeping the earth close behind them; so, quick as thought, she threw the comb down on the ground, and in an instant, as the cat had said, a dense forest sprung up, in which the roots and branches were so closely intertwined, that it was impossible to force a way through it. So when the witch came up to it on her broom she found that there was nothing for it but to turn round and go back to her hut.
But the twins ran straight on till they reached their own home. Then they told their father all that they had suffered, and he was so angry with their step-mother that he drove her out of the house, and never let her return; but he and the children lived happily together; and he took care of them himself, and never let a stranger come near them.
P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
Image of origanal cover for The Yellow Fairy Book, a book of Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang.
There are many fariy tales by Andrew Lang. He compiled 798 stories and 153 poems in his 12 fairy book volumes. I have a little over half of the books he published listed. You can see more titles on his wiki page. As, this is not a complete list of his he works.
How to use this list of “Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang”
Because this list is a resource, if you are looking for a particular story, it is helpful to use the search box on my site, it’s to the upper right side. And the command + find function on your keyboard to save time scrolling through the long list of titles. Note, some stories are in more than one book.
Please let me know if you find “Free Fairy Tales to Read” helpful! I love hearing from other storytellers and story readers alike! And if you twist a tale, feel free to share a link to your story in the comments.
The fairy books are also available to download individually on Project Gutenburgh. And I have provided individual links to each of his fairy books below, as well as a couple of other of his books, with a list of the stories in each book.
The Green Fairy Book
The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Langincludes the following tales: The Blue Bird, The Half-Chick, The Story of Caliph Stork, The Enchanted Watch, Rosanella, Sylvain and Jocosa, Fairy Gifts, Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla, Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine, The Three Little Pigs, Heart of Ice, The Enchanted Ring, The Snuff-box, The Golden Blackbird, The Little Soldier, The Magic Swan, The Dirty Shepherdess, The Enchanted Snake, The Biter Bit, King Kojata, Prince Fickle and Fair Helena, Puddocky, The Story of Hok Lee and the Dwarfs, The Story of the Three Bears, Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida, Little One-eye, Little Two-eyes, and Little Three-eyes, Jorinde and Joringel, Allerleirauh or the Many-furred Creature, The Twelve Huntsmen, Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle, The Crystal Coffin, The Three Snake-leaves, The Riddle, Jack my Hedgehog, The Golden Lads, The White Snake, The Story of a Clever Tailor , The Golden Mermaid, The War of the Wolf and the Fox, The Story of the Fisherman and his Wife, The Three Musicians, and The Three Dogs.
The Blue Fairy Book
The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: The bronze ring, Prince Hyacinth and the dear little princess, East of the sun and West of the moon, The yellow dwarf, Little Red Riding-Hood, The sleeping beauty in the wood, Cinderella; or, the little glass slipper, Aladdin and the wonderful lamp, The tale of a youth who set out to learn what fear was, Rumpelstiltzkin, Beauty and the Beast, The Master-Maid, Why the sea is salt, The Master cat; or, Puss in boots, Felicia and the pot of pinks, The white cat, The water-lily, The gold-spinners, The terrible head, The story of pretty Goldilocks, The history of Whittington, The wonderful sheep, Little Thumb, The forty thieves, Hansel and Grettel, Snow-White and Rose-Red, The goose-girl, Toads and diamonds, Prince Darling, Blue Beard, Trusty John, The brave little tailor, A voyage to Lilliput, The princess on the glass hill, The story of Prince Ahmed and the fairy Paribanou, The history of Jack the giant-killer, The black bull of Norroway, and The Red Etin.
The Red Fairy Book
The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: The twelve dancing princesses, The princess Mayblossom, Soria Moria Castle, The death of Koschei the Deathless, The black thief and knight of the glen, The master thief, Brother and sister, Princess Rosette, The enchanted pig, The Norka, The wonderful birch, Jack and the Beanstalk, The little good mouse, Graciosa and Percinet, The three princesses of Whiteland, The voice of death, The six sillies, Kari Woodengown, Drakestail, The ratcatcher, The true history of Little Golden-hood, The golden branch, The three dwarfs, Dapplegrim, The enchanted canary, The twelve brothers, Rapunzel, The nettle spinner, Farmer Weatherbeard, Mother Holle, Minnikin, Bushy bride, Snowdrop, The golden goose, The seven foals, The marvelous musician, and The story of Sigurd.
The Yellow Fairy Book
The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: The cat and the mouse in partnership, The six swans, The dragon of the North, Story of the emperor’s new clothes, The golden crab, The iron stove, The dragon and his grandmother, The donkey cabbage, The little green frog, The seven-headed serpent, The grateful beasts, The giants and the herd-boy, The invisible prince, The crow, How six men travelled through the wide world, The wizard king, The nixy, The glass mountain, Alphege, or The green monkey, Fairer-than-a-fairy, The three brothers, The boy and the wolves, or The broken promise, The glass axe, The dead wife, In the land of souls, The white duck, The witch and her servants, The magic ring, The flower queen’s daughter, The flying ship, The snow-daughter and the fire-son, The story of King Frost, The death of the sun-hero, The Witch, The hazel-nut child, The story of Big Klaus and Little Klaus, Prince Ring, The swineherd, How to tell a true princess, The blue mountains, The tinder-box, The witch in the stone boat, Thumbelina, The nightingale, Hermod and Hadvor, The steadfast tin-soldier, Blockhead Hans, and A story about a darning-needle.
The Vilolet Fairy Book
The Vilolet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: A tale of the Tontlawald, The finest liar in the world, The story of three wonderful beggars, Schippeitaro, The three princes and their beasts, The goat’s ears of the Emperor Trojan, The nine pea-hens and the golden apples, The lute player, The grateful prince, The child who came from an egg, Stan Bolovan, The two frogs, The story of a gazelle, How a fish swam in the air and a hare in the water, Two in a sack, The envious neighbour, The fairy of the dawn, The enchanted knife, Jesper who herded the hares, The underground workers, The history of Dwarf Long Nose, The Nunda, eater of people, The story of Hassebu, The maiden with the wooden helmet, The monkey and the jelly-fish, The headless dwarfs, The young man who would have his eyes opened, The boys with the golden stars, The frog, The princess who was hidden underground, The girl who pretended to be a boy, The story of Halfman, The prince who wanted to see the world, Virgililus the sorcerer, and Mogarzea and his son.
The Olive Fairy Book
The Olive Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford includes the following tales: Madschen, The blue parrot, Geirlaug the king’s daughter, The story of little King Loc, ‘A long-bow story’, Jackal or tiger?, The comb and the collar, The thanksgiving of the Wazir, Samba the coward, Kupti and Imani, The strange adventures of Little Maia, Diamond cut diamond, The green knight, The five wise words of the guru, The golden-headed fish, Dorani, The satin surgeon, The billy goat and the king, The story of Zoulvisia, Grasp all, lose all, The fate of the turtle, The snake prince, The prince and princess in the forest, The clever weaver, The boy who found fear at last, He wins who waits, The steel cane, The punishment of the fairy Gangana, and The silent princess.
The Crimson Fairy Book
The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: Lovely Ilonka, Lucky Luck, The Hairy Man, To your Good Health!, The Story of the Seven Simons, The Language of Beasts, The Boy who could keep a Secret, The Prince and the Dragon, Little Wildrose, Tiidu the Piper, Paperarello, The Gifts of the Magician, The Strong Prince, The Treasure Seeker, The Cottager and his Cat, The Prince who would seek Immortality, The Stone-cutter, The Gold-bearded Man, Tritill, Litill, and the Birds, The Three Robes, The Six Hungry Beasts, How the Beggar Boy turned into Count Piro, The Rogue and the Herdsman, Eisenkopf, The Death of Abu Nowas and of his Wife, Motikatika, Niels and the Giants, Shepherd Paul, How the wicked Tanuki was punished, The Crab and the Monkey, The Horse Gullfaxi and the Sword Gunnfoder, The Story of the Sham Prince, or the Ambitious Tailor, The Colony of Cats, How to find out a True Friend, Clever Maria, and The Magic Kettle.
The Lilac Fairy Book
The Lilac Fairy Book by Andrew Langincludes the following tales: The Shifty Lad, The False Prince and the True, The Jogi’s Punishment, The Heart of a Monkey, The Fairy Nurse, A Lost Paradise, How Brave Walter Hunted Wolves, The Ring of the Waterfalls, A French Puck, The Three Crowns, The Story of a Very Bad Boy, The Brown Bear of Norway, Little Lasse, ‘Moti’, The Enchanted Deer, A Fish Story, The Wonderful Tune, The Rich Brother and the Poor Brother, The One-Handed Girl, The Bones of Djulung, The Sea Ring’s Gift, The Raspberry Worm, The Stones of Plouhinec, The Castle of Kerglas, The Battle of the Birds, The Lady of the Fountain, The Four Gifts, The Groac’h of the Isle of Lok, The Escape of the Mouse, The Believing Husbands, The Hoodie-Crow, The Brownie of the Lake, and The Winning of Olwen.
The Brown Fairy Book
The Brown Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: What the Rose did to the Cypress, Ball-Carrier and the Bad One, How Ball-Carrier finished his Task, The Bunyip, Father Grumbler, The Story of the Yara, The Cunning Hare, The Turtle and his Bride, How Geirald the Coward was Punished, Habogi, How the Little Brother set Free his Big Brothers, The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe, The Wicked Wolverine, The Husband of the Rat’s Daughter, The Mermaid and the Boy, Pivi and Kabo, The Elf Maiden, How Some Wild Animals became Tame Ones, Fortune and the Wood-Cutter, The Enchanted Head, The Sister of the Sun, The Prince and the Three Fates, The Fox and the Lapp, Kisa the Cat, The Lion and the Cat, Which was the Foolishest?, Asmund and Signy, Rubezahl, Story of the King who would be Stronger then Fate, Story of Wali Dad the Simple-hearted, Tale of a Tortoise and of a Mischievous Monkey, and The Knights of the Fish.
The Grey Fairy Book
The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: Donkey Skin, The Goblin Pony, An Impossible Enchantment, The Story of Dschemil and Dachemila, Janni and the Draken, The Partnership of the Thief and the Liar, Fortunatus and his Purse, The Goat-faced Girl, What came of picking Flowers, The Story of Bensurdatu, The Magician’s Horse, The Little Gray Man, Herr Lazarus and the Draken, The Story of the Queen of the Flowery Isles, Udea and her Seven Brothers, The White Wolf, Mohammed with the Magic Finger, Bobino, The Dog and the Sparrow, The Story of the Three Sons of Hali, The Story of the Fair Circassians, The Jackal and the Spring The Bear, The Sunchild The Daughter of Buk Ettemsuch, Laughing Eye and Weeping Eye, or the Limping Fox, The Unlooked for Prince, The Simpleton, The Street Musicians, The Twin Brothers, Cannetella, The Ogre, A Fairy’s Blunder, Long, Broad, and Quickeye, Prunella.
The Orange Fairy Book
The Orange Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford includes the following tales: The story of the hero Makóma, The magic mirror, Story of the king who would see Paradise, How Isuro the Rabbit tricked Gudu, Ian, the soldier’s son, The fox and the wolf, How Ian Direach got the blue falcon, The ugly duckling, The two caskets, The goldsmith’s fortune, The enchanted wreath, The foolish weaver, The clever cat, The story of Manus, Pinkel the thief, The adventures of a jackal, The adventures of the jackal’s eldest son, The adventures of the younger son of the jackal, Three treasures of the giants, The rover of the plain, The white doe, The girl-fish, The owl and the eagle, The frog and the Lion Fairy, The adventures of Covan the Brown-haired, The Princess Bella-Flor, The bird of truth, The mink and the wolf, Adventures of an Indian brave, How the Stalos were tricked, Andras Baive, The white slipper, and The magic book.
The Violet Fairy Book
The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang includes the following tales: A tale of the Tontlawald, The finest liar in the world, The story of three wonderful beggars, Schippeitaro, The three princes and their beasts, The goat’s ears of the Emperor Trojan, The nine pea-hens and the golden apples, The lute player, The grateful prince, The child who came from an egg, Stan Bolovan, The two frogs, The story of a gazelle, How a fish swam in the air and a hare in the water, Two in a sack, The envious neighbour, The fairy of the dawn, The enchanted knife, Jesper who herded the hares, The underground workers, The history of Dwarf Long Nose, The Nunda, eater of people, The story of Hassebu, The maiden with the wooden helmet, The monkey and the jelly-fish, The headless dwarfs, The young man who would have his eyes opened, The boys with the golden stars, The frog, The princess who was hidden underground, The girl who pretended to be a boy, The story of Halfman, The prince who wanted to see the world, Virgililus the sorcerer, and Mogarzea and his son.
The Red Romance Book by Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford
The Red Romance Book by Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford includes the following tales: How William of Palermo was carried off by the Werwolf, The Disenchantment of the Werwolf, The Slaying of Hallgerda’s Husbands, The Death of Gunnar, Njal’s Burning, The Lady of Solace, Una and the Lion, How the Red Cross Knight slew the Dragon, Amys and Amyle, The Tale of the Cid, The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance, The Adventure of the Two Armies who turned out to be Flocks of Sheep, The Adventure of the Boiling Lights, The Helmet of Mambrino, How Don Quixote was Enchanted while guarding the Castle, Don Quixote’s Home-coming, The Meeting of Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies, How Oberon saved Huon, Havelok and Goldborough, Cupid and Psyche, Sir Bevis the Strong, Ogier the Dane, How the Ass became a Man again, Guy of Warwick, How Bradamante conquered the Wizard, The Ring of Bradamante, The Fulfilling of the Prophecy, The Knight of the Sun, and How the Knight of the Sun rescued his Father.
The Magic Ring and Other Stories by Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford
The Magic Ring and Other Stories by Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford includes the following tales: The magic ring, The white duck, Lovely Ilonka, Clever Maria, The language of beasts, The cat and the mouse in partnership, The six swans, The story of the Emperor’s new clothes, The golden crab, The iron stove, The dragon and his grandmother, The donkey cabbage, Lucky luck, and To your good health!
This post is part of my “Free Fairy Tales to Read” listing, where you can find over a thousand fairy tails to read and share for free!
P. A. Harper writes about sustainability in all its many forms, is the founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, loves to read, drinks too much tea, and writes fiction.
Hire or stalk her online at PAHarper.com, Goodreads, on Facebook @AuthorPAHarper, Twitter @AuthorPAHarper, or Instagram @P.A.Harper
