Seeing the motivation for Hook’s behavior and the callousness of Peter completely changes the tone of the story and recasts the heroes and villains. One such tale that stuck with me is “Boy Lost,” where Gill writes about Peter and Captain Hook having a romantic relationship before Peter goes off to Neverland and leaves Hook behind. In Fierce Fairy Tales, Gill has a number of pieces showing a fairy tale through the eyes of a villain. Think of Disney’s Maleficent and the string of Joker and Harley Quinn movies. Often the villain then becomes sympathetic and another character emerges as the true evil-doer. One twist modern readers seem to never tire of is seeing a well-known story through the eyes of the villain. There are two key ways she twists these stories: point of view and morality shifts. Gill’s tales ask what if fairy tales were about saving oneself and becoming self-sufficient instead of waiting for someone else to save you. What if the big bad wolf was trying to save his kidnapped pups? What if Cinderella was lazy? In my collection of modern fairy tales When Magic Calls, I asked myself what certain fairy tales would look like if they took place in the modern world. When thinking about how to twist a trope or well-known tale to make it fresh, ask yourself what if. How to Make an Old Trope or Story New: Perspective
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