Another great prompt comes in the form of using old stories and tales in order to create new work. This can be fairy tales, mythology, legends or anything along these lines.
Fairy tales:
1. Cinderella
2. Snow White
3. Hansel and Gretel
4. Jack and the Beanstalk
5. Puss in Boots
Mythology:
1. Greek and Roman mythology
2. Olympian Gods and Goddesses
3. Norse mythology
4. American folklore
5. Egyptian mythology
Myths and Legends:
1. Pandora's box
2. King Arthur - there is lots to unpack here
3. Robin Hood
4. Beowulf
5. The fountain of youth
The examples I have given for mythology are notably vague, but this is because the categories of mythology are so vague and intertwined it wouldn't be of much help to focus on one person in my prompts. Mythology is such a rich source of storytelling and once you start researching it becomes almost impossible to stop.
For example, I used the character of Hecate from the Greek mythologies in a story I wrote recently and I loved looking up her relation to other Gods/Goddesses, her roots and how her image changed over time through different myths.
The great thing about mythology is that there is so much to work with and change - you can even create your own myths using well-known mythological characters!
Fairy tales are also a great basis for new stories. I am currently writing a story based on Little Red Riding Hood that plays around with the roles of her, the wolf and the huntsman. Little Red Riding Hood is a particularly interesting story to work with because it follows a journey, allowing you to set the scene really well.
Another way to change up old tales is to use a different perspective or write about the lead up to the main tale, what happens after the tale, or write the tale itself as something new. You can get away with pretty much anything as you are not retelling the tale but making your own story from it!
Happy writing!
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