VIC'S VIEWPOINTS (Private)

Victim #4: Perception: A Classic Fairy Tale Retelling

Victor sat before the fireplace in the den, gazing at the dancing flames that gave the room a warm, cozy glow. At that moment, he knew no better act than to sit there, absorbing the undisturbed peace. Quiet was a rare occurrence in the Grant household, and Victor had learned to seize the tranquility whenever possible.

He glanced at the silent grandfather clock, noting the time. Half-past midnight. Perhaps he should extinguish the hot ribbons of heat and light and head to bed. Instead, he dragged his backpack before the fire, retrieving his notes before pulling the portable recorder out of his pocket.

"Welcome to another Victor's Viewpoints, done by me, Victor Grant. We have another victim today who has placed their story on our altar of babbling. Today's story is Perception: A Classic Fairy Tale Retelling by @LynaForge. This one is truly a treat, mates, so sit back and..."

"Vic, what's a retelling?"

He turned to see nine-year-old Rosetta standing in the doorway, her little toes peeking out from the voluminous folds of her blue nightgown. The child yawned as she trudged over to her eldest brother, dropping down on the carpeted floor next to him.

"Poppet, you should be asleep." Victor pulled the child into his lap as he ran a hand over her messy cap of hair. "Do you want me to tuck you back in, love?"

She shook her head. "Can't sleep. So, what's a retelling?"

He smiled. "It's telling a story again, but in this case, it's telling the story differently. I was just about to do a review of a retelling of a fairy tale."

"I wanna listen. Your voice is really relaxing. Like when you read bedtime stories, I always fall asleep."

Victor chuckled. "Maybe I'm boring, poppet."

"Naw, never. What story is it?"

He shook his head. "No spoilers, it's a secret."

Rosetta snuggled down deeper and yawned. "I'm gonna try and guess which one it is."

Victor gave her a quick hug before he resumed recording. "Sorry for the interruption. As usual, I'm going to share my viewpoints on seven elements essential to a story. A quick note to Jasper and Noah, thanks for having my back, mates."

"ORIGINALITY pertains to a story being original, fresh, or different. When I asked myself, does this story meet the previously mentioned criteria, I answered myself with a hearty, 'Yes!' This story is the retelling of a well-known fairy tale. Sorry, Wattpadders, no spoilers as to which it is. But I admit, I had no idea of the fairy tale until the clever author decided to pity her devoted readers and spill. To take a tale and spin it in such a fashion that it hardly resembles the original, I'd say gets high marks in originality."

"The SETTING entails where the tale takes place in one or more scenes. It encompasses character development, tone, and narrative style, and most importantly, did the author successfully transport the reader into the story? The answer again is a rousing yes! I watched a gentle snowfall, visited a birthing room and a couple of manors. I sat in a garden and marched into kitchens. There isn't a wealth of scenery descriptions in a few spots, but did it matter? No, because the writing is so strong, I still existed in whatever setting our narrator placed me. In my mind's eye, I could see all the narrator saw or inferred; I was there because the author made me feel it."

"The narrative style used flashbacks in such unique ways. Although only three chapters in, because it is a retelling, I'm sure it will cover the entire story from the beginning, middle to the end."

"Next, we toddle off to CHARACTERIZATION, in which we consider how well-drawn are the characters in the story? And once again, I'm gobsmacked with how well the characters are written in this masterpiece. Our narrator is a nameless woman who seems hurt and haunted by the past as she faces the present. She dictates how deep we enter her world and is the primary source of our perceptions. The characters in Perception were made for this world. They claim it, and I'm just a bloke along for the ride. Imagine reading a book of jolly old England in Robin Hood's time, and the characters are using phrases like, 'What up' or 'Well, Bob's your uncle.' You'd feel a sense of displacement. In this world, our MC and, to some degree, the other characters display complex motives and have conflicting attitudes concerning life and honor. They have relationships that are rife with secrets, desires, and hurts. They have history, places in society, and we get to know them by gradually learning about them."