Fairytales of the City
I have entered this short story competition in which the task is to write a contemporary fairytale set in London, the city I was born in. Win or lose, I'll post the story here after the closure date. I like magical realism as a genre, and intend to write more in that style in the future.
I am particularly struck by the idea of modern mythology, working the realm of the mystical and magical into current times rather than it always being seen as part of some far-off time period that makes spiritual figures seem like museum pieces. Doing so consciously - such as through meditating and allowing the spiritual realms to tell their own stories before putting them to paper.
I am particularly struck by the idea of modern mythology, working the realm of the mystical and magical into current times rather than it always being seen as part of some far-off time period that makes spiritual figures seem like museum pieces. Doing so consciously - such as through meditating and allowing the spiritual realms to tell their own stories before putting them to paper.
I also feel a kinship with magical realism. A while back a judge of a poetry competition described my work as magical realist. I think the difference between Pagan writing and magical realism, however, is that the latter only adopts the standpoint that magical / spiritual realities exist for the duration of the writing. Magical realism doesn't imply belief in and relationship with gods and spirits. So I do think there's a slight difference in worldview and intention, if not in output. I think the gods and spirits also speak through people who don't believe in them too!
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