Advice/Help Road block

[Deredere]

(For context. This is for a school assignment. It's for creative writing class. I'm not asking for you to write the whole story for me, no. I just need some advice to maybe jump a hurdle.)

So, I take a creative writing class to write anything g to pg-13. One of our assignments was to re-tell a classic fairy-tale and I choose Cinderella. Why Cinderella? Because I made another assignment which was to change the ending to a story. I choose to break her glass slipper and have one of the step-sisters be the bride to Prince Charming.

So, here's my problem. Where do I go from here? My teacher suggests that she's now free from her family and can be a free person in her own house, but what do I do with that? Does she go back to get her prince? Does she really need or want the prince? Can she fall in love with a woman for the ultimate cottagecore fantasy? I know it's my story, but some help would be nice.

 

[Uxie]

it sounds like you've got really good ideas so far! (´･ω･`) all of the endings seem plausible in their own right, but i can see there's a problem if you're not particularly drawn to one-- they could all fit, but none will be her glass slipper (_ _)

if you've yet to consider this front, have you fleshed out cinderella as a character?? her life before and after her father's death (assuming you're rewriting that bit too to give her a little bit more substance), as well as why she ultimately decided to break her own glass slipper to let her stepsister be the bride? i think considering that might help push you in a particular direction to go! ♡

in my heart, there is a place somewhere about this being a wlw story between her fairy godmother (not... a godmother in this case obviously) and her but _(:3 」∠)_ he he
an edit 5 mins later: i was wondering what that ^ trope reminded me of! i believe it's a little similar to the tale of tamamizu, which is a japanese folktale (?) about a fox who falls in love with a girl but ends up disguising itself as a handmaiden to be close to the girl, eventually helping her win the emperor's favour. real cute, sad stuff (´꒳`)♡

 

[Malphaestus]

The best advice, from my own experience, is always to write, continue writing, and observe where the leaves fall. There is nothing which aids more than to simply splurge words upon paper.

 

[nerdy tangents]

When I am stuck between multiple options I usually just do a random number generator. It is a great way to pinpoint which option you really want. Because whatever you land on, your usually more invested in a different option.

So it is a great way to focus your mind on what you really want to do.

 

[Deredere]

if you've yet to consider this front, have you fleshed out cinderella as a character??

I'm very much into character driven stories so I have considered working on her and her love interest's characters. Of course she's very kind, gently, and internally brave by hoping and dreaming and not be broken by the people she considers 'family', she was still emotionally abused and her behavior will show that with her need to be perfect and put on a smile for everyone. Yes, she's nice but she's still hurting. She needs to learn and know about unconditional love. She also dislikes being yelled at and believes that a relationship is over when they're mad at you.

And I thought about her love interest's (who will be a woman) character too, but still is wip. She's not like prince charming and has her own flaws too. She's very caring and loyal to the people, but she isn't perfect. She makes mistakes and has her days like anyone else. She's like the fairy godmother in that she's someone to confide in, but she's human as well.

Also, Cinderella doesn't break her glass slipper, her step-mom does.

 

[Uxie]

I'm very much into character driven stories so I have considered working on her and her love interest's characters. Of course she's very kind, gently, and internally brave by hoping and dreaming and not be broken by the people she considers 'family', she was still emotionally abused and her behavior will show that with her need to be perfect and put on a smile for everyone. Yes, she's nice but she's still hurting. She needs to learn and know about unconditional love. She also dislikes being yelled at and believes that a relationship is over when they're mad at you.

And I thought about her love interest's (who will be a woman) character too, but still is wip. She's not like prince charming and has her own flaws too. She's very caring and loyal to the people, but she isn't perfect. She makes mistakes and has her days like anyone else. She's like the fairy godmother in that she's someone to confide in, but she's human as well.

Also, Cinderella doesn't break her glass slipper, her step-mom does.

apologies in advance if any of what i say is something you've already considered! doing my best to work with what info you've given („• ᴗ •„) hope all this makes sense!

i see! she sounds very lovely; i'm assuming you'll be looking for ways for her to achieve that growth? though with the brevity of the original fairytale (that would, presumably, end as soon as the prince weds his princess) as well as this just being a school assignment, her learning to love and be loved would most likely have to be built up throughout the story instead of just as an ending. what part does the love interest play in this, or is this a journey of cinderella to discover self-love? will she be replacing the fairy godmother if they both fulfil the role of confidants?

if you're interested in a happy ending, what would cinderella consider to be her happy ending after everything that has happened during the story; is it to be with her love interest? or to understand that her family's dreadful and finally escape from it? i'm always inclined to the idea that happy endings not seeming entirely fairytale-like— to me, this might mean a character fails to completely achieve the ideal they dreamt of at the start, but fulfils one of the conditions that turns out to be the most important to them— because it adds a sense of realism (?) and area for development even after the story ends~ like you'd be able to envision them working towards something else after. (ᵔ◡ᵔ)

also! just a thought, but since it was her step-mother that broke the slipper, that i feel cinderella may need a reason as to why she wouldn't go back to the prince! (is this related to how the love interest's not like prince charming at all? if she was viewing him only as a ticket to get out of the house + live a good life, does she realise she'd be far happier with the love interest instead?)

but i do think what you have so far lends itself very well to a nice re-written romance between the two ♡ i feel like you could just work towards their happy ending at the moment and see what kind of plot points jumps out at you as you write your characters, as malphaestus has suggested ( ´ ▿ ` )

 

[Deredere]

her learning to love and be loved would most likely have to be built up throughout the story instead of just as an ending. what part does the love interest play in this, or is this a journey of cinderella to discover self-love?

Yes, that's what I would prefer. Her love interest (Who will be called Rosalie) will help her with knowing what love is, but learning self-love is a thing she has to discover (Which I'm not sure how to do yet)

if you're interested in a happy ending, what would cinderella consider to be her happy ending after everything that has happened during the story; is it to be with her love interest? or to understand that her family's dreadful and finally escape from it?

Well, it's to love herself in the end. She may not realize that's what she wants but I think everyone wants to be loved. If a love interest happens to be in that equation, them it happens but she can still love herself if the relationship ends. They're meant to compliment each other, not complete each other

also! just a thought, but since it was her step-mother that broke the slipper, that i feel cinderella may need a reason as to why she wouldn't go back to the prince! (is this related to how the love interest's not like prince charming at all? if she was viewing him only as a ticket to get out of the house + live a good life, does she realise she'd be far happier with the love interest instead?)

You've given me a great idea. Maybe she would want the prince at the beginning and go after the prince. Finds someone that's actually nice to her and helps her reach the prince's castle, soon realizes that she wants Rosalie and not the prince.

And more on Rosalie- She isn't much for being gentle and meek. Running around fields and climbing trees, and forging her own path. She's very independent, a loner really, and thinks of life as a game. She's growing into her own person. Change is scary, for the both of them. She loves mischief. She isn't ready to let go of that.