Interview with Keberly, winner of the May Challenge: Believe
06:57Folklore can be many things, but it's usually a traditional piece of art, literature, song, dance, or knowledge, that has been passed down through oral and visual communication. Over time, many of the tales that inspired the modern versions we know have been softened, manipulated, or changed to suit various ends (Hi, Disney 👋🏼).

Read on for the full interview...
WEbook: Hi Keberly. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, and congratulations of course on your winning entry!
Keberly: Both Greek mythology and European folklore, Irish in particular, have always fascinated me. When I was about fourteen, I discovered a book of illustrations by Brian Froud and Alan Lee titled Faeries.

Did you actively try to mitigate this risk, or was it not something that concerned you when writing and how do you think this type of issue can be handled by authors?
Keberly: I knew there would be a chance that some readers would be familiar with fairy ring folklore, so I did actively try to keep readers from guessing the outcome. My first goal was to make them seem congenial rather than mischievous. I felt like the more Disney-like the fairies appeared, the less likely the reader would be to focus on their traditionally selfish nature.


WB: You’ve utilised the ‘waking from a dream’ motif in your story, which has come to be a bit of a cliché. However, in your story, you’ve used this in a very non-cliché way, subverting the literary crutch of ‘It’ll all be alright in the end… it was only a dream’, for something much more grizzly!

Keberly: There’s definitely an undertone of the “it was only a dream” motif in All That Glitters, and I wonder if perhaps this particular bit of folklore lends some amount of credence to the dream trope. Ponderous thoughts aside, I think this story’s path to becoming cliché was subverted by the fact that, in the end, Kat discovers—in a very real and finite way—her dance with the fairies was not a dream. I also think staying true to the folklore, even if it meant an untimely (timely?) demise for Kat, helped me come out on the winning side of leaning on a literary crutch versus using it to create the desired response.

WB: Your use of colloquial speaking patterns in your entry is very effective. It really gives a great edge to the development of your character’s personality.
Do you find it easy to write dialogue in this type of style, and, do you have any tips for others looking to try it out?

Writing natural sounding dialogue can be challenging. What we think people say and what people actually say doesn't always translate well from our heads to the page.

WB: What are you reading at the moment?

WB: What are your favourite projects on WEbook at the moment?
Keberly: I don't currently have a favorite project, but I am fond of the WEbook monthly challenges. My participation has been lacking as of late, but whenever I do enter a submission, I'm happy to say the feedback I receive is some of the most honest, insightful, thorough and helpful I've gotten anywhere online. WEbook is the truest definition of an online writing community I've found, with members who offer constructive criticism and objective advice because they genuinely want to help other writers hone their skills. Plus, the witty banter of the monthly challenge's "usual suspects" never disappoints.
WB: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us Keberly and for giving us such brilliant and at times refreshing insights in to the way that you approach your writing.
If you'd like to read through Keberly's winning entry, All that Glitters you can do so by checking out the challenge page for May's Challenge: Believe. If you like what you read, why not let us know by leaving a comment right here on the blog?
Fancy getting involved? There are always writing challenges going on on WEbook. Head over to the homepage to check out what challenges you could get involved with. No matter your experience level, the WEbook challenge is open to writers of all ages, talents and experience.
Happy writing and good luck :)
- Hannah from the WEbook Team
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