For Laura Gibbs’ #microfiction stream (AKA Critical Pedagogy and Storytelling) at Digital Pedagogy Lab 2021 (DPL), I’ll attempt to document my writing process here.
I’m thinking of trying to adapt and condense some stories I already know before making up my own. The term “fiction” may be problematic because some regard the myths I’m retelling as historical fact. I’ll deal with it by saying I’m an equal opportunity offender, including both biblical and Indigenous retellings under the microfiction label.
My first attempt at retelling Haman’s story from the Bible is really short because I was looking at the character count on easyWordCount.com instead of the word count. I’ll be able to add more details later.
Haman built a gallows to impale his enemy Mordecai but had to honour him instead. Queen Esther denounced Haman to the king, and he was hoist on his own petard.
I wrote the next one without a word counter after reading a dozen or more of the suggested #100wordstories examples. I overestimated and made it only 64 words long, So I can add another detail or two. It’s adapted from a Tlicho origin story available at TlichoHistory.ca. Tlicho is often translated literally as ribs of a dog, and Indian Affairs called the nation “Dogrib” until the early 2000’s.
She couldn’t regret marrying the handsome stranger.
Sure he had turned out to be a shapeshifter whom her brother killed while he was in dog form.
Still, she loved the puppies she had birthed and cared for them tenderly.
When she discovered they could shift into child form, she trapped three of them in that state.
From them descended all the Tlicho (Dogrib) people
Now to refine it a bit for posting to at DPL
She could never regret marrying the handsome night-hunting stranger.
Sure he had turned out to be a canine shapeshifter, whom her brothers casually killed outside his lodge one night before he could reassume human appearance. And yes, her family banished her saying she smelled like a dog.
Still, she loved the puppies she birthed and played games with them as joyfully and tenderly as any mother.
When footprints around their solitary camp betrayed them shifting into child form in her absences, she cunningly trapped two boys and a girl permanently in that state.
From these descended all the Tlicho people.
