You know how old rhymes and folktales have this magic to them? They seem totally illogical on the surface, but they make sense in a way that’s mystical and thought provoking. A part of us gets it, even when our minds go “huh, cute story.”
I would love to see more of these in fiction. I think a folktale can act as an incredible worldbuilding tool, without hogging more than its fair share of space. It’s also a fun writing prompt when you need a creative warm up.
For clarity, this isn’t a study in poetry. It’s simply a list of ideas and tips that I’ve personally found helpful. Because sometimes stories call for rhymes, poems, omens, prophecies, and tales, but you don’t know where to start.
Getting Ideas
Make Up a Random Word—Just spit out some gibberish, don’t think about it. Or bang some chaos on your keyboard and find a word in it. Now make up a definition. Noun, verb, adjective, whatever. Is it an ancient song of old that nobody remembers, but was used to create the world? Is it the title of a chant once used to summon the forest maidens? Is it a word to describe that feeling of wanting something to last when it never does? Is it the name of the rebellious handmaiden who’s now a highway witch?
Get as weird as you want. I promise you, it most likely won’t be nearly as outlandish as some of those old folktales (seriously, a lot of them sound like someone’s fever dream from the dark ages).
Or… Spit Out Random Lines—The first thing the comes to mind, and then adjust as you wish. Bonus points if you do this at night while tired. I made up an entire poem this way, and to this day it’s still one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. It’s amazing what will spontaneously come out of the blue when you’re not really thinking about.
Examples: “Butterflies make friends with dewdrops,” “Trees speak, even when you can’t listen,” “Forget the crossroads.”
Make Up a Place—Any fantasy location. Now build a story, a history, or a rumor around the place. The old ruins on a hilltop? Once the witches’ secret hideout, now abandoned and no one knows why. But there are plenty of theories. That forest archway that’s decorated like a meadow, and suspiciously small? Little girls are warned to never go in there under any circumstances.
Look Up Cool Nature Facts—A lot of the times, truth is stranger than fiction. You can take something you learned about animals or nature and exaggerate it for a very interesting tale. For example, natural honey is very healing for the skin. So you can turn it into something like this: “Honey is the elixir of beauty, thus forbidden by the fairies.” Or wolves and ravens are often seen collaborating together. So you can make up a story like this: “A raven once broke a curse over a wolf, and ever since, the two species have continued in friendship.”
Key Thing to Remember—Be random, be weird, and be specific. That’s the charm. Something like “the willow tree wept” is good, but what about “In the forest, lies a pool of Willow tears. It’s dangerous for mortals to drink, but a wine fairies gorge on to remain immortal”?
Writing It
Add a Metaphor—You don’t need to overthink this, it’s just the message behind the scene. Even simple metaphors have power. They can turn a verse about dancing hoverflies into a song about losing the magic of little things. Or realizing that happiness is about laughing with your best friends. It can add extra layers without extra stories.
Or Choose a Theme—This could be another way to go about the metaphor thing. It can be about something broad, like love, relief, loss, etc. Or something more specific, like sonder, serendipity, hiraeth, etc. (Yes, I’m a writer and an editor, and if you actually looked up what those words mean, you have my respect.)
Build it Around a Vibe—In word choices, elements, setting, tone, etc. Your poem will probably have one already, but sometimes I will choose imagery and words specifically to maintain the vibe I’ve chosen. And it could be anything. Celtic forest, spring cottage core, autumn academia, moody castle, cozy tavern, etc.
Tip For the Chorus—If you’re worried about clearly conveying your metaphor/theme, something I like to do is put it in the chorus. For example, a whimsical poem about bees dancing has a chorus about the tiny miracles that go on, and we don’t notice. Or a grim song about a witch meeting up with the local fox, with a chorus about power being hidden in the weirdness of life.
Use a Refrain—Sounds technical, but all it means is a line or phrase that’s repeated throughout the poem, often connected to its theme or message. Could be at the end of a stanza, in between stanzas, at the beginning of a stanza, your call. If you made up a really cool line that inspired the entire poem, this could be a fun thing to do. Example: a poem about an ancient curse begins every stanza with this line, “Those still fortunate, beware.”
Fewer Syllables Per Line—You don’t have to do this, but I personally find it both easier and catchier to use short lines. Like no more than seven syllables long. It only takes a few solid words to paint a picture. Think about a quote vs an essay. They might be talking about the same thing, but most people will better appreciate (and comprehend) the short quote. It’s a “less is more” thing. Plus, there’s a beat to short syllables that rolls nicely off the tongue. And it’s easier to memorize (a huge plus).
Rhyming—You can use whatever pattern you think fits, but I have observed that folk songs tend to use true rhymes, not close rhymes. Like “told” and “hold” vs “ride” and “die.” And they also have very clear rhyming patterns with no exceptions to it. Like, there’s no guessing it’s structure, it’s pretty obvious. But it’s your song, your tale, so do whatever suits.
Conclusion
There you go, some quick tips on writing folks songs and tales for your fantasy world. Whether you’ll only use some of these, or all of these, I hope this helped you. If you have any other ideas for fellow writers to hear, feel free to share them in the comments!