Building a Bridge between Fantasy and Reality Tang Zhe Around 2007, I was invited to attend a youth reading and writing summer camp. Being with lively and lovely children, I feel like I have returned to my boyhood. The joy and emotion I feel are hard to express in words. I live i

Building a bridge between fantasy and reality

Tang Zhe

Around 2007, I was invited to attend a youth reading and writing summer camp. Being with lively and lovely children, I feel like I have returned to my boyhood. The joy and emotion I feel are hard to express in words.

I live in a remote countryside in the Central Plains. NanyangFor me, it is a distant metropolis. I heard from people in the village who have seen the world that there is a Lilliputian country in Nanyang, where the little people are only as tall as a teapot. There is also a country of adults, where giants are three times taller than ordinary people, and their hands are as big as cattail fans. For me as a child, the attraction of Lilliput and the Land of Adults far exceeded the charm of today's world-famous Disneyland for children.

I grew up on folktales passed down orally. My neighbor’s uncle or auntie always likes to tell me stories on summer evenings. The neighbor's uncle said: There are immortals living in the woods to the north of the village. They are all white and as tall as teapots. Only smart children can see them... This episode has been deeply imprinted in my memory ever since. When I started writing for children, this scene flashed through my mind again. How should I incorporate this amazing scene into my novel?

Once, I went to visit a nature reserve. The manager of the reserve sighed and said: The current large forest is being destroyed by man-made erosion. Under his guidance, I saw a large area of ​​forest land that had been deforestation, and it was said that a large resort was going to be built there. At that moment, I thought again of the fairy elves who lived in the trees that I heard in my childhood. What magical stories would happen when their homes were invaded or destroyed?

As a result, the creative impulse that had been dormant in my heart for many years was activated.

In fact, protecting the human living environment and protecting our natural home has always been the theme of my creation. My novel "The Bloody Paper Man" published in 2010 was once dubbed "China's first environmental suspense masterpiece" by the media, and some directors expressed interest in it. However, I have never written on this type of subject for children. How to let children establish an awareness of loving their home and protecting the natural environment from an early age is an issue that every responsible writer should consider.

I want to build a free and happy kingdom, where there live fairy elves who are only as tall as a teapot. They are good at singing, dancing and loving peace. However, when the Black Demon appeared, everything changed. At the same time, I couldn't help but pay attention to the harsh reality. The quiet and peaceful forest was brutally destroyed, and cold modern machines came in... This is a story where fairy tales and reality are intertwined. Fairy tales are a reflection of reality, and reality is a portrayal of fairy tales. They have a common theme. Whether it's the Black Demon or Blackbeard, they are both destroyers. The elves of the fairy family, the queen of the fairy family, Kang Jinghong, etc. are the guardians of the beautiful home. Shishi, Longlong and Zhuangzhuang, who could have been carefree and enjoying a natural and happy life, were accidentally involved and eventually joined the ranks of the guardians to fight to protect their homes and the natural environment.

We cannot sacrifice the happiness of future generations in exchange for immediate interests. Everyone seems to understand the truth, but the reality is that short-term behaviors that damage the natural environment occur frequently. Those saboteurs motivated by profit should be stopped and punished. All this seems far away from the children's lives, but in the near future, they will become victims... This is a heavy topic. Today's children are also the masters of tomorrow. How can we deeply ingrain the awareness of caring for nature and protecting the ecological environment in their hearts, so that they can consciously safeguard their rights and obligations from an early age?

I think it is very necessary to retell this theme through a fable-like novel. How to skillfully integrate a serious topic into literary creation so that the writing is both beautiful and meaningful is the key to every writer's test. Every time I write, I give top priority to “highlighting readability and visibility.”While writing this novel, the plot scenes in the story flashed through my mind all the time. I even imagined them as Hollywood-style blockbusters, magnificent scenes, and super shocking pictures... In the end, fairy tales and reality are intertwined. , integrated into one. Although the process is a bit cruel, the ending is still full of romance and sunshine. No matter how grim the reality is, we still want to leave beauty and emotion to our children. It is not about compromising with reality, but about letting a happy ending not only bring us joy and touch, but also give us the courage and strength to face reality positively.

For each novel, I am always used to printing seven or eight copies after finishing the manuscript and giving them to friends around me for review. Among them are teachers, directors, engineers, reporters, etc., who will make some good suggestions based on their own experience. When the manuscript of this book was received from all directions, the most common words I saw were: It is very meaningful to pay attention to the theme of environmental protection. It is presented in the form of such a novel that is beyond imagination and incredible. I believe that all children will be amazed and become more interested. Love it.

- I think this may be the most gratifying and exciting review for me. I hope that my children, readers, can feel this beauty and touch, whether in the fantasy fairy tale world or in the real world.