Tales of the unexpected

Parents may find their own way of connecting to their children and building intimate ties. It could be sports, doing crafts, or anything positive.

For Wang Jing, a father who has explored many professions and fields, and is currently committed to writing, it is telling stories－tales he has made up himself.

He puts his little girl as a character in the stories, as well as all the things that she is fond of and subjects she ponders. The stories have forged a special bond between the pair.

"She likes herself to be put in a story. Little girls often imagine themselves as princesses or queens, and I could help her realize those dreams," says Wang, 38, who recently published his first book, The Stories Behind Telling Stories.

The book was compiled from the 20 plus stories he concocted that were most favored by his daughter, who is currently 7.

In his stories, Romeo was saved by an artificial intelligence machine after taking poison and finally got together with Juliet. The transformer Bumblebee assembled a large group of superheroes and fought the Decepticons in a desert war, and they finally saved the Earth. A mermaid and a zombie princess are close friends who enjoy regular afternoon teas together.

His stories are like games. He deconstructs classical stories and adds new elements that interest children and rebuilds them. There is no limit, just boundless imagination and possibilities.

"I tried to avoid putting my own values into the stories, but hope that people understand them from their own perspectives," says Wang, who lives in Shanghai.

Wang says he first began reading classic stories to the girl when she was 3. It started out no different to any other parent, but later he started adding personal touches, and then changing the plots. When his girl demanded further customization, he began making stories up on the spot.

Wang's daughter liked his stories so much that, in early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay at home, the girl asked for stories more frequently. The idea of recording the stories he told her came to mind.

"I didn't publish the stories in any other format. Books will endure longer," he says.

In his stories, zombies don't bite people randomly. They live in cautious seclusion and are very friendly to humans.

Evil queens, stepmothers and wizards in traditional stories were not bad in his book either. They channel their energy instead into positive outlets, for example, running a store that provides people with interesting entertainment experiences.

"There are no absolutely good or bad people. I try to help kids get rid of such stereotypes," he says.

Wang also incorporates some social issues that are close to his heart, including ocean ecology and animal protection, into the stories. He hopes readers will be inspired to consider more closely the relationship between people, society and the environment, as well as the advancement of science and technology.

Some of his inspiration for the stories is derived from his work experience, both good and bad, from different professions.

As a man enthusiastic about exploring different fields, he has previously worked as public relations and marketing specialist in both traditional and high-tech companies, and he once opened a restaurant that created a new dish every week.

He met with prominent and interesting people from different industries, but found that while some business investment was for the long-term well-being of the humankind and the planet, most solely focused on capital return.

He incorporated those observations into his stories. In one story, people frantically pursued wool products, and the excessive number of sheep exhausted all the plants on Earth.

In another, a wizard on the land and a queen in the ocean exchange a pack of food each day to taste delicacies from each other's environments. After many years of this, the sea was full of plastic bags, causing serious pollution and harming the animals.

"I will be pleased if some younger readers remember one story from the book when they grow up, and it helps them make an important choice when they meet a similar situation," Wang says.

One reader comments online, "The stories in the book are free, modern and a bit experimental. I believe it's his way of communicating something to his child in a gentle and fun way, and these messages will have a lifelong influence."

Wang says he believes making up such stories and sharing them with his daughter will help her grow in some way. "But there are no significant changes so far," he says.

In the years he has spent making up stories for the girl, Wang says it is he who has changed the most.

"I've found a way that I can genuinely and comfortably get along with my child, and our bond is getting stronger," he says.

"I believed that, in a parent-child relationship, it's always better to make demands of yourself than to make demands of the children. According to my observation, if adults can do well at something, children will soon catch up and even surpass us," says Wang.