Knowing where to go from this point is challenging. Of course, I am going to tell a story, and that story will cherry-pick my favourite thing about fables and combine them to make a unique experience that hopefully can touch people in some way. What that will be about, I don't know, but here is what interests me so far:
Themes
Tackling challenging or adult themes in a story that can be understood by children is important to me. The way in which children's stories compound information to be easily understood is key here, and I am not willing to shy away from potentially difficult topics, rather, I'd like to tackle them in a simplistic and impactful way.
Characters
I'm aware that fables include a diverse cast of characters from talking animals to animated pots, but it's the animals that I'm most interested in. I like the way that they create instant emotional attachment but can also carry human emotions in a way that makes us relate to them on a personal level. This covers the "what" of characters, but not so much the "how". What's very important to me (and also pulls in aspects from the themes of "journeys" and "identity" that I explored previously) is that the protagonist of my story begins as a flawed character who's journey teaches them and betters them, leading them to become a better member of the society I place them in. The character needs to undertake an irreversible change of heart caused by surroundings and other characters.
Setting
My research on how setting effects the contents of the story in a fable is something I really want to include in whatever project I decide to make. I would like the setting to be informed by character, and I would like the setting to err towards natural. As a response to the current climate crisis I'd like to create a beautiful environment that immerses the reader, and perhaps include an aspect of conservation/awareness.
Moral
The moral is an inescapable component of a fable, and was one of the things that drew me to the topic in the first place. I don't want to be preachy about this, however, and I like the idea of an intrinsic moral. Structure also plays a part in my thinking about this - because fables are short, it could be interesting to create a compendium of some sort - like a collection of short stories to be experienced in a game form. This way I could deliver several morals that are interconnected, perhaps winding together to create a larger narrative. The experience of researching fables has been a pleasant one, with so many more stories that I want to read and learn from, and I would like to be able to relay this rich experience to others.