Tales of the unexpected

Father forges bond with his daughter by composing fantastic stories, in which she has a starring role. Those have since been compiled into a book and published, Zhou Wenting reports in Shanghai.

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 Liang, 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.