This summer, I focused on writing the first fifty pages of a novel inspired by Appalachian folklore that sought to analyze how exploitation has sought to consume both the land and body of the region. Using popular folktales such as Jack and the Giant's New Ground and Jack and the Old Fire Dragaman, I focused primarily on analyzing the region's historic reliance on coal mining as well as the recent rise this century of opioid addiction. This was done by hosting interviews as well as reading a series of academic papers, children's books, personal memoirs, and regional reports in order to gather a multifaceted picture of what it means to face these issues as an Appalachian. My goal with this project therefore was to integrate Appalachian folklore with real-life economic and public health issues, examining how the fairytales or "myths" a culture is raised in attempts to interpret the structures of the world that they are raised in.