revisiting old stories

So I’m working on a proposal while I’m waiting for the other projects to begin churning toward deadline – I’m expecting my edits for OTF next week, plus will need to get started driving Larissa crazy with non-plotting for our collab books, so I’m looking forward to that. She is currently banging her head on the desk while I tell her that we can so write two of the collab books concurrently.

So anyway, I’m looking around and seeing several people putting up excerpts of their very first books – you know – the ones that will never see the light of day. I can proudly say that my first book had absolutely no sense of pov. None. Still, it could’ve been worse, I suppose, but not by much. Perhaps I’ll dig it out later in the week and share, but now I’m looking at the second full book I wrote.

I loved this book. Friends loved it, the husband loved it. Which means, of course, that the book is a total mess, but the characters are good. Plot must go. There are scenes I love, want to use, but it’s not going to work if I just cut and paste them. The scenes are going to have to be rewritten from scratch so I can do them justice, and in the end probably won’t fit in with the new idea. So it’s really an entirely new story with just the most basic character sketches. But there’s just one problem – in the original, h/h knew each other before – so we’ve got a reunion story.

That’s a problem because I’m not a huge reunion story fan, so I’m not sure why I came up with that. And although there’s no rule saying I can’t take these characters and make them total strangers, you know me and my characters. They already know they’re supposed to know each other. They’re not letting me unring that bell, and it’s driving me nuts. Must go wrestle them into submissions now.

Has this ever worked for you – taking characters from an old story and reworking them? Do you find that your mind is just too set on the way the characters were, or are you able to put that out of your mind and force them into their new mold?

Steph T.

10 Comments

Rene on March 22, 2006 at 10:57 am

My first book was this ghastly historical that had lots of wonderful historical detail and hero to die for. When I entered it into a contest, I got hammered for everything but the hero, they loved him. Someday I’m going to pick him up and put him in a more worthy story. The original book was so awful that I would have no problem forgetting it existed. In fact, I try on a daily basis.

Eve on March 22, 2006 at 11:13 am

I have a book that I will re-work someday – love the plotline, hated the H/H. Now, I could take the secondary male character and make this his story – but I don’t wanna and I ain’t gonna. He has his own story. So I’m not going to abandon the plotline,I’m not going to mold them into a new story – I’m going to make these two characters great in this story if it kills me.:shoot:

cece on March 22, 2006 at 11:52 am

Love this question. I actually rewrote my first book, then shelved it 100 pages into editing when my computer crashed :shoot:

Anyway, I love the characters and the story though I think i need more plot 😕

Michelle on March 22, 2006 at 5:33 pm

I’m afraid of this question because I have a historical with awesome characters but an AWFUL plot. I tried revising the proposal but in the end, I deleted more pages than I kept. I should have just started over.

I just have…um…370 pages left of it, though. I really would LOVE to use them. Not sure it’s possible.

Can I just say again how STOKED I am that you guys got this deal? :bravo:

Steph T. on March 22, 2006 at 9:25 pm

LOL Rene!! I’m feeling the same way reading through this monstrosity. But everyone always commented on my hero, so he’s so in. If he cooperates.

That’s the spirit, Eve – the characters will have to sumbit eventually. I hope.:cry:

Cece – the computer crash and the loss of all that work just hurts.:eek:

Thanks again, Michelle!!! :biggrin::LOL: And yeah – I’m with you staring longingly at all those pages. Seems a shame to have to waste them…but I know cutting and pasting probably won’t cut it.

raine on March 23, 2006 at 3:34 am

It seems easier for me to rework a plotline than the characters. Once they’re clear in the mind, they sorta take on their own personalities and lives, don’t they?

Stubborn !*%^#+!!!! :yuck:

Mary on March 23, 2006 at 6:53 pm

I have, actually came up with a plot other than a series of events. It still needs work, though.

Amy K. on March 23, 2006 at 9:47 pm

I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve considered it. I guess I still can’t stomach it because, well, I haven’t tried it yet.

Good luck with yours, since you have all kinds of spare time now and all. 😆

cece on March 23, 2006 at 10:06 pm

Steph…It was a sign! 😮

Sasha on March 26, 2006 at 3:46 pm

Actually, THE CRIB, my novella in the Pure Sex anthology in July was reworked from the very first short story I ever wrote. And, it’s become one of my favorites.

Rene on March 22, 2006 at 10:57 am

My first book was this ghastly historical that had lots of wonderful historical detail and hero to die for. When I entered it into a contest, I got hammered for everything but the hero, they loved him. Someday I’m going to pick him up and put him in a more worthy story. The original book was so awful that I would have no problem forgetting it existed. In fact, I try on a daily basis.
Eve on March 22, 2006 at 11:13 am

I have a book that I will re-work someday – love the plotline, hated the H/H. Now, I could take the secondary male character and make this his story – but I don’t wanna and I ain’t gonna. He has his own story. So I’m not going to abandon the plotline,I’m not going to mold them into a new story – I’m going to make these two characters great in this story if it kills me.:shoot:
cece on March 22, 2006 at 11:52 am

Love this question. I actually rewrote my first book, then shelved it 100 pages into editing when my computer crashed :shoot:

Anyway, I love the characters and the story though I think i need more plot 😕
Michelle on March 22, 2006 at 5:33 pm

I’m afraid of this question because I have a historical with awesome characters but an AWFUL plot. I tried revising the proposal but in the end, I deleted more pages than I kept. I should have just started over.

I just have…um…370 pages left of it, though. I really would LOVE to use them. Not sure it’s possible.

Can I just say again how STOKED I am that you guys got this deal? :bravo:
Steph T. on March 22, 2006 at 9:25 pm

LOL Rene!! I’m feeling the same way reading through this monstrosity. But everyone always commented on my hero, so he’s so in. If he cooperates.

That’s the spirit, Eve – the characters will have to sumbit eventually. I hope.:cry:

Cece – the computer crash and the loss of all that work just hurts.:eek:

Thanks again, Michelle!!! :biggrin::LOL: And yeah – I’m with you staring longingly at all those pages. Seems a shame to have to waste them…but I know cutting and pasting probably won’t cut it.
raine on March 23, 2006 at 3:34 am

It seems easier for me to rework a plotline than the characters. Once they’re clear in the mind, they sorta take on their own personalities and lives, don’t they?

Stubborn !*%^#+!!!! :yuck:
Mary on March 23, 2006 at 6:53 pm

I have, actually came up with a plot other than a series of events. It still needs work, though.
Amy K. on March 23, 2006 at 9:47 pm

I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve considered it. I guess I still can’t stomach it because, well, I haven’t tried it yet.

Good luck with yours, since you have all kinds of spare time now and all. 😆
cece on March 23, 2006 at 10:06 pm

Steph…It was a sign! 😮
Sasha on March 26, 2006 at 3:46 pm

Actually, THE CRIB, my novella in the Pure Sex anthology in July was reworked from the very first short story I ever wrote. And, it’s become one of my favorites.