Anyone else do different story perspectives of old stories?

[Neonurotic]

I have some older stories that are posted and I considered them complete. However, I get readers asking for more to the stories. I'm wondering if it's okay to do the story from a different perspective. Perhaps then I could give a reader more that way and might be inspired to do an epilogue or a prologue afterward. Or is a different prospective not okay?

 

[RejectReality]

Like everything else on Lit, it varies by category as to how well it's accepted.

The main thing is whether you are interested in writing new perspectives or epilogues to published stories. If you aren't jazzed about the possibilities, that's going to come across in the writing.

So, don't do it unless you want to. Don't feel obligated to continue something just because the readers ask for it. In many cases, the requests for "more" are genuine, but they're not not necessarily telling you that the story was incomplete. I would say most are simply a compliment saying that the reader enjoyed the story, and would like you to send the characters on more adventures. They're not going to penalize you for moving on to the next tale in your head rather than revisiting something.

 

[sr71plt]

When I expand a story to take to the marketplace, I often recast the "thrust" of it as well.

 

[SamScribble]

Some time ago, I experimented with writing the same story three times - once each from the viewpoint of each of the three main characters. I thought the three pieces worked reasonably well. Not my best work, but better than OK. However, as soon as the second story went up, the trolls leapt up and down and screamed that I had already used that particular story. And once the third story was added, a whole squadron of one-bombers arrived. Duck!

 

[Stella_Omega]

I can tell you that it's a fairly popular practice in other writing communities.

There is a pitfall, which is this; hewing exactly to the original sequence of events, repeating the dialogue word-for-word. Really, no two people ever remember or interpret events the same way.

 

[carlieplum]

I think you can do it if you, as Stella points out, really get into the mind of another character. I read a series of books, which were about the same period of time, but each was written from the perspective of a different person. So, the narrator in Story 1 only knew what she knew. She could only tell her part of the story. Same for the narrator in Story 2. And each narrator chose to focus on different events in that time. What might have been a chapter in one book was a page in another, just as it is in real life.

I think another interesting thing to do, if it moves you, is to pick a character who wasn't the main protagonist or antagonist and tell their story. That's one way you can give "more" without just extending out the story line.

But I also think it's totally legitimate to be done with a story, and done with the characters, even if the readers ask for more. Every story doesn't have to turn into Everybody Loves Raymond. I'm sure we can all think of series where we wish the author had just left well enough alone. I think Ender's Game would have been best as a standalone book, or maybe just a two-book series, and Dune fell apart, in my mind, after the third book. (Outing myself as a sci-fi geek there.)

But going back to your original question, if you consider it done, it's done. You're the author.

Mr. Carlie Plum (another sci-fi geek) has three words for you: Star Wars Prequels. ;-)

 

[StoryOfMy_Life]

It's a great idea. I've read several novels that retell the same story from different points of view. "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" spring immediately to mind.

With erotica, the possibilities are tantalizing. Who doesn't wish to be inside a lover's head. Imagine the same sex act from more than one point of view. Yum.

 

[sr71plt]

It's a technique that my coauthor, Sabb, and I do here under the name Shabbu--writing a story from the differing perspectives of the characters.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I did it when I got stuck on one of my longer pieces-- then I melded the two writings together in the final work, so that it was written from one or the other person's POV depending on the story's needs.

Worked tolerably well.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have some older stories that are posted and I considered them complete. However, I get readers asking for more to the stories. I'm wondering if it's okay to do the story from a different perspective. Perhaps then I could give a reader more that way and might be inspired to do an epilogue or a prologue afterward. Or is a different prospective not okay?

If I feel the story is complete its complete. No amount of "How about another chapter where...." will get me to write it.

If you are interested in doing it from another angle or expanding it then go for it, but only if you feel it, don't do it for the readers. At that point you're taking time away from something new you could be working on.

 

[MrFoxwood]

If I were you I'd only do it if I had a burning desire and no other ideas to work with. Of the four stories I submitted under my old account I had requests to continue every one of them, it's simply not possible and it's definitely not good for my mind to work on something I don't necessarily enjoy. The idea of rewriting from a different perspective simply to please an audience really doesn't appeal to me.

Having said that, I was just rereading the first few chapters of the first story I submitted (an exercise I usually avoid) and it was sufficiently bad that I briefly considered rewriting the whole damn thing.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Don't mean this in a snarky manner - but I've switched perspectives on stories I've written during the writing process. For me, it's always been a rewrite experience thought and not revamping a completed story.

If you use Lit as I do, as a playground for my writing, then do as you wish and enjoy the ride.

I believe some stories from a different perspective would be new and interesting. Consider "The Hobbit" as told from Gollum's POV.

 

[Neonurotic]

Thanks all for the advice on this. I don't really want to flip any of the stories of written except one I think would be interesting. A TC story of straight woman who liked to roleplay as a man. The original story was entirely in the POV of bi male who met this woman. Writing a companion story in her perspective would be plausible and intriguing.

I believe some stories from a different perspective would be new and interesting. Consider "The Hobbit" as told from Gollum's POV.

 

[oggbashan]

If I'm going to revisit an old story, I would prefer to write a prologue or epilogue rather than rewrite that story.

I might consider editing the original to add more detail, but I try to avoid edits except for obvious errors. I have so many unwritten stories that I need to finish, or start.

 

[Hypoxia]

I'm currently working on several followups to JENNY BE FAIR (which is based on a folksong).

The first starts as a different-POV tale but drags-in much more complexity, enough that I need a flowchart. Various events here even have multiple takes. It's an experiment, sure.

The next followup contains several vignettes (short-short stories) from other POV perspectives but leading to different consequences emanating from each viewpoint.

The last followup reverts back to the POV of the original story, with consequences following in its timeline, but is based on another old song with a different sort of complexity.

I'm not writing these because I'm in love with the characters and stories. I'm writing these because the original generated a good deal of interest, and I think I can capitalize on that. Yes, I'm trolling for responses.

I don't intend to mine many already-written tales to be retold from varying POVs -- but if such a retelling seems to be indicated, then I'll jump on it. Stay tuned.

 

[lovecraft68]

Don't mean this in a snarky manner - but I've switched perspectives on stories I've written during the writing process. For me, it's always been a rewrite experience thought and not revamping a completed story.

If you use Lit as I do, as a playground for my writing, then do as you wish and enjoy the ride.

I believe some stories from a different perspective would be new and interesting. Consider "The Hobbit" as told from Gollum's POV.

Fucking baggins's!!

 

[Hypoxia]

For real fun: rewrite Genesis from the serpent's POV.