Connected Stories - A story inspired by another during writing

[GrantBricksly]

So, I started working on a story for the Winter Holiday Contest. I did not get even remotely close to finishing it in time. (kinda got stuck for a bit there.) But in the last few days my muse has hit me HARD. It is now easily the longest story I've ever written for Lit, and I'm not done yet. For what it's worth, that's not saying much, I think the longest I've ever published on Lit was 3.4k words Right now I'm up to about 5.5k on this one. But I'm not even halfway done yet I don't think.

Anyways clearly it is not going to be used for the contest this year, as the contest is over. But my hope is to save it for next year's contest. It may not be done yet, but I am quite proud of it so far.

So, while writing it, during one of the scenes I was writing, I was bringing up a 'past event' for the characters..one that I was about to describe in some detail...when I realized that that event would itself make an amazing story...and even better, that story would take place around Valentines Day. So, in the process of writing this story that is now going to wait until next year's winter holiday contest, I've become inspired to write a story for the Valentines Contest. Thus beginning what will become a connected universe of stories. They will be stand alone stories, but connected, with the same characters.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been writing a part of your background story, and found yourself inspired to take one of those events and create an entire new story for it?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The inspiration rising from part of one story is what typically leads to the creation of a new story for me. I think it's natural.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been writing a part of your background story, and found yourself inspired to take one of those events and create an entire new story for it?

That's basically how all of my 23 stories came about. I started writing a few stories in a chapter series, Then I needed to start over with their background and how they met and married. Now, I've branched out with my two favorite people in standalone stories, all related to their lives. I even used them in my Sci-Fi/Fantasy "Amorous Goods" stories.

My series Chapter 11 - Demons Past could be a standalone story, because it doesn't focus on them being swingers, and is only about their pasts.

 

[GrantBricksly]

The inspiration rising from part of one story is what typically leads to the creation of a new story for me. I think it's natural.

It's the first time it's happened for me. I typically use the same name for the male protagonist of my stories. That tends to be the only common thread with all of my stories. (the main woman in each story is typically at least loosely based on my wife, and I let her pick a name each time. But it's always a different person) This is the first time that I've been inspired to write a story based on the same characters that wasn't a Chapter story. It should be interesting. I just hope that I can keep my muse long enough to finish both stories. Sometimes I go weeks or longer unable to write more than a few sentences.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I can't say that it always happens as a story is being written, but a thought about something I have written will come back to me at a later date and I used that as an inspiration to write something new. In my first story, it ends with the father giving the classic car which was central to the plot of the story to his 16 year-old son. A few years later, I wrote my fifth story featuring the now grown son with the same car. It then became my inspiration for my sixth story, which inspired the seventh.

In my second story, the MC is thinking about trying to get back with his martial arts mentor, but it is mentioned that he is on a sojourn following his break-up with a cheating girlfriend. This mentor became the MC for my third story. The association from one story to another is typically obvious to the readers, but references are made to them anyway.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I'll have to check out your stories. I like the idea of a common thread from one story to the next like that. Other than my Male Protagonist, I've not done that before. But I am thinking that with this inspiration for a second story I may begin building a common universe of stories.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Feel free.
The sequence for the most connected stories is:
His Daddy's Car
Change
Searching
Elements

With looser associations to:
Courtship by Proxy
Heavy Traffic
Betting on the Aces
Little Differences

 

[KeithD]

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been writing a part of your background story, and found yourself inspired to take one of those events and create an entire new story for it?

Yes, and that's one of the joys of writing.

 

[Djmac1031]

The closest I've come is interconnecting my long running series The Jenna Arrangement with a shorter, complete series Caring For Carrie.

At one point in my tale, Jenna needed an accountant. I realized I already had one in Carrie's dad. And since Carrie and Jenna are close in age, I decided that had been childhood friends.

While the Carrie series IS complete, I also decided I could eventually bring the character over to the Jenna series by having her become Jenna's college roommate.

I haven't yet written that far, and how much Carrie becomes involved other than being a side character remains to be seen.

But it was fun bringing them together in the same universe.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I'm only three stories into my Lit career, but yes, I've already thought about fleshing out the past of some of my characters, after hinting at things in my story. I purposely left some teasers in my story Getting Busy, for just such an opportunity.

 

[Gamblnluck]

You are UP to 5k words? My average submission is 12K.
I find it hard to write an adequate plot without some story. I know some do it on a regular basis. Many I find lacking. I have a few that are short intentionally and I am satisfied. The one that comes to mind is my story Batteries not Included. I stole the title from a well-known movie.

 

[GrantBricksly]

You are UP to 5k words? My average submission is 12K.
I find it hard to write an adequate plot without some story. I know some do it on a regular basis. Many I find lacking. I have a few that are short intentionally and I am satisfied. The one that comes to mind is my story Batteries not Included. I stole the title from a well-known movie.

Yes, my average is well below that. But, for what it's worth, my first 4 submissions are from 2014. I was younger, and not nearly as good a writer. I've submitted 5 stories this year. 1 was a final chapter to the 4 from 2014 (but it was one that I had written back then, and just never submitted. Word count on those is 2k and lower. I think the first chapter is only 1k.

The newer stories from this year average around 3-4k. So my stories have historically been quite short.
So yes I was UP to 5k.

Key word there though is "WAS". I am now at 21.4k, and counting. And I would estimate I have another 20-30k left to go before I get to the end. Based on where I am now in the story compared to where I want to get to.

 

[Voboy]

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been writing a part of your background story, and found yourself inspired to take one of those events and create an entire new story for it?

All the time.

Virtually every one of my stories arises from another of my stories. I like that sense of continuity, and I play it up in my stories. My readers seem to enjoy finding those "easter eggs." The shared universe concept is endlessly fun.

 

[PennameWombat]

...Thus beginning what will become a connected universe of stories. They will be stand alone stories, but connected, with the same characters.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been writing a part of your background story, and found yourself inspired to take one of those events and create an entire new story for it?

My stories cluster in a few different shared universes, most of them in "Mel's Universe." I haven't yet gotten around to the 'Series' feature to link them, although certain ones are chapter stories, but others are stand-alone stories that share setting, characters, and such. Each 'series' is usually built around certain main characters, but any from the universe can appear in any story. So, yes, plenty of my inspiration is tied to building out a quick encounter in one story and spinning it off.

My author's profile does describe this and suggests an overall reading order, but if stories aren't explicitly a 'chapter' (e.g., ch. 04, etc.) they're all meant to be readable as a stand-alone, just that you'll get more depth and the occasional "ah hah" moment if you've read multiple.

 

[ChuckWolf]

Most of my stories take place in the county of Sierra Diabla, a place that is more Reno than Reno.