Editing an existing story... Should I?

[Phantom300]

This sounds stupid, but alas, it is true... I had a dream the other night, and woke up with an idea for what would be a new scene that would fit in very nicely with one of my existing stories. ( Going Back to School, if anyone is interested). It isn't important enough to warrant an entire new chapter, just a sex scene that would fit in well with the second half of that story and address some of randomness at the end.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Would it be worth submitting an edit for something that has been published for over a year now? I don't know if it makes a huge impact on the overall experience, but damn, I really like the scene as it played out in my head and really want to incorporate it. I'm torn on what to do.

Add to the dilemma, I really haven't had time to sit and write recently, so finding time to do this would be tough. I have another fully formed story bouncing around in my head that I haven't been able to get on paper yet either. It's not like I can just sit and knock this new scene out in a day and send it in.

[/rant]

 

[FrenchLopBunny]

Personally, I would use the scene in a new story. Reading the comments there are a lot of readers clamoring for part 2. If you edit the existing story, only future readers or readers who follow you will see the new scene. Edits don't show up on the New list.

 

[KeithD]

I've had those urges (not at the Literotica stage, which is my last stop with a story) but thus far I've managed to resist them.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Why bother? Write another story, or another chapter. Nobody but you will care if you futz with an old story.

 

[FifthEstate]

I say go back and put it in if it doesn’t take too much time away from your other work. I added a small edit to one of my stories recently. I didn’t put any mention on my home page, but did put a short notification in the chapter intro—it was just something I thought would make the story better for future readers. Also, it happens to be my only story/chapter that teeters on the red-H line, so I figured it couldn’t hurt in the long term. The nice part is once you submit the edited version there is little stress or anxiousness like there is waiting for new stories to publish.

 

[Paul_Chance]

I wouldn't do it, but that is just me. Plenty of people seem to do it and since no one is getting paid from Lit, I say have at it.

(I'd roll the idea into a new story.)

 

[Rob_Royale]

Personally, I would use the scene in a new story. Reading the comments there are a lot of readers clamoring for part 2. If you edit the existing story, only future readers or readers who follow you will see the new scene. Edits don't show up on the New list.

Agreed. Put it in Part Two.

 

[OrdinaryPerson]

It's your story so do whatever makes you happy but stories get the most traffic when they are first posted right? So most people won't be reading the edit... you could also just write it down if you just love the scene.... use it somewhere else or just as a writing exercise

 

[KachinaDoll]

I would submit it as a new story but with (rewritten) at the end of the title. I'd also explain what I'd done in an intro.

 

[RejectReality]

I would only bother if you're going to write a follow-up story, and you believe the new scene clarifies something in the original. People will go back to the original if you post a follow-up, and that can make improvements on the existing story worthwhile.

If you're struggling to find time/motivation to write, mucking with an existing story only creates a longer gap between new releases.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I continue to hold out hope that writers here develop their skills as they progress and learn new and different ways of telling their tales.

There is one argument that advocates for leaving original stories alone so that a writer's maturing process is evident to readers. The counter argument is that when a writer's skills allow them to recognize deficiencies in past works, they should be applauded for correcting these.

Both arguments hold merit.

 

[THBGato]

Nobody but you will care if you futz with an old story.

Yeah, but at the end of the day we are just writing for ourselves first and foremost, right?

Ultimately, if it makes you more satisfied with your story, I would say do it.

 

[intim8]

My first thought is that if you substantially change a story, it kind of makes the ratings and favorites, and maybe even some of the comments moot. Not that it really matters. But for that reason and others, I fall on the side of leaving the old ones alone and doing this new idea in a new story. If you put it in the old one, almost nobody will ever read it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I would submit it as a new story but with (rewritten) at the end of the title. I'd also explain what I'd done in an intro.

You probably can get away with just changing the whole title and submitting it as a new story. After a year, no one will likely remember the first one that is still there (short attention spans). But you can also simply delete the old one at the same time. I once used that replacement idea with a new title, but no one noticed that only the second half had been changed. The first half was almost identical. More than a year had passed by then.

By the way, I've heard that some people (supposedly Thomas Edison among them) could channel their dreams to solve certain daytime issues. I've never been able to do that. I forgot the technique, but surely you can find it online.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Keep in mind that even professional authors do this. They'll edit an existing work as they go from a first edition to a second edition - add scenes, remove scenes, expand on scenes, clarify scenes. Academic scholars build entire careers on tracking, exploring, and explaining these changes in text across editions.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Yes, ignore the haters, if it bothers you, do it

 

[Carnevil9]

I would submit it as a new story but with (rewritten) at the end of the title. I'd also explain what I'd done in an intro.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, only I was going to suggest putting "The Director's Cut" in the title. Make whatever little tweaks you want, along with the new scene, and submit it as if it were new. It will get the whole "new story" treatment and a chance to get lots of views.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Yeah, but at the end of the day we are just writing for ourselves first and foremost, right?

Ultimately, if it makes you more satisfied with your story, I would say do it.

I'd always say write two stories, then three, then four. Is the first story really that good? I doubt it. The OP is in effect saying they left the best paragraph out of it, so what else did they miss the first time?

"I know what I'll do. I'll go back and add self-raising flour to the cake!"

Bake another cake. The first one's only a biscuit .

 

[Phantom300]

The consensus is pretty mich as I expected. Thanks for chiming in.

As I said, the scene I had in mind isnt enough to warrant a second chapter. And it was specific enough to the characters involved that It wont fit anywhere else easily.

I will pivot to trying to find time to work on my next piece.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Editing an existing story... Should I?​

One of my first stories here is 19k words long. It was my longest story at the time. I just finished editing it. It’s now 21k words, but hopefully they flow a bit better.

I won’t be picking up new views. I only did it for me.

Emily