Those who know me know how much I love reading a good retelling. I’ve always found the idea of cultures shaping around stories and writers bringing them to the present intriguing. So, almost a year ago, I decided that I would do it myself. Recently, I completed my first short story collection. It is a collection of six retellings of my country’s original legends, all set in the same magical world. Through endless evenings of brainstorming, investigating, drafting, and editing (so much editing), I learned a thing or two about retellings that I hope other writers find useful. Know your source material The source material is the original version of the story writers will be adapting. It is essential that they have the plotline of the story clear, as well as their characters and setting. However, writers must investigate and learn about its context too. They should keep in mind that the background during which the story was created and the customs, historical events, and even the values of the time will be portrayed in the story. For retellings of classics, writers should also investigate the author’s biography, inspiration, and purpose. Meanwhile, if it is a traditional tale (folktale, legend, or myth), it is likely that it has changed through time and will have modifications depending on the source. Writers should find different versions of the story, and contrast them with the version they already know; to amplify their perspective and choose which elements of each version to keep. Other things to keep in mind about your source material:
Where the magic happens: time to reshape the story There are many methods to do this, but I recommend starting by outlining the main points of the story. Usually, these are the ones you will want to keep. However, an ending that diverges from the original story is always an engaging possibility to explore. Next, choose the setting, characters, and dynamics that you want to change. Adapting the main points of the story to the elements you have added (and not the other way around) will mean that they remain important but have a new layer of originality. Character personalities are transformed in ways that make old characters feel closer to the reader. Their dynamics (between each other, but also with the new setting) forge scenes that will keep the reader at the edge of their seats. For example, I created a magic system that works as an explanation for the different phenomena that are attributed to chance or to a magical, unknown force in the original legends. Developing the magic system meant that different characters had to work with its limitations while facing the conflict of the legend. Give depth to the original tale Once you analyze the source material and understand what you want to modify, expand on the world of the original work. Brandon Sanderson, for example, explains that he gives the illusion of complex worldbuilding by describing the details that are closer to his characters while giving hints of them being in a much larger world. Another way to add depth is by adding new subplots which influence and intertwine with the original plot. One way to do this is by searching for the moments of the story that make you question it. How can you develop them? What happened to the characters “behind the scenes” to get to that point? Always search for inspiration Don’t limit yourself. Writing retellings is about finding interrelated ideas as much as it is about bringing old ideas to the present. When I wrote my collection, I was frustrated over one legend from the beginning. I did not know how to adapt its characters to make them fit into the world. Then one day, I was waiting in a car when a bus came near. On its side, it had a picture of one of the city’s traditional monuments, which suddenly reminded me of another legend. I dropped the first one in favor of the latter. As it turns out, it became the first story of the collection, which now introduces readers to the world. Inspiration can be found when we least expect it. For most writers, there will be no need to change the source material entirely. But looking at it from different angles and drawing inspiration from others’ work can help you understand the story better. If you can, go to the places where the story rose. Watch videos about its time period, talk with your friends about the story, create that Pinterest board, put together that playlist. Be open to new ideas. Sometimes we are so focused on being faithful to the source material that we forget that we are making this text ours. Paula Argudois a young planster with too much passion and too little time on a day. She has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, whether they are thoroughly researched flash fiction pieces or improvised bedtime stories.
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