Author Question of the Day - 10/10/2007

[Alaina]

While working on my current story I was thinking about how much it has changed since I first got the idea. The more I thought about it the more I realized that every single story has at least some scenes that, by the end of the story, are completely and totally different than they were when I first wrote them. Sometimes minor changes, sometimes things that change the entire plot and outcome of the story.

I also remember when I first started writing being very resistant when a story started to veer off in a direction I hadn't anticipated, thinking it was 'wrong'. I have since learned the best stories are a result of letting the story show me where it wants to go, even if it was somewhere I never even considered.

Sooooooooooo in an effort to maybe help newer writers (and just 'cause it's fun!:D) can the authors out there give us an instance (or two or three) of a scene/scenes in their stories (or even entire stories!) that, in the finished product, are completely and totally different than they were first conceived and/or written? Give us the posted version that we know and then tell us how you had originally envisioned it. :)

[copagirl]

I can think of two different stories.

The Crush, which was about Joe and Iola first becoming a couple and a classmate who tried to break them up. It orginially started out as a stalker type story with Iola's cousin going after Joe but after 3 chapters I knew it wasn't working and started over going in a totally different direction!

The second was the more recent Prince Charming. I orginally was going to write about one day in Frank's life but Callie wanted to tell her story about their romance!;)

[Purple]

My instance of this isn't fan fiction, but original fiction. The original idea came about 13 years ago. It now bears no resemblance to the original idea except for one character's name. It's all been good changes though. The story is much stronger now, with better conflict, better characters, a better setting, a better scope. Better everything!

[Fenlaur]

My instance is also in my origional stories - I tried a couple times over the years to make a certain story work then I got a totally new idea and I actually finished the story. It had some of the same characters in it but the plot (and title) changed.

[PiperMerlyn23]

With my original stories, three of which are posted here, the beginning was far different than what's ended up in those stories. Family structures, names the whole lot has changed and changed again. The best example would be "Come Undone".

The original story dealt with Dorian (the vampire) trying to take Casi away. But from the beginning, he just didn't seem to make sense. One minute he was entranced by her, the next he felt totally different. "Come Undone" went through three total rewrites--the whole story--over the last 8 or 9 years before I redid it again, changing the entire story to what was posted on the site.

And of course with changes in each of those rewrites forces changes into future stories and so on.

I can't say any of my HB fanfics have had that drastic a change...yet. :D

[Alaina]

I have scenes in pretty much every story (and sometimes an entire story!) that bears little resemblance to the original idea. The one that comes to mind right away is from Aftershock - the scene where Vanessa confronts Jodi.

Originally it was Frank who went to see Jodi. Then I changed it to Frank went to see Jodi, Vanessa had the same idea but he beat her to it and she was outside the office door eavesdropping on Frank and Jodi's conversation. But Vanessa was insistent she wanted to see this woman who was intent on stealing her man so I relented and let her confront Jodi. LOL! Didn't want to piss Vanessa off! :p

[rokia]

The whole trilogy actually came out totally different than when I first planned it.

I had this rather grandiose 'white slavery' idea I was going to throw Joe into at the behest of dear Uncle Derek and Andrew was going to be somewhat more of a good guy.

Of course, sanity prevailed and I thought something else would work better and that's what I ended up with. Showing the affects of child abuse on the abusee and how that can warp and/or change them if it's not properly dealt with by the child's nonabusive parent (or new guardians, depending).

So, that's the big changes I came up with in my stories. I went for something a bit more realistic than the whole 'white slavery' angle I toyed with...

[Purple]

It is something that happens though. That's an issue I'm touching on in another original novel I've got brewing. It's not the focus, but it played a big part in shaping the hero into who he is.

[JD]

Missing Persons had to be revamped considerably to make it 'work' -- Duckling's original concept of Darius, Bobbie & Co. made them considerably harder-edged and more criminal-oriented, but if they were like that, there wouldn't have been any reason for them to not kill Fenton, Joe and Jim -- which most definitely did NOT work for any intents and purposes! :eek:

So we had to make them bumbling rather than evil! <G>

[Alaina]

I loved them bumbling! You couldn't help but like them! :p

[rokia]

I can't imagine them being any other way - they were rather endearing (even dear Bruno, lol!) - the way they were. :)

[ghostwritersboss]

I have to say, Aftershock is one of my favorite's from Alaina's series. The raw power in the words is just WOW! I never knew that it took a turn on you though. So that was interesting to hear.

When you wrote with the ghostwriters, especially the original ones, they did a lot of changes. Their changes were mostly with dialogue. They would act scenes out and would literally fight at times about what the characters would say in that situation. I am trying to remember a specific one though, but the only thing that really comes to mind was the fear of what to write with our first story with the Kramers.
"Deadly Connections" was the opening story for us. The students, who some had learning disablilities, wanted a character that was not so perfect. The character had to have the spunk of the Hardy Boys, but represent them. At first they were scared to even approach the idea not knowing how people would receive a "disabled" person, especially one who was to be Adam Kramer. It was orginially going to be regular characters mirrored after the Hardy Boys, but the fit just did not make it with them. They kept going back to their own characters... Adam, Jason, Chuck, Laura and Carl. Then one day, after the real Adam visited the school while he was doing one of his volunteer shifts, the decision was made. Orignially, Adam was to be the only person who was left "damaged" from the accident. This would leave the storyline wide open for Alyssa to be the one to carry the guilt. But then they decided to take it a step further. Stephanie is actually the one who came up with the idea of making Alyssa paralyzed, just like the real "Alyssa". So that was a major rewrite in the outline. I remember having to scrap that story map totally. Then things started to flow for us. As the students wrote more stories, they lived their hopes and frustrations through Adam. Jason represented the people who expected them to be perfect, to an extent. However, Jason was also learning along the way as well to be more accepting. He did have his moments. It was like Jason was sort of speaking like some of their parents might react or think. As for whether Alyssa would ever walk again.... that was something that was left wide open. Who knows! It was kind of nice thing to actually work with in a story line. Things also started to progress even deeper when the characters took on distinct characteristics of some of the ghostwriters. To read about the Kramers, was also getting to know the ghostwriters in a more personal and sometimes comical way. Alyssa was usually handled by Steph and the girls while Chuck was Jacob all the way. The other characters took pieces of the other kids. I feel like I can step back into time when I read the stories because I get the personal touch.

So in our case, the Kramers were the only way to go when that major decision was made. We didn't feel right to take the Hardys and conform them to us. So we definitely took a whole different direction when we made that decision and I hope that people had smiles on their faces when they read the stories. Those kids were well worth knowing.

I know that Steph did a whole different turn when she wrote "Secret Betrayal". She was originally going to have Adam go through sexual abuse as well, but she just could not do that. She felt she could not write her feelings through him since he was so established. To her, Adam was as real as her best friend. That is why she created her own character and told her story through her. She felt held back the other way. Maria gave her an outlet and she ran with it and created a whole different outline than what was originally down. Steph also revealed a lot more than she was going to do. I think that made the story even more powerful.

I hope that helps answer the question a little more.
Annah

[Alaina]

The Ghostwriters stories are some of my favorites! And my favorite character is Adam all the way! LOL!

It was interesting to see how many changes they went through from conception to the Kramer universe we all got to see! Thanks! :)