The Prompt
Retell your own story.
Pick a story you’ve already written and write again but change at least two things. They live happily ever after? Break them up. They gamble their money away? Let them win big.
What if you changed the gender, the age, the location or season? What if you changed the point-of-view or the verb tense? What changes do you have to make throughout the story to make these changes work?
Do the changes improve the original story or reveal anything new about your characters or plot?
Marta Pelrine-Bacon
Marta is an author and artist who fuels her imagination with coffee and naps.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Remember: I don’t recommend posting your story in the comments here (and I talk more about why not, here). Best practice: Leave us a comment about how it went, or share your favorite line from your story.
Here’s your next Game Piece. save the image and share on social media with #storyaday
Prefer paper crafts? Here’s the cut & paste version
It took me a while to decide which story to tackle, but I decided to go with one of my old ‘go-with-the-flow’ stories, where I simply keep writing whatever comes to mind and don’t look back unless a line makes absolutely no sense. Using the same method, I changed the perspective character and the opening event from the original. Especially the latter also noticeably changed both main characters’ demeanour in how they navigated their confrontation right up until the ending. Pretty amazing how such small changes can turn the whole story on its head!
Make my most stressful story in a happy one. It is almost a completely different story.
I hope it’s different in a good way. But even if you still like the original best, now you know for sure!
Oooh! Such fun!! I picked my story from yesterday and reimagined it two different ways. In the original, she becomes separated from her grandmother & ends up in Mogadishu 2995 (her present). Then, I switched it to their not getting separated at all, then I wondered what would happen if they separated but instead of traveling to her present she traveled to her future. Not entirely sure yet which I prefer, but I have a lot to consider. Terrific prompt, Marta!! 😊
I’m glad you had fun with it!
I picked a random story from my short story folder and got to work! Thanks for the fun prompt, Marta! It was unexpectedly revelatory and unearthed thoughts and ideas I didn’t realize I had. Thanks, again!😄
That is the kind of thing I like to hear! So glad it worked for you!
Good prompt. I took the story from Day 4 about a couple lost on a country road. This time it was from his POV with no sign of a happy ending.
I like tinkering with POV. Sometimes it doesn’t do that much, but sometimes I can really change the story.
Great prompt! I love a rewrite opportunity. I picked my tea story from Day 5 and rewrote it from a different POV, to interesting effect! And changed the tense to past tense. It felt a little more like I was working out some life stuff than writing fiction but hey! What is fiction writing for if not working out our stuff? Thanks Marta!!!!
Your welcome! Glad you came you worked out some life stuff!
I rewrote my Day 6 story (Jennifer Hudak’s “Entering a photograph”) changing it from third person omniscient to first person narrator, and changing the conclusion from a union with nature to alienation from pollution.
Changing the end didn’t do much except replace a good feeling with an icky one. Changing the POV forced me to do more showing and less telling about the thoughts and sensations of both characters.
For me, this was both fun and instructive.
I’ve done with with a few stories, and sometimes I realize some changes my stories needs, and other times I realize I liked the story the way it was the first time around–both useful lessons. Glad you tried changing two different things.
I need to go digging. Some years ago I wrote a character that I did not like. I’m bringing him back and the story is about to change in a big way. (said with mischievous laughter)
Thank you for the great prompt, Marta!
I love some mischievous laughter!
I redid May 3 prompt and started to rewrite my “whodoneit” from the view point of the suspects. I didn’t get very far, I only worked on it for an hour. But, I did get some really good ideas that I want to pursue. The story went from a 2/5 (will not be revisited after STADM) to 3.5/5 (Will look at it again after STADM)
Great Prompt, Marta
Ooh, Brenda! That’s exciting!
That’s a win! Yay!