When people are looking for ideas for their stories one of the most popular is repurposing old stories. What this entails is taking an old story, say romeo and Juliet, and making it more modern and spitting out West Side Story. Or maybe taking an event or story and try looking at it through another's point of view.
For example do you recognize this story?
A child is very god at building things, and wishes to be the top driver in the local race circuit. Two members of a secret and mysterious paramilitary organization comes by and takes him away from his mother, whom he loves very much and leaves her alone.
They put him into a special military school, and he watches them fight a few battles along the way. After he graduates he falls in love, but is told that in his special unit they are not allowed to have families or any attachments. He disobeys and marries his love after saving her in a battle.
Later he is harassed by his comrades because of his marriage and he feels isolated and alone. He also learns that his mother has been kidnapped and murdered by bandits and he was not allowed to save her. He finds solace in that the President feels for him and befriends him as he is a good soldier. His old comrades start a revolution and an aborted coup leaves them on opposite sides with his old friend and mentor.
His mentor kidnaps the wife and she dies just as she is giving birth to a son and a daughter. The old friend steals away with the children as the hero is left ding in a barren rock and lava strewn field. Wounded, burnt and in despair he is rescued by government forces who succeeded in putting down the revolution. He is permanently injured and scarred, but is able to function and becomes a top military leader.
Fast forward 18 or so years and the son is asking questions about the missing father and runs into the old friend, now in hiding. They go off on quest and the friend tells the son lies about the father and starts brainwashing the son to his own way of thinking and recruits him for a revival of the older revolution. He of course rails against the father, but call shim by another name so the son doesn't catch on to his true purpose. They hook up with a known murderer and smuggler and stumble across the sister (though they don't know nor realize it) who is running from the father, unknowingly. All the father wants is to reunite the family and have a strong family unit.
After a few battles the father informs the son that he is in fact is his father. This causes the son to scream in disbelief, because of his brainwashing by antigovernment forces. At the end he realizes that the woman he loves is his sister and in a final battle the son slays the father, but as he lies dying the father forgives his son, and vice versa. They express their mutual respect and the son gives his father a proper and respectful funeral service.
Recognize this story? It's the Star Wars saga told through the eyes of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Who says his point of view is wrong or invalid?
That is all it takes to come up with original stories out of older tales. Obviously one would change the names etc. of copyrighted characters. But think of the possibilities of taking historical events and put them through the eyes of someone who doesn't get written about.
Come back next time for more tips, tricks and techniques to assist you in your writing,marketing and sales efforts. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.
Mahalo.
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