Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Fun with repurposing ideas.

There is a specific publication I have to be published in. Besides it being an SFWA publication, I just want to prove something to myself damn it.

Wisely, I spent a good deal of time reading up on the types of stories they publish, a great time saver. This in itself was a big change from my younger days when I used to randomly send pieces to anyone who took them. It is hard enough to get published without being completely off the mark with regards to content.

Then I had to think up a story that would work well with this specific style. When I couldn't think of anything, I started going back through stories I'd written ages ago but had never published. For one, I forgot how many stories I'd actually written. And two, many of them were pretty good.

One in particular was a western (in the vein of Deadwood) about a town run by lawless madmen, and a widows revenge on their leader. I might have gotten it to work with this specific publication, but it would definitely have needed a fantasy twist...and the story was much more of a horror story.

So...I took the entire town and plopped it on huge tank-like tracks and sent if off into the wasteland, and there sits the story. This really opened things up creatively, and allowed me to add some cool elements. I'm 1/3 through, and I'll keep you posted!

You guys ever re-purpose stories like that?

6 comments:

  1. I've never gone monster-truck on a setting, if that's what you mean. ;) Still, great and fun visual (and a great sense-of-wonder button for many, I'll bet!).

    This is my problem where I've written far more fantasy (epic, classic, urban, or other) than science fiction or cross-genre.

    Darnit, Kenny...I'm sick as a dog, should be resting, but now my brain wants to write a psuedo-superhero-pulp story in the Wild West...and the scary image pushing forth is a crazy totem pole-esque giant construct ala Voltron with more fully formed animals (and native shaman riders for each). Oy. Good thing I don't have the energy to follow up on that....today.... ;)

    Steven

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  2. Steven...haha...you made my day with that. Voltron. hah!

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  3. Hey Kenny, Stopping by to say "hey" and just got caught up with you on here. It's pretty cool to read your posts, strangely I'm getting to know you better than when we worked together. Just goes to show you how powerful the written word is. Go Kenny! ~Lili

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  4. Lili...I feel the same about you. Work just got in the way :)

    And keep those pictures coming. You live in a truly magical place. That shot of the fog coming in over Sorrento Harbor is breathtaking and mysterious.

    Poor Henri and his truck heh.

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  5. Originally, a short story I wrote called "Blind Ambition" was set in Imperial Rome. I wrote it back in the '90s after being inspired by Ridley Scott's movie, Gladiator!

    Not so long ago I came upon a company called Rogue Blades Entertainment, and they were about to close the submissions period for an anthology in their "Clash of Steel" line called ASSASSINS. I wanted to put something together for this but the deadline was looming by the time I discovered it. Then it dawned on me that I already had an "assassins-themed story written! I just needed to re-purpose it a little to fit their criteria. So, I spent a few hours with it, converted it to my own fantasy setting of Khaladune, sent it off, and got good news back about a month later!

    So, yeah, re-purposing definitely works! Let me know if you need another set of eyes on your current effort (I know I already owe you a read-through on another story, and I promise I'll get to it; in fact, I'm eager to).

    P.S. Steven, that sounds like an awesome idea!

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  6. Joe...yep..I remember the assasin-themed story you have (I think I read that one).

    I can't wait for you to get my "Gnomenus Ex Machina" done. Then, let's have a beer or two.

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