Rewriting Old Books (you wish)

AlterEgox5 · Dec 19, 2009

Do you ever read a book and wish you could rewrite it to make it better? Granted, many of us aren't published and the original author is, but what books have you read that you believe are on the brink of greatness and just need some tweaking to get there?

What book have you read that you would love to change if you had the power?

My pick would have to be The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan ~ A good book, with a really unique idea and fun goodies inside...but oh it could have been so much more...

thothguard51 · Dec 19, 2009

1...If you use the works/world/characters of a author who has already published, is this not a form or fan fic?

2...If fan fic, it happens all the time, you just get the authors permission, pay a fee, and rewrite.

3...If it is a completely new story, but based on the ideas of another writers work, I think this happens all the time. Look at how many times Romeo and Juliet style stories have been done. And in the movies or tv, they are always recycling updated versions of old films or TV shows with updated material. So it does happen.

I see no harm so long as you have the authors persmission to use his story and rewrite. Of course, as that author, I would not only want a percentage, but final say on it before published. This is not to say I would want to edit the damn thing, just final say on if it something I would want my name associated with this new writers attempt.

Michael_T · Dec 19, 2009

I've always thought that could be fun. Kind of like how bands will do a "cover song" and put their own spin and style on something. But I would assume doing a "cover novel" would be pretty tough but could have some interesting results.

EDIT: Granted unless you did something that was in the public domain, you wouldn't be able to publish it.

AlterEgox5 · Dec 19, 2009

Then again....Seth Grahame-Smith did it with Pride & Prejudice...and added zombies.

And yes, if you did redo it, it would be fan fiction, but this is the sort of thing where you've read the book and daydream, "If only the author had done this or this...it would have so much more excitement!" or what have you. I'd love to rewrite Ryan's book but A.) yeah, not going to get published, B.) as if I had the time.

Libbie · Dec 19, 2009

Uh -- people are doing this, with those ghastly classics-plus-supernatural-creatures "rewrites."

Cyia · Dec 19, 2009

AlterEgox5 said:
Then again....Seth Grahame-Smith did it with Pride & Prejudice...and added zombies.

And yes, if you did redo it, it would be fan fiction.

Pride and Prejudice ... with Zombies is NOT fanfiction. Nor did it require the permission of the original (dead) author or her estate. P&P was public domain and free to be used by anyone - just like most "classics" (except Peter Pan because of its unique circumstances) and Shakespearean plays.

JackinElgin · Dec 19, 2009

Libbie said:
Uh -- people are doing this, with those ghastly classics-plus-supernatural-creatures "rewrites."

I read PPZ and am staring at Sense Sensibility and Sea-monsters trying to start it.

I don't see how their "Ghastly." I've heard alot of condemnation of these books but I dont' know what the big deal is. I think their hilarious, and apparently others do to PPZ sold a bunch of copies...

Sounds like haters...

bearilou · Dec 19, 2009

JackinElgin said:
I read PPZ and am staring at Sense Sensibility and Sea-monsters trying to start it.

I don't see how their "Ghastly." I've heard alot of condemnation of these books but I dont' know what the big deal is. I think their hilarious, and apparently others do to PPZ sold a bunch of copies...

Sounds like haters...

So, someone who didn't like the books are haters? As opposed to oh, say, someone who just didn't like the books?

Albannach · Dec 19, 2009

except Peter Pan because of its unique circumstances

What unique circumstances. Of course, anything that Disney has touched you have to be sure not to violate THEIR copyright, so that might be what you're talking about. But I don't think they have the right to re-copyright the original only their own version which was hardly true to the original.

willietheshakes · Dec 19, 2009

Albannach said:
What unique circumstances. Of course, anything that Disney has touched you have to be sure not to violate THEIR copyright, so that might be what you're talking about. But I don't think they have the right to re-copyright the original only their own version which was hardly true to the original.

Peter Pan is a truly exceptional case.

Barrie bequeathed the rights to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in perpetuity, as a source of funding. An act of the British Parliament encoded that right in the law.

Not that this hasn't been contentious -- folks with problems in the last few years include Alan Moore (for Lost Girls) and the Walt Disney Corp.

Some info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Ormond_Street_Hospital

Samantha's_Song · Dec 19, 2009

I beta read a rewrite of Pride and prejudice for someone on here around two years ago. It was set in modern times and it was brilliant, I loved it.

Albannach · Dec 19, 2009

willietheshakes said:
Peter Pan is a truly exceptional case.

Barrie bequeathed the rights to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in perpetuity, as a source of funding. An act of the British Parliament encoded that right in the law.

Not that this hasn't been contentious -- folks with problems in the last few years include Alan Moore (for Lost Girls) and the Walt Disney Corp.

Some info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Ormond_Street_Hospital

Fascinating. I have a feeling I should have known all that and didn't.

Thanks for the information!

AlterEgox5 · Dec 19, 2009

Cyia said:
Pride and Prejudice ... with Zombies is NOT fanfiction. Nor did it require the permission of the original (dead) author or her estate. P&P was public domain and free to be used by anyone - just like most "classics" (except Peter Pan because of its unique circumstances) and Shakespearean plays.

No, no - sorry, I didn't intend to state that P&P+Z was fanfiction. I had that first statement and then added on that second part to respond to someone else's post. Guess I should have clarified.

I do have to say though, I read P&P+Z and was not that impressed. *shrug*

And I might add that this topic is going in a completely different direction than I'd intended, though it is interesting...

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 19, 2009

AlterEgox5 said:
Do you ever read a book and wish you could rewrite it to make it better?

Every single book I've read I wished I could make better.

As far as fanfic, I don't know anything about P&P+Z (and just saw a copy at the bookstore and thought, "WTF?"), but in my opinion, any story based on someone else's world or characters is fanfic.

Cyia · Dec 19, 2009

Disney has a trademark on (their) Peter Pan - slightly different than copyright. For example, you can't use the image of TinkerBell to sell anything that's not affiliated with Disney. At the same time, Disney's Tinkerbell isn't exactly the same as Barry's - she was pretty much just a light without image.

Renee Collins · Dec 19, 2009

AlterEgox5 said:
Do you ever read a book and wish you could rewrite it to make it better?

I can honestly say the thought's never crossed my mind. Interesting idea, though.

James D. Macdonald · Dec 19, 2009

All art is in dialog with all other art.

Birol · Dec 19, 2009

I've moved the off-topic, snarky posts to the landfill. Let's keep it civil, people.

AlterEgox5 · Dec 19, 2009

Thanks Birol. I adjusted my first post to try and make my intention for this thread clearer. Hopefully newcomers to the thread will read it first...

chancerychislett · Dec 22, 2010

a modern persuassion would be awesome....but I think a UK author is doing one...pshaww I would set mine in the Hamptons

anywho, does anyone know of any Gatsby rewrites? I'm curious.

and the whole rewwriting classics seems to be rising in popularity in YA...not word for word, but more gen. stories

Stlight · Dec 22, 2010

A more 3D Napoleon in War and Peace?

singsebastian · Dec 22, 2010

Dude, I could re-bloody-write Twilight and no one would know the difference.

benbradley · Dec 22, 2010

There's a book I'd want to rewrite from the start, make different characters, different era, different just about everything but the same premise and general idea, so it really wouldn't be the same book and wouldn't infringe. It's been around for many decades, but still in copyright and still selling, thus I'm sure the basic idea is still popular. It's well known enough and has been publicly analyzed enough that I feel I have a good idea of its contents, but ... I've only read the first few dozen pages, and I got to the point where I would have thrown it against the wall, but with the size of the book it would have put a hole through the wall. Didn't want to damage the wall.

seun · Dec 23, 2010

AlterEgox5 said:
I do have to say though, I read P&P+Z and was not that impressed. *shrug*

Exactly what I thought of it. Nice idea, but not a winner.

HKCavalier · Dec 23, 2010

I think this way more about movies than books, but I can think of a couple off the top of my head that I "almost" love that just need some specific tweaks.

Wuthering Heights: Great story, but I just can't stand the disposable next-door-neighbor narrator.

The Robber Bride: It's a beautifully written book, but the title character isn't given the depth she deserves. She's obviously an abuse survivor (possibly/probably incest) but Atwood seems to shy away from anything like that, so the character's "darkness" comes across as free floating and kinda trivial ultimately. A terribly tragic flaw in an otherwise excellent book.

-HK

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