There are only so many stories in this world, but there are many different ways to tell them. A new take on an existing story— i.e., the same tale from a different point of view—is a great way to get started if you’re feeling stuck.
Our own Galatea author, Sapir Englard, who wrote the hugely popular story The Millennium Wolves, has recently written a retelling of the book. The new story, The Millennium Wolves: His Haze, is written solely from the male love interest, Aiden’s, perspective.
Galatea subscribers can read the whole book on GalateaTV App on GooglePlay and GalateaTV App on Appstore.
What is Story Retelling?
Retelling a story from a different perspective means taking an existing plot and presenting it through the eyes of another character, offering fresh insights, new emotional layers, and unique interpretations of events. This approach often reveals hidden motives, backstories, and alternate viewpoints, making the familiar story feel new and more nuanced.
Main Rules of Retelling a Story
- Stay True to the Original Plot: Keep the main events consistent, but add depth through the new perspective.
- Develop a Unique Voice: Make the new narrator’s voice distinct, reflecting their personality, biases, and worldview.
- Reveal Fresh Insights: Offer new details, emotions, or backstory elements that only this character would know, adding layers to the story.
- Respect Character Motivations: Show the original actions and motivations in a way that aligns with the new narrator’s understanding and biases.
- Maintain Consistency: Ensure that any new insights fit naturally with the existing story world and don’t contradict key details.
- Enhance, Don’t Rehash: Avoid merely repeating scenes; instead, focus on adding new depth and perspectives to enrich the reader’s experience.
In this article, we’ll discuss popular retellings and give tips and tricks for finding different perspectives in writing familiar stories.
Retell a Story by Disguising a Classic
What is a retelling of a story in a different form or genre called? Why there is not a definitive term for this necessarily, it would be safe to call it a reimagining.
Reimagining classic stories, for instance, horror stories, is a way to modernize them for a current audience and engage audiences with literature’s most beloved and well-known characters.
They’re so popular that sometimes you don’t even notice you’re experiencing one—like Clueless, a ’90s retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma.
Broadway’s Wicked feels like an original fairytale, even though it’s a new take on the Wicked Witch of the East. Great retellings can feel fresh and original if done well. So, how do authors take familiar material and make it exciting again?
Understand the Source Material You’re Re-Imagining
Publishers love retellings because they come with a built-in hook that makes them easy to sell. With familiar storylines, audiences already have a connection, making it easier to find fans. While it may seem like every story has been done, just like music, storytelling thrives on reimagining familiar themes in fresh ways.
“It’s sci-fi Cinderella” (Marissa Meyer’s hit YA novel, Cinder) or “It’s Twilight fanfiction only with billionaires instead of vampires” (Fifty Shades of Grey).
Don’t Forget to Find the Plot Lines
The challenge is to see these characters or these plot lines in a new way:
- Can you place a historical tale in the modern era?
- Can you write it from the antagonist’s point of view?
- Can you expand the story of a minor character?
- Can you put it in a different realm or society?
The more deeply you know and understand the source material—and look widely for material that hasn’t already been retold a million times—the more you’ll see how rich and varied your options are.
Examples
Tomi Adeyemi’s juggernaut YA bestseller Children of Blood and Bone was inspired by West African folklore.
Hafsah Faizal wrote a YA fantasy series called We Hunt the Flame because The Lord of the Rings inspired her, but set it in ancient Arabia to twist it.
The more you look for unused or little-known source material, the more inspired you’ll be.
Let Your Imagination Run Wild
Refreshing an old story doesn’t have to mean just retelling it—you can change the culture, like in YA novels, or explore a different character’s perspective, as in Wicked. You might even draw loose inspiration, as with Meyer’s cyborg Cinderella.
There’s no single formula; creativity and a new twist can make any classic feel unique.
Keep It Familiar But Fresh
Point-of-view retellings let writers dive into familiar worlds from a fresh character’s perspective, often shedding light on overlooked figures. Readers enjoy rediscovering beloved characters, adding to the appeal of the series.
To make a POV retelling stand out, it needs a unique take that reveals new insights.
Revealing Fresh Insights
Wicked by Gregory Maguire is one of the most famous POV retellings, reimagining The Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch’s perspective. Its success led to a popular Broadway musical, capturing audiences with a fresh take on the original tale.
Instead of just explaining the witch’s “evil” side, Maguire made her the hero of a new narrative. By blending her story with the events of The Wizard of Oz, he created a unique, sympathetic portrayal that captivated readers.
Explore the Hidden World of a Lesser Character
If you search for Pride and Prejudice retellings, you’ll find countless versions from Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy’s perspectives. While these are popular, retellings from a lesser character’s point of view can be even more intriguing.
For example, Being Mary Bennett by J.C. Peterson brings new depth to the often-overlooked Mary Bennett.
By focusing on minor characters like Mary or Charlotte Lucas, these novels allow readers to revisit a beloved world with fresh, creative insights into characters who weren’t central in the original story.
Bring a Flat Character to Life
If you find that one of your characters ended up being more closed off to readers or flatter than you intended, consider a POV retelling. We also have an article explaining how to write vivid character descriptions.
In the original work, it isn’t always possible to give “the opposite side of the story” in a way that people connect with.
Because emotions and thoughts are so important to character building, secondary characters, particularly love interests, often don’t have the opportunity to be as well-drawn as the protagonist. Emotional scenes aren’t easy to write, which is why we’ve prepared a guide for you.
A POV retelling flips the narrative and puts the reader in the mind of that secondary character.
Remember, whatever direction you take with POV retellings should be a fun, fresh take. And the more fun you have with it, the more your readers will be thrilled with it, too.
Are You Ready to Retell Your Story?
Hopefully, these ideas inspire you to look at some of your older stories—or some classics— and see what new perspectives you can add to them.
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