What Makes a Good Retelling?

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What makes a good retelling? I'll tell you! My thoughts on the matter, at least :D If you didn't know, my debut novel, BRIGHTLY BURNING is Jane Eyre in space! So retellings are a passion, to say the least :D
First, I'll go over a few types of retellings, ways to tackle them and some YA examples of each. Then, I'll go over what makes a good retelling, and finally I'll give my top tips for you if you decide to tackle a retelling!
Note: I had a total brain malfunction in the video and messed up the name of the narrator from The Great Gatsby! So when I say "Jay and Gatsby," I mean NICK and Gatsby... b/c Gatsby's first name is of course Jay! Sorry about that!
Now the real question is: how many times can I say "fresh" and "twist" in this video?!?! :P
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Опубликовано:

4 дек 2017

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Комментарии : 70

@TomorrowWeLive 5 лет назад

My absolute favourite retelling is Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, which retells the myth of Eros and Psyche from the perspective of the ugly older stepsister.

@lovetolovefairytales 5 лет назад

ooh I read that one! Years ago, but I liked it. I really like his writing style a lot.

@amarachiisaac9420 5 лет назад

Cinderella 3 A twist in time! I watched this as a kid and loved it!

@13sassyblondeginger 4 года назад

It was my jam as a kid

@techsavvy1928 3 года назад

Yes! I loved that movie

@omgitsanthony 6 лет назад

I’ve been thinking about doing a retelling for my second novel. This video is gold, Alexa!

@thewriterissamhamad 5 лет назад

I've written a retelling of The Shawshank Redemption WITH BIRD CHARACTERS. My novel is called The Birdshack Redemption.

@kitfairchild9784 3 года назад

Dude this is so creative! It would make an excellent middle grade.

@cassshirley7161 5 лет назад

Thank goodness! I thought I was the only one that liked a twist in time. Lol. This is so useful as I’m trying to do a retelling and I’m trying to find ways to do so. I love your channel!

@LettySharpeWrites 6 лет назад

This video is so amazingly helpful! And I completely agree with what you were saying about the third act of Jane Eyre - I would always end up skipping over it. I'm so excited to read your book by the way, it sounds great!

@AuthorpreneurPodcast 6 лет назад

I've been thinking of writing a re-telling. This video was quite timely for me. Thanks 😃

@krisq9252 6 лет назад

Was legit in the middle of another video when the notification for this vid popped up but I had to watch this immediately! Love your vids! Also your eyeshadow is giving me life.

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

Thank you! I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette for this look. It had rave reviews all over RU-vid, so I had to try it :D

@alicelorina8079 3 года назад

of all the channels i watch about writing yours is my favourite!! ♡ love all the interesting topics you cover , your info is really thorough, & most importantly you're the most fun to watch lol :)

@sweeneyripper7023 5 лет назад

This REALLY helps me, oh my god. Currently, I'm in the process of writing what i like to call "an Alice in Wonderland inspired sequel to Alice in Wonderland that is also a retelling of Alice in Wonderland." This sounds like a clusterfuck, but trust me when I say its much simpler than it sounds. I'd decided to put it on hold to work on something that has a better chance of being.... published? It felt like it was too close to FanFiction, so I didn't know whether I could even approach anyone with it and have it taken seriously in a sense. This gives me so much hope for my story being taken seriously, so thank you.

@ariitheway 5 лет назад

Thank you for this video. I've wanted for the longest time, and even started writing it, to do a retelling of Phantom Of The Opera and this is so helpful.

@MeHeartBooks 6 лет назад

I agree with Anthony, every time I hit a blank spot you always have a view which solves it, thanks form the UK :)

@sarcomeresarecool 5 лет назад

The comment about Mr. Darcy's letter reminded me of the Pride and Prejudice modern ice skating au I read once (it was on Ao3; I think the author may have pulled it at some point?) where he sends her thirty-seven consecutive text messages.

@ladycalathieloropherion 5 лет назад

I love Labyrinth and I LOVE David Bowie. Miss you My Goblin King

@marionnaveau8206 2 года назад

Thank you so much for this video ! You made it 4 years ago and I found it only now... Precisely when I'm considering writing a retelling! My favourite retellings are I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (a children's book) and the trilogy Charm, Poison and Beauty by Sarah Pinborough. Much love, and thank you for your wonderful channel !

@jadefyrexiii 4 года назад

Me: I'd love to do a Pride & Prejudice retelling Alexa: *talks about a P&P retelling* Nice. Also, my tongue-in-cheek takeaway from this is, "go forth and go wild with the AUs, writers!"

@novemberninth4392 3 года назад

I'm glad you mentioned A Twist In Time! i LOOOVE that movie!

@AissataAmadou 6 лет назад

This is very helpful I’m writing a retelling myself

@ellecruz1678 6 лет назад

Hi Alexa! What a great topic for a video! I️’m here to say thank you on behalf of the R3 AMM mentees. A lot of us are tackling retellings right now,so this video comes at a great time! -Erika ❤️

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

@jessicafroberg2347 6 лет назад

I loved this so much! It came at such a good time for me. I'm doing (now I know how to properly state it lol) a gender-flipped story inspired by Robin Hood. This was a great reminder how how to properly execute it. Thank you!

@nahuelconstantine 5 лет назад

Thank you for this vid!!!

@EndoLP 6 лет назад

Would you consider doing a video on the validity of fanfiction and its place in literature? I know in the past you've said that you spent a lot of time in the Harry Potter fandom, and I would also love to hear about your experiences with the publishing world having "grown up" as a writer by writing fic. (Ways that you felt it better prepared you, things that held you back, etc)

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

I've literally got an outline for my next video, which is all about why I think writing fanfic build valuable writing skills :D I'll definitely end up exploring some of the other things, as well! So... great minds think alike!

@christyjohnson1799 6 лет назад

I'm working on an inspired by high fantasy, source from Rumplestiltskin. I can see where it comes from, but I don't think anyone else would pick it out unless I outright said it. Even then, they may not. Retellings are one of my favorites though. I need more.

@emilykbee6601 6 лет назад

Great video :-) It reminded me that one of the first retellings I read was a Jane Eyre retelling called Wide Sargasso Sea. It's not YA but it's interesting (if you haven't already read it!)

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

I actually haven't read it! I've been meaning too for years, but admittedly it approaches JE from an angle that has never kicked me in the pants enough, interest wise, to pick it up. I should probably rectify that :D

@emilykbee6601 6 лет назад

It's not a fun read, but I remember liking it more than most of the other books I had to read for school :P

@jadefyrexiii 4 года назад

What's your opinion on using/reworking famous opening lines or other quotes/passages in your retelling?

@amandarandomtube4793 2 года назад

I read Brightly Burning having no clue what the original Jane Ayre was about and now I don't believe it could possibly be as good as yours. Not trying to diss the classic but I just fell in love with your story, Stella is such a boss and the whole cast feels so real. I definitely recommend reading it to anyone who hasn't 👍👍

@MrExtra-ny2ns 5 лет назад

Did you ever make a video on how to make a proper flashback?

@BlockDriver 5 лет назад

How does a modern gender swapped Phantom of the Opera sound?

@vivveene 5 лет назад

Love, Love, Love!

@Hannahacarmona 6 лет назад

This seems like a sign for me to draft the retelling idea I've been playing with. Did you change your character's names in your retelling?

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

That's a great question! I should probably address those sorts of specifics in a future video :D I changed a lot of the names, but not all... I felt it would be distracting/too "wink"y to keep my main characters exactly the same, so they are totally different: my Jane Eyre is named Stella Ainsley (there's a story behind the name I won't go into!), Edward Fairfax Rochester is Hugo Fairfax (and Mrs. Fairfax is now Iris Xiao). The ship they're on is the Rochester, which is how I worked that in, instead. I have a St. John who is named Jon, but otherwise his name is totally different. I kept Grace Poole, but altered her role in the story. Aunt Reed is still Aunt Reed, Mason is still Mason... so I picked and chose where I kept names similar or the same, kind of playing it by ear, re: what felt organic. I think sometimes keeping the names the same, or being a little "too clever" can be distracting, but at the same time, fans do expect winks and nods to the original.

@Hannahacarmona 6 лет назад

Alexa Donne This is really cool how you did that. Thank you! That was really helpful to know.

@artistvsworld419 6 лет назад

Do these tips apply to historical retellings?

@coralreeves4276 5 лет назад

My favorite retelling is by Juliet Marillier in her SevenWaters Trilogy. Man, she's my hero.

@baileycavender4478 5 лет назад

Coral Reeves Right?! “Daughter of the Forest” is one of my favorite books ever. I also love what she did with the Dancing Princesses and the Frog King in “Wildwood Dancing!”

@coralreeves4276 5 лет назад

@@baileycavender4478 OMG I am so happy to meet another fan! Marillier is the QUEEN of fantasy retelling!

@baileycavender4478 5 лет назад

Coral Reeves Me too!! She’s so amazing!!

@UnicornHunterbooks 5 лет назад

Your retelling-related videos have been so helpful. I'm planning out how to do an Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves retelling, since we don't get enough Persian-inspired retellings.

@TheSamGerman 6 лет назад

Hi Alexa, I started following you about 2 weeks ago. I have a question about retelling. Are you able to sell your "retold books?" What are the copyright laws like? I'm working on re-telling a book right now and assumed that I couldn't sell it.

@nootnewt9323 5 лет назад

If it’s in public domain then it shouldn’t matter.

@miyoungmoon46 3 года назад

I want to do a loosely based story on a Disney story, but I'm wondering about copyright. How does that work? For example, did Cinder face any difficulties getting published?

@AlexaDonne 3 года назад

Cinder is a retelling of the original fairy tale, which is not under copyright. You can't include elements that are specific to the Disney movies, like the cat or the names of the step-sisters. It's a matter of educating yourself on the original Disney used vs. the Disney version.

@shockwavespider3942 4 года назад

Can it apply to cartoons

@lilithcrow6675 4 года назад

I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes Cinderella a twist in time

@contariniste 5 лет назад

I'm writing a retelling of the King Arthur legend just to play with the characters and give it a happy ending XD (SPOILER ALERT TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THE FULL LEGEND OR/AND HAVEN'T WATCHED MERLIN, I guess) One where King Arthur doesn't die at the end (he wins the final battle, in my version he's still the prince and fights a dragon), and Camelot becomes an even better kingdom. I also have elves, globins, and other mythical creatures come up from time to time. My characters have different names, and I made my own little version of Camelot, but the main story is still there and I'm kind of really liking it :) (yes, I'm writing a book because I have a huge crush on Bradley James, judge me all you want)

@alexjohnson9645 4 года назад

I’ve thought about doing a retelling of video games but I don’t know if I should...

@shockwavespider3942 3 года назад

I see no harm in doing so

@nerdydragon7534 5 лет назад

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, anyone?

@johnb9258 8 месяцев назад

I want to do a retelling of a popular Japanese anime

@JulianGreystoke 6 лет назад

The way I began with my retelling was to ask a lot of "whys" why did the youngest Miller's son have such a rubbish life? Why is the ogre on the land? Why doesn't the princess even have a name?! And from there the story bloomed.

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

Asking yourself questions is a GREAT tip. The whole idea of a retelling is exploring something new... and questions help you interrogate the source text!

@lovetolovefairytales 4 года назад

A court of thorns and roses isn't even a beauty and the beast telling at all! It's based on tam lin. It was just marketed as beauty and the beast to get more readers.

@wilona3487 4 года назад

Retelling? I think you mean fanfiction you can publish 😎

@erinhand6004 4 года назад

My current WIP is heavily inspired by a Russian fairytale and borrows a lot of elements for classic Russian folklore.

@thewritersscene2072 4 года назад

I think my idea is inspired by beauty and the beast

@getamber8026 6 лет назад

I feel so guilty now =( I've been working on a novel based on a religious tradition from a remote area in Southeast Asia. I was inspired to write it after watching a short documentary about it and I thought "Hmm, what if..." and then the novel just kind of took off from there. I invented new terminology and religious tenets and everything. But after this video I think it might be bordering on cultural appropriation.

@AlexaDonne 6 лет назад

The key is always to be thoughtful and respectful, which it sounds like you are being... and then always having in the back of your mind (and being OK with it), that it may not be well received by some people. Right now in publishing, that's just reality. Definitely get some sensitivity readers, and be open to any feedback they offer. I'm not one of those people who feels that people shouldn't or can't write "outside their lane," but right now who can do it and how is kind of a case-by-case thing. Some cultures are just 100% no-go (such as Native American), whereas in other cases it is fine with diligent research and a lot of thoughtfulness. Don't freak out!

@feezlfuzzl564 5 лет назад

So you're just not supposed to tell certain stories even if they're unique and you're the one who thought of it? What if you take every step you can to try to make it respectful of other cultures or history? Is that still not good enough?