How to Revive an Old Story in Your Backlist

by Marie Lavender

Let’s say you’ve been eyeing a project for a while, one which has been sitting in a folder on your flash drive or in a remote storage app for a long time. At one point, you were nearly finished with it, but lost interest along the way. Or perhaps there’s a tale from your published backlist which could use a boost. Maybe you would like to try merging it into an anthology with other authors’ works, or even amidst your own collection of a few stories. It’s also possible you’d prefer to make a shorter tale much longer, into an entire novel. Whatever the case, if it has potential – and you believe some of the content is worth saving – I say go for it.

It’s never a bad idea to refresh your work now and then. Who knows? Maybe it’s a manuscript you’ve struggled with, receiving numerous rejections in the past. Giving it a facelift could capture the attention of a literary agent or publisher…at least after you’ve taken the story through a much-needed makeover.

But, what steps should you take? These are some methods to rejuvenate an old writing project…

1.      Add new scenes.

Take that tucked-away file and start brainstorming again. Maybe it would behoove you to change up the synopsis, to cut unnecessary sections and add more exciting events. Play around with the storyline until it sounds right.

2.      Update/modernize your dialogue, or adjust the verbiage in the descriptions.

A contemporary short story shouldn’t include outdated pop culture references or mentions of technology no one even uses anymore. Vice versa, a historical tale wouldn’t contain a lot of current vernacular. When in doubt, try searching the phrase in a word origins resource, such as the Online Etymology Dictionary. Moreover, we’re always evolving as writers, and your grasp of how true conversations unfold in the real world will change. 

What adjustments can you make to your story’s dialogue without losing the character’s unique voice?

3.      Do more detailed research to enhance authenticity.

The importance of research should never be overlooked. You won’t end up adding all the information that you’ve gathered, but it will help to make the story feel real.

4.      Delve further into your characters.

Update the personalities and backgrounds of the main characters. Perhaps you’ll learn something new, or even discover a recurring theme for the story. Do your best to flesh out your characters in diverse ways so that the audience will better identify with the protagonist.