Rewrite an existing novel and create a new bestseller

It is often said that there no new plots or stories, originality comes from how you tell the story. 

Many great writers have used great stories from the past and turned them into great stories today – one example is Romeo and Juliet/Westside Story.

Why not take an existing novel and rewrite it to create something entirely new by making a few changes. 

Here are some ideas:

• Change the genre – could a crime thriller become science fiction?
• Change the period – a story set in the 1960s could be told in the 21^st century or the 18^th century.
• Change the setting – a hospital setting could become a cruise ship.
• Change male characters into female characters and vice versa.
• Consider names – change Susan to Chantelle and you get a whole new character.
• Physical features – hair colour, scars, etc. Add some new ones such as long painted nails.
• What about age – could a character in their early 40s became a character aged 15?
• Characteristics – pipe smoking could become gum chewing.
• Dress sense – conservative could become trendy or controversial.
• Think about occupations – could a doctor become a scuba diving instructor?
• Obstacles can be changed – that bomb that will explode in 30 minutes could become the oxygen system on a space craft about to fail.

Take a novel you like or know well and complete character and plot outlines. Go through these outlines and make the desired changes. You will end up with a set of new character outlines and a new plot. Give your planned novel a title and write the “new” story in your own voice. At the end you will have a novel that may or may not be recognised as a similar plot to the original – it doesn't matter if it is compared to the original because, as stated previously, there are only so many plots anyway.

When you have finished and edited your novel why not self-publish and let the readers decide if they like it? You never know this might just be the next bestseller.

Happy writing.