Forum: Author Hangout

Revisiting an old story

Mushroom 🚫

Since I am thankfully starting to draw towards the end of my current story, I am planning on doing a major revision of one of my first stories.

Okinawa was one I actually wrote in 1997, and posted here in 2002. And it is badly dated and showing the time frame in which I wrote it. So I have decided I will tackle it, and largely rewrite the thing, but also keep the original one as well as many still seem to enjoy it.

Which leaves me in a quandary, what to call the revised version? I have actually had the idea of "Okinawa Revisited" floating in my mind for many years now, but for some reason it just does not sound right to me. And in many ways, I actually find giving a story an actual title tends to be something I fret and fuss over far to many times. Often changing it 3 and 4 times before I actually post it.

One recently started as "City Girl, Country Boy", before being changed to "City Girl" (which is still the name of the original doc files on my computer), before I finally posted it under the title "Valley Girl".

Has anybody else had this problem, or any possible suggestions I could use?

Replies: REP Keet qqqq

REP 🚫

@Mushroom

possible suggestions I could use?

Would "Okinawa (Revised)" work.

richardshagrin 🚫

A Marine In (one of) Japan, Okinawa, or the Ryukyu Islands.

Alternatively, The Adventures Of A Marine in Okinawa. Instead of "In" you could use "Stationed In" or "Living In".

Depends if you want to recycle Okinawa. (Revised) could be repaired, improved, amended, or some other verb that indicates a change for the better. Adjusted? Or like Oklahoma, Okinawa OK.

Keet 🚫

@Mushroom

If you like the title why not rename the existing story to something like 'Okinawa (previous/old version)' and use the current name for the revised one?

Ernest Bywater 🚫

As most of my regular readers will tell you, I do a lot of revising of my stories without changing the names. However, the revisions are all related to improved story flow and easier reading due to improved writing skills. I don't change any of the action or activities; except for a couple where minor changes were made to correct story errors. In such cases I simply uploaded the new chapters over the old chapters.

I am considering a significant revision to one story where additional activities will be added, and I'm thinking to title that story with the same name with revised tacked onto the end of the title. Or I may have the same title for the new version and simply tag the original here on SoL as (original) and leave it at that.

Replies: Mushroom

Mushroom 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

I am considering a significant revision to one story where additional activities will be added, and I'm thinking to title that story with the same name with revised tacked onto the end of the title. Or I may have the same title for the new version and simply tag the original here on SoL as (original) and leave it at that.

I actually like that, as Keet also said. I had forgotten I could just rename the old one.

And this is not just a simple chapter by chapter revision, it will pretty much be a ground-up revision. There are some things that I really need to yank out of it, and other things to change also. What was a really long story almost 25 years ago is now looking really fated to me.

This is really going to be a long term project though. I will probably work on it when I need a break from other projects, then just wait until I am finished and reload the entire thing, and rename the old one. I actually still get several letters a year from that, some from people who told me they read it a decade ago and wanted to read it again.

qqqq 🚫

@Mushroom

the word you want is...redux...fair winds and fallowing seas...

Replies: elevated_subways

elevated_subways 🚫

@qqqq

Okinawa was one I actually wrote in 1997, and posted here in 2002. And it is badly dated and showing the time frame in which I wrote it. So I have decided I will tackle it, and largely rewrite the thing, but also keep the original one as well as many still seem to enjoy it.

Wow, eighteen years is a long time. The oldest story I've posted on any site is less than three years old.

If I post a new version of a story on the same site, I give it a completely new title. (I've only done that twice so far.) In my case, I assume few people will remember the original. You have the option, if you think you have loyal readers, to have a note referring back to the original. That's just my take on it.

Replies: Mushroom

Mushroom 🚫

@elevated_subways

Wow, eighteen years is a long time. The oldest story I've posted on any site is less than three years old.

Well, my first was actually circa 1991 or so, it was an "expansion" for a kind of interactive fiction game, then into actual stories in around 1993. Those are long gone though, through BBS systems and not the Internet.

I know I started posting online in 1996, on ASSTR in 1997. The oldest I can find there is dated 04/17/97 (for the life of me can not remember my original email address).

Okinawa at the newest is now 23 years old. I started it in 1997, and also posted each chapter largely as I finished it. I can not find those old postings anymore though, the ASSTR search went tits-up ages ago.

I used to post on many sites, but now largely only post here.

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Forum: Author Hangout

Revisiting an old story

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