2 replies to this topic

[Kozar]

So yea, I have had this idea for a fiction for quite awhile now and have made a general outline for a portion of the plot. The story is basically AU which diverts from the Canon storyline during the timeskip, yea I know... just a tad bit of a cliched point to change the story, however to make the storyline work there are a few events beforehand that I would need to slightly alterate.

The problem is... I don't think people want to read a story that is for the most part a rehashment, nor do I think writing that out would be anymore enjoyable than reading it. However those few events are crucial to my plotline as they deal with the Kyuubi who is pretty much at the heart of my story.

The only solution I have seen would be a complete revamp of the entire Naruto plotline thus taking awhile to reach the core of what I originally planned out. By no means am I opposed to this. I just think for a little while it would lack the lineaments of an action/adventure. If I take this route I wouldn't be able to resist delving deeper into his childhood.

So basically, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for possible alternate routes I could take?

[Aaron Nowack]

It depends on how big and extensive the changes you want to make are. The bigger they are, the more time you're going to have to spend detailing them.

In rough order from "smallest" to "biggest", the methods I see are:

1) Simply note at the beginning of the story that there are changes, then reveal the exact changes in the natural course of your story when they become important through flashbacks, character dialogue, or other methods.

2) A prologue consisting of a few representative pre-timeskip scenes that show the nature of the changes. Other important details that don't make it through could be handled through the first method.

3) Spend the first chapter (or first couple of chapters) on the parts of the pre-timeskip story that changed in major ways, skipping or skimming over the parts that didn't change much.

4) Detail in full the pre-timeskip story. Do this only if your story very quickly becomes very different from canon, because as you rightly point out no one really wants to read a rehash of stuff they already know.


The important thing to remember is that your readers know the canon storyline. You don't need to spend time showing them everything that didn't change much. Just focus on what did change significantly, and you should be fine. Your readers will be able to fill in the gaps.

I hope that helps.

[Kozar]

Indeed it does. I have a pretty solid idea on how I should go about this now.

Thank you very much.