Revisit something old
to write something new.
“You should write a sequel.”
That’s what one of my friends said after reading one of the books I wrote.
It was an okay book, I liked it, the title was weird, and the editing was a little off. But I told the story I wanted to tell1.
A sequel, though?
It’s not like the book sold many copies. Doesn’t really qualify as a commercial success for a sequel.
I wrote one more short novel after that and I haven’t written any full-length fiction since then.
I’ve been stuck, fiction-wise.
Perhaps my friend had a valid point. That I needed to write a sequel, not because of the typical metrics — like sales or press — but because he recognized a spark in that story.
There’s a good chance that revisiting those characters and that world (taco trucks! dead malls! spontaneous revivals!) would have given me yet another idea for another book.
Maybe the sequel wouldn’t have panned out. But I may have needed to write the sequel to get to the next book.
Going back to something old may help me write something new.
I’ve done it a few times (not with books) but mostly with blog posts, articles, LinkedIn posts, and essays like this one.
There are a few reasons why I think this works:
Inspiration: Revisiting something old can inspire new ideas and perspectives. It can help writers see old ideas in a new light and can spark new connections and associations.
Build on existing knowledge: By revisiting something old, writers can build on existing knowledge and ideas. They can deepen their understanding of a topic and incorporate new information or perspectives into their writing.
Find a fresh take: By revisiting something old, writers can find a fresh take on a topic or idea. They can bring new insights, opinions, or experiences to the table that make their writing unique and engaging.
Beyond books, I’ve experienced all 3 of those things in my regular daily work for content marketing and SEO.
Here’s how it works tactically:
A strategy I think about frequently is picking out an idea from a previous blog post and expanding on it.
Like the Wiki strategy.
With that, whatever outside blog post you link to that isn’t a research study but supports your idea, you find a way to write about it in the future.
The other part of this is to find an idea or two that you really liked or that someone comments on and then rework it into a longer post or essay.
I had coffee with marketer/writer the other day. He told me about an essay he wrote that received a truckload of comments.
He is now going back to the original commenters and asking more about what really struck them. He’s now turning that essay into a book.
He’s writing something new by revisiting something old.
What about reboots?
I’ve been rewatching the first few episodes of a comedy called “Party Down.”
It was on Starz back in the early ‘10s and featured Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, and Martin Starr from “Silicon Valley.”
It followed a group of struggling actors and writers who worked for a Los Angeles-based catering company called "Party Down" while they kept trying for success in Hollywood.
Each episode revolved around a different event that the Party Down crew catered, such as a high school reunion or a wealthy businessman's birthday party.
It’s now being rebooted, reunion style.
I usually think reboots are lazy. And this one could be. I haven’t watched it yet.
Our acceptance for new things can run out.
Another example is “Night Court.” This was a popular show in the 80s, that was recently rebooted.
Not the most original thing, but it’s revisiting the old stuff and has a new spin.
Apparently, it’s worked? It’s been setting records though it’s not really my thing.
But do we need another “Fast and Furious”?
One is coming whether we like it or not.
That franchise may be tired, but it no doubt influenced another generation who are taking the old ideas of Fast and Furious and finding something new out of it, even if the direct line of influence isn’t clear.
I don’t agree with this full list, but it suggests that “Mad Max,” “Baby Driver,” and “Rush” all owe something to the family.
Being influenced by the past doesn’t seem as purposeful as revisiting the past
Creating something new from something old doesn’t have to be directly related. This is influence, of course, but there’s more intentionality there.
Influence seeps out unconsciously while writing from something old seems deliberate and more purposeful.
“Night Court” the original had an influence on other shows in some form or fashion; revisiting it seems intentional.
Tap into forgotten ideas
Revisiting something old doesn’t necessarily mean revisiting something old that you wrote.
You can tap into lots of “forgotten” ideas too.
This is why I like going to the library and getting fresh eyes that way. I usually find something I hadn’t thought about for a while or stumble on something new to me that’s actually very old.
puts it this way in his book, Keep Going:“We have such short memories. You don’t have to go that far back into the past to discover things we’ve already forgotten about. Cracking a book that’s only a quarter of a century old can be like opening a chest of buried treasure.”
I recently reread a Jack Kerouac novel.
I used to be way into Jack Kerouac, in the white-male-English-major-going-to-an-expensive-college way.
Meaning I was a type. But in rereading it, I remembered how easy it was to flow back into it, even though a lot of it didn’t make a lot of sense, story, or language-wise.
One of the notes at the beginning of the book mentioned how all of the characters were the same people across his books, but his publishers made him change the names.
That wouldn’t be the same in this cinematic-sequel driven world, but he proves the point.
He kept going back to those old comfortable friends and their old comfortable stories.
Revisit something old to write something new.
Maybe I’ll take another look at that sequel.
More Things to Read
Digital projectors aren’t that good either. At the NY Times via Medium
The case for hanging out. At Slate.
Fine. I’ll admit it. I like Titanic2. At Homeculture
Last Week
Last Thing
“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” — Albert Camus
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-Josh Spilker
Ok here it is, please buy 100 copies
I don’t actually like Titanic. The writer of that article does.