Tell the same story differently

When I first started writing this story, I honestly had no idea about proper story structure or what it takes to keep a reader interested. i had the idea of  a story about some friends that takes place in a possible future. Humans weren't only multi-planetary, but had found ancient technology that they wee able to roughly duplicate that allowed them to and occupy other star systems.

I hadn't really realized at the time, but the worlds around these other stars didn't support human life. Yes they built space station and even permanent structures on some of these worlds, there was no going outside without an environmental suit. and here I thought in such a fantastical future earth-like worlds would be in abundance.  Turns out that there is another earth in our galaxy, but you'll have to wait for the second book to find it.

Well, all of that has nothing to do with with why i started this post, but I write what I think.

what i meant to talk about was the idea of totally rewriting the story to make it more interesting to the reader. Personally I already find it interesting, but i already know the characters stories and as written it is more a factual account of what happened than it is a story about the characters in the midst of the story. While I have written bits and pieces of new material it has only served as a way to prop up the story rather than make it a better story.

Because I'm afraid.

I'm afraid I won't tell the same story. I'm afraid that the characters will lose the identity they gained in the original version.

My sister told me after reading the original version that she wished she could be more like Calista.. Calista is a determined and focused woman with very strong beliefs in how things should be and very vocal about situations where people are put in bad positions, especially when someone else is grabbing for more power. all the while she is plagued with self-doubt.

In many ways I view Calista as being weak, but honestly that is an unfair judgement. She has never been weak and her self-doubt comes out only in her ability to lead those that follow her. Yet in the story i show more of her weakness than i show of her strength. One piece i wrote recently that has been inserted into the original story shows her with so much self-confidence, so much inner strength and i really like that part of her. yet I'm afraid that too  much of that will change who she is. or maybe it won't and I'm really just afraid of change.

so, here I am, knowing what I need to write that will make the story more interesting to you.  What things i have to write to make you want to turn the page and find out what happens next. And I wonder if I can do it. Can I bring these characters to life without destroying who they are?

There is a deep passion in me to tell this story, to entertain the you and to have you remember the characters long after you have finished reading. The question is, can I?

Maybe the next entry will tell the tale.