A member here wrote and suggested a nice additional twist to my first story, which I am considering adding once the competition is over.
What is the protocol? Would you edit the story to add it in, with a comment at the bottom thanking the member for their idea?
I am inclined to leave the story "as is", the additional twist idea was not my own. Having said that, editors suggest changes to the plot and structure all the time to your work from what I've been told.
Writing another similar story incorporating the same concept is out of the question.
How do you handle it when good ideas are sent to you?
Please read and comment on my first story, it's for the Halloween Competition, entitled "Pumped Kin."
I would write it as a part 2 and add the twist and privately thank the person who offered the suggestion.
I try to incorporate the ideas that I'm given. At the same time, I'm very rigid about my characters as well, but I do listen to all suggestions.
I would thank them via PM, and perhaps develop the idea in a story later on if it were a really good one. I'd ask for permission first though to run with the idea.
If you're changing the ending, do what the movies do... write it and add the words "Alternate Ending" to the title. If you're changing the plot, you can either add the words "Whoever's Version" (giving credit to the person that suggested it) or you can change the name. In either case, give credit in the Introduction and mention the original story. Of course, once you've done that, be sure and sell it to everyone as a "Author's Cut" for $19.95.
