Search stories, writers or societies
Continue ReadingClear All
What Others Are ReadingRefresh
Never miss what's happening on Penana!
Login with Facebook
or Sign up/Login to leave a comment. 
Jade
I really respect writers who are willing to rewrite something instead of forcing themselves to keep a version they’re not happy with. Sometimes changing direction makes the whole story stronger. Have you ever completely rewritten a part of your story?
ekremefe
Thank you so much Jade. I completely agree with you. Actually yes, I recently rewrote the very first chapters of Bloody Crescent. I felt the initial version was too short and didn't fully capture the dark, psychological neo-noir atmosphere I was aiming for. It was a tough decision to start over, but adding more depth to the characters definitely made the story stronger. Thanks for reading and supporting.
Jade
@ekremefe,That sounds like it was a tough call, but honestly, it seems like it paid off. Giving the characters more depth probably helped that dark neo-noir atmosphere come through a lot better. I’d definitely be curious to see how the rewritten chapters feel compared to the original. What was the biggest change you made to the characters?
ekremefe
@Jade,The biggest change was completely shifting the killer's (Yekta's) motivation. Initially he was more of a traditional vigilante. I rewrote him as an invisible municipal park worker who is terrifyingly obsessed with aesthetic perfection. He views murder not as a crime, but as a harvest to freeze beauty forever. I also made the detective (Aylin) incredibly brilliant but blinded by her own arrogance. This dynamic turned the story from a standard crime thriller into a heavy psychological cat-and-mouse game and I like that :)
Jade
@ekremefe,That’s such a cool shift, honestly. Yekta’s new motivation makes him way more unsettling, especially the idea of seeing murder as a way to preserve beauty. And Aylin’s arrogance sounds like it adds a really interesting weakness to someone so brilliant. I can see why you like the psychological direction now :) Which character was more challenging for you to rewrite, Yekta or Aylin?
ekremefe
@Jade Definitely Yekta. Writing a traditional vigilante is somewhat easier because the reader naturally roots for their twisted sense of justice. Stripping away that moral compass and turning him into a pure, narcissistic predator who kills only for aesthetic perfection was a huge risk. I had to make sure he remained a compelling protagonist without relying on the 'he kills bad guys' trope. Diving into his twisted mind and making his 'harvests' feel like a terrifying art form rather than just senseless violence was definitely the biggest challenge! Aylin’s flaw -her arrogance- felt like a natural side effect of her brilliance but Yekta’s mind is a completely different, darker labyrinth.
Jade
@ekremefe,Yeah, I can see why Yekta was the harder one. Making a character this dark still feel interesting without giving him a “good reason” to kill is honestly a pretty bold move. Did Yekta always have this side to him, or did it develop as you rewrote him?
ekremefe
@Jade,Thank you! The core idea of a cold-blooded arrogant killer hiding in plain sight in a neon vest was always there. But stripping away his reasons and making it purely about freezing beauty in time was something that evolved during the outlining process I wanted the reader to be disturbed by how much they enjoy reading his POV.
Jade
@ekremefe,Honestly, I think that’s what makes Yekta so interesting. A character who doesn’t need a tragic excuse to be dark can feel way more unpredictable. I really like that you took that risk with him. Did you have his personality figured out from the start, or did he surprise you while writing?
×
Write down what you like about the story
and then Add to home screen.