Writing Tricks: Retellings
Where the allegory explains a larger religious, philosophical, moral, or ethical idea, a retelling takes a specific story or past event and places it in a different context. Ancient Bible stories recreated in the modern era, or stories from Christian heroes and saints reimagined in a speculative genre (like science fiction or fantasy). The ultimate, overarching goal of a retelling is to break down a story to the audience, removing foreign elements while — crucially for Christian storytelling — retaining the story’s original message.
If allegories are the fancy, architectural concepts drawn to develop the overall idea and general style of a building, retellings are the practical blueprints used by the engineers. Both typically convey the same message, but one tends to take a thousand-foot-view of the story and the other an up close and personal look. Oftentimes they can work in tandem (circle back to Narnia), or stand alone, although retellings often lend themselves to allegories, an allegory does not need a retelling to convey its message.
Retellings are quire common in both the Christian and secular storytelling spheres due to their accessibility, built-in audience, and perceived ease of writing. Due to their overabundance in the secular realm — how many different versions of Cinderella are currently gracing the shelves of the nearest bookstore? —retellings can have a bit of a reputation. The quality often varies wildly, with publishing companies snatching up ones based on stories that are currently en vogue as does the message the author is trying to convey. Some authors take the original story and stick to it, perhaps changing the format, genre, or certain plot elements. Others seem to keep only the barest similarities to the original story, changing everything from the characters to the core message.
The reason for this overabundance is roughly twofold. First, there is the fact that the original stories have an already established fanbase. Cinderella is a timeless classic that has existed for centuries and, with Disney’s classic animated movies, has a healthy, modern fanbase. Retellings of the story can cabbage onto that already built fanbase. Sometimes this is hit or miss, with many retellings accused of butchery, but the concept is solid and the sales are made. The second reason is the perceived ease of creating a retelling. Most of the story’s important elements — characters (including names, personalities, and roles), story message, and plot — are already established in the original story. A storyteller need merely pull these elements apart and remix them with their own twists, turns, and ideas to create a retelling. However, a good retelling is often had to come by, because it requires more than cutting-and-pasting a few surface level elements of the original story.
A good retelling — specifically and specially in the Christian sphere — is defined by its ability to carry the story’s primary message into a new context. The core message of what the original work was trying to convey, retold so that it makes cultural sense to a new audience. That is what makes a good retelling. There is no reason to retell a Bible story with a sleek, new sci-fi twist if the core purpose of that Bible story is lost. What is Esther without bravery in the face of impossible odds to save others? What is the story of King David without both the heights of victory in the Lord and the depths of failure in the flesh? What is the story of the Exodus without complete and total reliance on the Lord?
Each and every story in the Bible has a specific and pointed message it is conveying. Whether that message is the good news of Jesus Christ, the moral depravity of man, godly wisdom, how to handle suffering, or a person’s role in God’s will, it all has a God-glorifying message. Christian retellings of Biblical stories can be fantastic tools of expressing the Gospel and God’s good nature, but they need to be handled with with respect to the story’s core message first and foremost.
One quick note on an element that often goes hand-in-hand with retellings: Christian retellings also tend to be a primary target for storytelling legalism. There is often a philosophy of: if a story does not include XYZ surface level elements of the original Biblical story, then it is heretical. I offer, as usual, to follow your convictions, your conscious, and do not argue with what the Holy Spirit is telling you. We are all called to different sensitivities and (outside of Biblically defined sin) what is right for one person may not be right for another. However, the point of every Bible story is not its people, events, or props, but is to expound on the Goodness of God and express His nature. Whether a retelling of Jonah has the main character swallowed by a giant fish or a humongous, robotic chicken is immaterial to the message of the story.
Retellings, like allegories and symbolism, are among the most important tools in the Christian storyteller’s box. Learning how to master them, how to preserve the God-glorifying message, and adapt the story to suit a specific audience, is an invaluable skill to have regardless of medium, genre, format, or audience.
