Same story...different lengths..Now what?

CACTUSWENDY · Jun 22, 2008

Got a question for the gang.

We have done the 100 word flash stories and on one of them I have flushed it out to about 2000 words. It is the same story. Same names involved. Same punch line.

Now the problem is this. Let's say I sell the 100 flash story to someone. Do I tell them I also have the longer story? Can I sell the longer story if the short one is sold? Do I tell the long story buyers that I also have the short one? Do I tell them if the short one is sold?

What the heck do I do and stay out of trouble?

There are several of my short flashes that I plan on making longer. Anyone else run into this before? What do the rules say about this?

My personal opinion is that in reality they are not the same story. So I should not have to disclose or be afraid to sell both of them. Is this wishful thinking? (Besides the fact I may not sell either of them...lol)

Thanks for any input you might share.

maxmordon · Jun 23, 2008

Raymond Chandler did it all the time, he call it "Cannibalization"

During his lifetime, it was Chandler's personal desire that the stories not be reprinted. This was because he felt that the plots had become cannibalized — in the process of writing three of his novels, Chandler had borrowed, expanded, and extensively reworked plots, passages, and characters from these eight stories. The Big Sleep made use of "The Curtain", "Killer in the Rain", as well as small passages from "Mandarin's Jade". Farewell, My Lovely made use of "The Man Who Loved Dogs", "Try the Girl" and "Mandarin's Jade". The Lady in the Lake made use of the short story of the same name, "Bay City Blues" and "No Crime in the Mountains". The opening passage of "The Curtain" would also be revised and reused for the same function in his sixth novel, The Long Goodbye.

Same story...different lengths..Now what?

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

maxmordon

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