When revisions snowball out of control

Snowcapped Swiss Alps from the most spectacular hike. Thanks for the recommendation, Jan! If you need a place to stay in the region, check out Boutique Hotel Glacier for awesome food, such amazing staff and the best hiking recommendations.

Once upon a time, Cinderella danced all night with Prince Charming at his Ball, until the clock struck midnight and she was forced to flee before her carriage turned into a pumpkin. While she was fleeing and the Prince was chasing her, she lost her super rare and pretty Fairy Godmother gifted shoe: a Glass Slipper. Having to choose between being caught as a girl who had a pumpkin carriage in a dress made by mice or leaving the gorgeous piece of footwear behind, Cinderella made the decision to run. Leaving the Prince to find her glass slipper. With the shoe as the only clue to the girl who had captured his heart, Prince Charming searched the kingdom, touching tons of feet, until he found the foot that belonged to the Glass Slipper. Then, they lived happily ever after. The End.

Awww what a cute story! You think when you're a kid that this is the perfect fairytale. A neat little happily ever after.

Until you're afflicted with Writer Brain. Which is when you go, "What if this happened instead?" Because, WHY NOT? It would be fun to cause chaos in a set story, it would be fun to rebuild it and start completely over, and tinker with everything for months and years to come?

It's FUN, right?

Obviously, the answer has to be a little bit of a yes. Not like a resounding scream or shout, probably more of a grumbled agreement that yes, this writing, tinkering thing is fun.

Which brings me back to Cinderella and her glass slipper to show how easy it would be to disrupt everything about the story by changing one small thing. Cinderella still loses her glass slipper, but instead of it being a shoe designed to fit only her foot, it can fit serveral other feet. Except, AHA, Cinderella still has the other glass slipper. The one she fled in! But...it's not where she left it. And Prince Charming is unable to decide which girl is lying without indisputable proof, such as the OTHER SHOE. Leaving Prince Charming to host a competition at the Castle between Cinderella and the other feet girls. After having a recreation of the glass slipper made so each girl has a pair, he tests them with dancing competitions and running stairs to try to find his mystery love. Only, Cinderella hurts her ankle. She dances poorly, clumsily even and then trips and falls down the stairs. Prince Charming sees to her medical care, but he also has made up his mind. That she can't possibly be his mystery love, and instead chooses one of the other girls. NOT happily ever after. The End.

After reading these two versions, you see how one small change can snowball your entire revision process. Even if your intentions were noble -- TO MAKE THE STORY BETTER -- you unknowingly changed the entire fabric of the story. By making the glass slipper fit more feet.

If these read like the ramblings over a writer who is a little to close to the subject...

I'm nearly done with an entire re-write of THE ETERNAL NIGHT SOIREE, where all I changed was one teensy detail to get my couples to spend more forced time together. What better way to do that then have a Ball where they'd all have to get engaged or find a way to break the compulsion controlling their every decision.

You know, I see it now. How this wasn't that small of a detail. And instead a very major plot point. Because there aren't really small details. They should all matter. Hence, the glass slipper.

What's the takeaway from this?

DO tinker with your stories to make them better. DO NOT worry if you have to re-write everything because of it.

DO have a plan. Don't just throw everything away without knowing this will make the character arc more meaningful and add to the central conflict.

What are your thoughts on small revisions in your writing process that end up changing everything?