What I do for putting a story together is...lets say your doing the 3 little pigs. Ok, first off write down the main events that you know from memory.
1. 3 pigs 1 wolf
2. 3 pig houses 1 wolf
3. 1 wolf who is really hungry
4. wolf detroys pig 1 and 2 living quarters.
5. Pig 3 who has house insurance saves the day.

If you are tailoring the story to fit your ability, then have fun with it. Modernize it! Add real surroundings, things that can realte to present day living....revamp it.
Like I said, you need to have fun with it. Otherwise it is a chore.

--Maybe Gulliver goes to NY thinking the Superbowl champions "Giants" could use him.
--Maybe he heard of how big everything is in Texas?
--Maybe turn the story into a sad giant who is excepted by little people and he saves them from the terrible flood....

Hope this helps...if not give me what you got and I'll run with it for you.
See what I can come up with.

Jon - That's a great idea....table reading.  I shall definitely try that!!!

Sonny - WOW....You are wonderful!!!  That DOES sound fun to modernize the story.  I will play around with that idea for sure.  I might play around with the idea of it being a Hawaiian story as there is a big demand for that obviously here in Hawaii...HA HA HA.

THANKS A LOT GUYS!!!
Nikole 

Hey Nikole! ("Hey" is Georgian for "Aloha"...)

I tried to reply to your post while I was here at the library the other day, and after spending half an hour digging up links for you, etc., the system crashed and I lost everything - and then I had to go pick up my family so I didn't have time to start over.  :'(

You've already gotten some great responses, but I've got some time now to hit the high points of my original post.

First off, I was thinking that it would be cool if you brought the story home and had Gulliver encounter Menehunes instead of Lilliputians - though that would change things quite a bit, I guess. I just think that being able to draw on the richness of Hawaiian culture would add a new dimension to the story, and make it more popular with the hometown crowd, (and maybe interest local papers in giving you some publicity).

Second, I wondered if you knew about the animated versions of Gulliver's Travels that were made over the years. They might help you with ideas for adapting the story for a general audience. The Fleischer Brothers - creators of the old Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman cartoons - made an adaptation back in 1939 that is now in the public domain...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver's_Travels_(1939_film)

It's an hour and a quarter long, and can be can be downloaded legally from a number of different sites including archive.org and video.google.com - and frequently turns up on the dollar DVD racks at Wal-Mart.

There was an animated TV series from Hanna Barbera in the late Sixties and early Seventies called The Adventures of Gulliver, which focused on his relationship with the Lilliputians. I really enjoyed watching the series when I was a kid, but I'm not sure if there are DVDs or downloads of the show currently available...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Gulliver

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063863/


I don't know if you're planning on writing something very close to Swift's original work, or if your final script will be only a loose adaptation. One approach to material like this is to make it basically a series of gags strung together on a simple storyline - almost a parody of the original material, like those Fractured Fairytales they used to have on Bullwinkle.

Another would be to treat it more like a straight story, with problems and conflicts to be overcome, well-rounded characters who develop in complexity as the story progresses, etc. - possibly throwing in a "moral of the story" at the end. You could make it a mystery, or a love story. Maybe some kind of story where the Lilliputians' small size helps Gulliver resolve the story's conflicts, or because of his larger size Gulliver is able to help the Lilliputians overcome some great challenge.

"Real" stories are usually based on the resolution of problems and overcoming of obstacles, as well as the solving of mysteries. This often happens when people discover and/or develop inner strengths. It doesn't hurt if you are able to slip in some humor along the way.

OK... if I can remember more of my original post later I'll be sure to come back and tell you.

Good luck!

 

Ron G.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Menehune (as I was), check this out!
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Menehunes

Well.....THAT is an EXCELLENT idea Ron!!!  Especially since I have a sister company in the works called Menehune Marionettes....it will be all of my fine art marionettes.  I'm slowly building up stock for that.

I LOVE the idea of menehunes as lilliputians....PERFECT!  You have given me great insight to do this project now.  My brain is spinning.  I can't wait to get to work.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...or should I say MAHALO MAHALO MAHALO...HA HA HA.

Yes, I remember growing up with the animated film of Gulliver's Travels.  It has always been my favorite.  I even bought it on DVD last year.  Thank you for all the wonderful links that you have given me.  I'm so excited!!!

Much Mahalo,
Nikole 

Glad you liked the idea, Nikole. I've been fascinated with those guys ever since I first read about them in an old book I have about Hawaiian legends.

People compare them to leprechauns, and I keep thinking how funny it would be to have a story where somebody keeps bugging them for their crock of gold, and they say "That's not us, bro. You got the wrong little people."

Either that, or have one of them actually be an Irish leprechaun, hiding out and trying to pass as a menehune. Anyway... some goofy running gag like that...

 

Ron G.

PS
"Mucho mahalo" would make a great multicultural expression.

Hmmmm...fascinating bit'o Hawaiian legend.
Ron I like your twist on that...great idea!!

p.s. Isn't Pat Sajak a Menehune ?!? LOL

HA HA HA....YES...Pat IS a menehune!!!  HA HA HA

Once again, Ron, you have a FABULOUS idea.  I would love to incorporate BOTH of your ideas into my script...I'll be sure to give you creative credit! :D

I'm so excited about this project even though I know it is going to take awhile to even TRY to finish...hehe.

Mucho Mahalo!!!
Nikole