I’ve always liked the idea of the Beauty and the Beast story, but the depictions I’ve seen and read were always a bit different than what I wanted.
Modern versions of the Beast don’t actually make the Beast very ugly or unlikable. It is always more of a case he’s just misunderstood at this point. I wanted a story where we see a Beast we can really hate at the beginning. Ideally, the character grows in real time before the reader, because we can all sympathize with how hard it is to really conquer our demons.
It is odd Beauty’s name was first in the title of the original story, because she doesn’t do that much. Simply by being around the Beast he changes his ways, but she doesn’t. I like the idea of Beauty having her own story, her own goals. I don’t think that takes away from her compassion, but it does make her more active in the story.
Some other changes I’ve made for a unique read:
Maëlle had always been lucky in life, born into the world well provider for and attractive, she knew herself to be top of the proverbial heap. An untempered appetite and fearlessness bewitched her into thinking she could never come to harm. An unexplained curse added an element of chaos and terror unbeknownst to her ever before, and stripped away any shield she could have imagined.
Max found Maëlle Bellany quite by accident while driving without purpose across the country. A unique personality who finds purpose in restoring and protecting that which others throw away, she may be the one person willing to help a very ungrateful Maëlle.