History AdaptationExpansion / Literature

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', the continent of Fourecks first appears as a random series of one-liners in the early novels, about surfing, wizards' hats with corks suspended on strings round the brim, and a mysterious place on the edge of the world populated by oversized rats who hop on their back legs. Those glimpses of an "Australia"-like place later came together as a whole novel, ''Literature/TheLastContinent''. Similarly, in ''Literature/SmallGods'' there is a brief reference to a tropical island where people live idyllic lives - until one day a massive wave comes out of nowhere and drowns all except a handful of survivors. This by-the-way discussion of the things divine will may or may not choose to do later became a full novel in its own right - ''Literature/{{Nation}}''. A joke that came up in a couple of lines in ''Literature/ReaperMan'', about a ratcatcher who comes to Ankh-Morpork who turns out to have actually been in league with the rats, was later expanded into ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents''.

* ''Literature/MufarosBeautifulDaughters'' is based off of an Xhosa folktale, "The Story of Five Heads", which was was extremely short and was solely about two sisters' contrasting journeys. The book adds a little more detail by showing the relationship between the sisters ([[AdaptationNameChange renamed]] from Mpunzanyana and Mpunzikazi to Nyasha and Manyara) and [[spoiler:adding the ending reveal of the king's test.]]

* ''Literature/MaidenCrown'' is based on the medieval Danish ballad "Valdemar and Tove", about King Valdemar I and his mistress Tove, which is only a couple stanzas long. The novel adds more depth by fleshing out Queen Sophie and Tove's backstories and relationships with Valdemar, as well as adding the character of Stig as a second potential love interest to Sophie to complicate the ballad's LoveTriangle between Sophie, Valdemar, and Tove.