[ SECRET POST #2541 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2541 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 040 secrets from Secret Submission Post #363.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

01. http://i.imgur.com/BQQzThG.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

Once you write it will become original.

[sarillia]

I never worry about originality in my writing. I just write whatever seems fun. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry about it. For every person who says "that's such a [whatever] rip-off" there will be others who disagree or who haven't heard of whatever it's supposed to be like or who agree that it's similar but are glad to find something else like it because they love it.

[nan]

My favorite piece of original fiction that I'll never write is the love child of FFXIV: A Realm Reborn and Harry Potter.

Which is to say I feel you OP.

[starphotographs]

Seconding what the first anon said!

I mean, I'm the first to admit that stuff I write is just a collision of different things that interest me, picked up from both fiction and non-fiction sources. It's not something I try to do, but I think it's something that happens when anyone writes anything, and the people who feel like you're borrowing too much from? Did the exact same thing, consciously or not. It's kind of how stories work. The components have been seen a million times before, but the way you approach them and put them together is all your own.

And I think that's how it should be. Fiction is one of the best ways to share the things that grab you with the world. It's like taking something cool, playing with it for a while, and then putting it back as something brand-new.

[blueonblue]

You might as well write it. If it's influenced by other books that have sold well, there's a good chance your writing project will have commercial potential as well.

[(Anonymous)]

"Allan Quatermain meets Lovecraft"

I WANT TO READ THIS.

GET ON IT, OP!

In which I once again advocate finding something to disagree with

[feotakahari]

It can be as simple as completing what the original left unfinished. ("This discusses how the situation would evolve in the short term, but what about the long term?") It can be as complex as a complete rejection of the original, with a new plotline in its place. ("This plot is nonsensical! Put the story elements together logically, and you instead get . . .) It can be a matter of reframing the story from a different angle ("It turned out that way with that kind of protagonist, but would it really be the same with this kind of protagonist?"), or of reconsidering the view from the same angle ("It only ended that way because the protagonist went out of character here. Keep him in character, and this happens instead.") Even if you're talking about the same things, if you have something new to say about them, you have something valuable to add to the discussion.

[(Anonymous)]

A lot of great stuff has ripped-off material at its bones while still being original. Look at, say, Hercule Poirot, who has several elements totally lifted from Sherlock Holmes, and Christie mixing those lifted elements with new elements made her develop the story in such a way that it was organic and no longer a Holmes ripoff when the story was completed.

Secret 1 - Original fiction writing

[transcriptanon]

[Picture is four images put together: The first one an illustration of the character Allan Quartermain, from the book "King Solomon's Mines" and various sequels and prequels. He is hunting with a rifle, looking warily around him. The second one is Harry Dresden, from the "The Dresden Files" urban fantasy series of books. The third is an image of the tentacled monster Cthulhu, from the H.P. Lovecraft books. The fourth is the cover of the board game "Twilight Imperium", showing the picture of a lion wearing a red cloak.]

I want to write original fiction, but every time I try to come up with a concept I end up breaking it down in my mind to its component pieces. Things like "My Take on the Dresden Files" or "Allen Quartermain meets Lovecraft" or "Dune but set in Twilight Imperium".

Then it feels too much like Alternate Universe or crossover fic, and I just cease to take the idea seriously. I mean, I know "nothing new under the sun" and so on. I could try writing it anyways and then filing off the serial numbers, I guess...

[(Anonymous)]

if the "filing off serial numbers" is by any chance a left over of tv tropes trawling:

...dude no wonder you are in this state

stop reading that site, it is no good for your writing soul

[dinogrrl]

Just write it and see what comes out. If it's a story that can stand on its own without knowing it's linked to a particular fandom, then it's an original story. If it needs the knowledge of what fandom it's based on to be a solid story, then it's fanfic of some sort.

Really the distinction between the two isn't so important, unless you're planning to professionally publish it, then yeah you'll probably want the former kind of story and not the latter. :p

[lynx]

At ease, OP. All literature is derivative. Just look at Shakespeare. The dude gleefuly mixed folklore from whenever he could, Greek myths, and even invented words (which then bled into the English language - because those were plays, and people deduced by context what they meant, and they were catchy).

Just write whatever you want and put love into your craft.

[cloud_riven]

Augh, I get you. Every time. Every time I lay out story plans, I always end up reeling back because I think I might have ripped something off.

[(Anonymous)]

Echoing what others have said, but:

Stop thinking "my take on X". Start thinking "X but better." X, except if it took into account Y instead of just ignoring it. X, but with some of the stylistic elements from Z. If it's Allan Quatermain plus Lovecraft, don't think you're just imitating Allan Quatermain except there's things that are squamous and rugose (although you could do that and it would probably sell pretty well) - think about what it would mean for Allan Quatermain to live in a Lovecraftian world, about the ways that those two things link up, about the deeper logic behind them. Then it's not just an AU where Quatermain punches out Cthulhu (again, I would read this), it's an original talk on the legacies of both.

[writerserenyty]

Try writing it! There are a lot of stories that have similar concepts but just different/fresh takes on something. As you write you'll make it your own, tweak things to make it work.

[(Anonymous)]

Hopping on the encouragement train, OP. I say go for it. Last year pretty much to the month, I started working on an original story idea and in my first notes document was a huge list of influences including everything from Star Wars X-Wing Novels, Sons of Anarchy, Ultraviolet, to Tolkien (what can I say, I love dwarves). And then I went and delved into the sources of what I wanted to write, I had to learn about the very basic premise of what I was doing. What I've ended up with? Hopefully nothing like any of what I'm referencing.

My understanding has always been, if you're ripping off one person, it's plagiarism. If you're ripping off many.... it's research.

Write on! Write on! (Pun only somewhat intended.)

[caecilia]

yo just write it

if you just sit around waiting for THE BEST IDEA to strike you're never gonna get anything done (trust me, I did this for 4 miserable and depressing years and now I'm trying to make up for lost time)

nobody is looking over your shoulder while you're writing

and trust me every author out there was inspired by something else, Shakespeare ripped off stories constantly, most literature technically qualifies as fanfic and there are lots of current stories that are pretty much fanfic of public domain works (Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, Wicked, etc) and you can always change stuff

good luck!

[(Anonymous)]

Seriously, like everyone else says: Don't worry about it. There are only something like four main plots anyway, and everything's been done. I mean, I want to be an unholy amalgam of Jim Butcher and Rob Thurman and Carrie Vaughn when I grow up (I am older than both of them). My current character obsession could best be described as what would happen if Harry Dresden and Kitty Norville somehow had a baby and he decided to follow in Dad's footsteps.

...and the character himself was inspired by RDJ's character in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"--although at the end of the day he is nothing like Harry Lockhart.

Write what you love, because everything is derivative of something else.

[(Anonymous)]

Props for Twilight Imperium reference; it's an awesome game. Other than that, I don't have much to add to what everyone else has said. Good luck with your writing, OP!

[(Anonymous)]

This is all people in Hollywood do.

Star Trek was "Wagon Train in space."

[rbhudson]

I do that too :(

[(Anonymous)]

Instead of starting out with something else as your inspiration, think of a story that you feel needs to be told because it has meaning and because it's not out there yet. (well that you know of)

[(Anonymous)]

let's take a look at that Harry Dresden.

Many people have said versions of "The Dresden files are Buffy the Vampire Slayer staring Philip Marlow".

Obviously they're talking about the series BtVS, but that itself came from the original movie, which I would personally say is "Salim's Lot staring Barbie".

Then we look at Salims Lot, and realize that it is various clippings from "Dracula" combined with Lovecrafts work. Then we follow the Lovecraft theme and try to track it through the rest of Steven Kings work and get totally lost.

TL;DR It's the DNA of stories you're talking about. All stories, when broken down, can be clearly seen as the products of their parents, Your stories parents are Lovecraft and Quartermain? That's fine, it's the way writing works. You might want to make sure Steven King hasn't already done that combination yet, though.

A thought semi related to above ramblings: Are tropes are nothing more than family resemblances?

[(Anonymous)]

I have relatives who are screenwriters, producers and etc in Hollywood and let me assure you in that world you're not only encouraged but you NEED to be able to articulate things in this quick, easy manner. people who front movies don't want to hear long unending summaries of original stories, they want exactly what you're describing here "like X-Files meets spaghetti western," "like Star Wars meets Titanic." they honestly will not listen to anything more complex, if you need to get your foot in the door you learn to explain your ideas in ways that people will get instantly with convenient shorthand, then go from there.

of course books are a different animal, but let me assure you this kind of thinking will not make or break you creatively. so long as you know it's merely a simple way of explaining it and not a guidebook to your canon, it will not hurt you.