tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post2962877890208874996..comments2024-03-27T05:15:13.440-04:00Comments on * Author Karen Amanda Hooper*: ORIGINALITY FATALITYkahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10789825860272178765noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-4410088173600401422009-10-04T22:32:21.164-04:002009-10-04T22:32:21.164-04:00Ugh. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I wrote most of ...Ugh. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I wrote most of my YA book before I started blogging big time and then suddenly I started seeing similar ideas pop up everywhere. AAAHH to say the least. Then I relaxed because life is too short. Good luck with deciding on your death and mayhem problem. :DB.J. Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10767654810069240472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-4959009055947045682009-09-20T21:45:32.024-04:002009-09-20T21:45:32.024-04:00How much is really original, anyway? So much depen...How much is really original, anyway? So much depends on the execution - if you can bring it off with your writing, it doesn't matter if it's been done!George LaCashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04892762201795566864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-55564073947526291292009-09-20T10:00:15.275-04:002009-09-20T10:00:15.275-04:00Yes it's all been done before...but it hasn...Yes it's all been done before...but it hasn't been done in the way YOU do it. That's what gives each of us our unique edge. That "voice" they talk about that's unique to only you.Stephanie Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10461865229341760836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-42148739212622478332009-09-19T17:43:32.519-04:002009-09-19T17:43:32.519-04:00The idea might have been used before and I don'...The idea might have been used before and I don't know anything about Agents but as a avid reader, the beginning might not be original but if the plot is great and interesting, I could care less.Yethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13865455013453526972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-62534806031497259702009-09-19T13:26:58.378-04:002009-09-19T13:26:58.378-04:00A few agents ask you to send your first five pages...A few agents ask you to send your first five pages with a query, but many don't. If your query letter conveys a fresh and original plot, you shouldn't have problems.<br /><br />I'm not an expert, just been reading many agent blogs so I'll be ready when my novel is finished.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00819223137850041043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-47482599460813043332009-09-18T20:43:25.886-04:002009-09-18T20:43:25.886-04:00I am the same way, always afraid of an idea that i...I am the same way, always afraid of an idea that is similar to mine, but like others have commented-it's how you put it, your own voice and your own take. Besides, sometimes it is the common ideas that draw us into a novel. We are all scared to death of dying or losing someone in a car accident. That will never change.Jessie Oliveroshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06232456334069794107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-83651314599264274462009-09-18T19:10:07.546-04:002009-09-18T19:10:07.546-04:00Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm rewriting ...Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm rewriting a new scene just to see if I like it better. I like having options, and I can't help but wonder what would happen if it all started differently.kahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10789825860272178765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-78463502195017455712009-09-18T14:12:22.270-04:002009-09-18T14:12:22.270-04:00I think you should just leave the story the way it...I think you should just leave the story the way it is. That is how you wrote it originally and if the only problem you have with it is that someone else has already done that, then I think it's fine. If you change it, you might end up changing your voice and I think in the end, voice is the deciding factor of whether or not a story is good.Natalie Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116611923169722657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-54650082672063985032009-09-18T00:16:03.586-04:002009-09-18T00:16:03.586-04:00I'll just echo everyone who already commented;...I'll just echo everyone who already commented; leave it like it is. It's wonderful the way you wrote it.Yamilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08769312615756253197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-42403542304600161512009-09-15T09:13:56.231-04:002009-09-15T09:13:56.231-04:00I say leave it or tweak it, it's not neccesari...I say leave it or tweak it, it's not neccesarily what you say, it's how you say it.<br /><br />give 5 artists a pallet with the same 5 colours, guarantee you'll get 5 completely different pieces ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-49838607092055040542009-09-14T23:12:59.278-04:002009-09-14T23:12:59.278-04:00Ooh! I know! Change your first line to "It wa...Ooh! I know! Change your first line to "It was a dark and stormy night." That's never been done before!<br /><br />Seriously, though, with all the millions of books in print and all the millions not in print, no matter what you write there's a really good chance it will be similar to other works. That's where your voice comes in. Who knows? Maybe car crashes will be the next vampire/teenage wizard. ;)Glass Dragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671548214638835932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-46948389145565588292009-09-14T22:34:40.266-04:002009-09-14T22:34:40.266-04:00Hmmm..good question. I am sure you will look insid...Hmmm..good question. I am sure you will look inside and findthe answer that is right for you. But it is a great question to ask. Me? I'd leave it. Cause yeah, you could change it to the ferris wheel and some agent out there hates ferris wheels and sends it to the trash... who knows?Tabitha Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196816108272065974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-67758916157281207932009-09-14T18:02:11.896-04:002009-09-14T18:02:11.896-04:00Great. Mixed opinions just like my mixed feelings....Great. Mixed opinions just like my mixed feelings. lol. Corey-great idea about Twitter. I'll ask at Kidlit Chat tomorrow night. :) Thanks for everyone's input though. I do apprecaite it!kahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10789825860272178765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-24993403632727418812009-09-14T16:23:32.275-04:002009-09-14T16:23:32.275-04:00I get paranoid about this too. Like Tricia, I tho...I get paranoid about this too. Like Tricia, I thought of Evermore when you said car crash kills the whole family. Evermore provided my own worry too because my novel has an aura reader like Ever. *sigh* I agree that there are no original ideas. However, if your scene can be tweaked easily, it may be worth a shot. You want to minimize any chance that an agent will jump directly to a comparison.Roni Lorenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02719679344024635326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-82775459974100915942009-09-14T15:57:44.421-04:002009-09-14T15:57:44.421-04:00Good questions. Wish I had the answers. I feel l...Good questions. Wish I had the answers. I feel like maybe you could throw it out on Twitter during some sort of kidlit chat and might get an agent or editor's response?Corey Schwartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03883689227283545602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-51491678699388954012009-09-14T15:11:28.103-04:002009-09-14T15:11:28.103-04:00You probably should leave it, although Alyson Noel...You probably should leave it, although Alyson Noel's best-selling Evermore starts that way so you may want to be sure it's not too close. Tweak it a bit if it is.<br />I had a surprise when I opened the first page of Fairest in the bookstore. I had never read it and it started 'I was born singing,' which was the opening of my WIP for a little while. Fortunately, I had already changed it. That would be too similiar, I'm sure.Tricia J. O'Brienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05993110400088806252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-2549977014655263572009-09-14T11:28:21.022-04:002009-09-14T11:28:21.022-04:00I agree with your friend. Leave it. Someone once...I agree with your friend. Leave it. Someone once told me that my book could never be the same as someone elses because I wrote it.Susan R. Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09578747592345750650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-6958657569167309192009-09-14T10:51:16.671-04:002009-09-14T10:51:16.671-04:00I had a friend tell me once that even if someone h...I had a friend tell me once that even if someone had the exact same idea as you it would be a different book, because we're all such different writers.<br /><br />If you love the opening then I would leave it until, like Natalie said, an agent or editor tells you otherwise.Pattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00685341739870191402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-11688256433793393212009-09-14T10:36:36.600-04:002009-09-14T10:36:36.600-04:00Your opening scene is fantastic just the way it is...Your opening scene is fantastic just the way it is. Unless you have an agent or editor tell you it needs to be different don't touch it! I agree that there aren't anymore original ideas out there (or at least not many)-- just original ways to put them together into stories.Nataliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00861022355718378425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302980868146183599.post-5044626058933449412009-09-14T10:22:20.038-04:002009-09-14T10:22:20.038-04:00I don't know when it stops either. I've de...I don't know when it stops either. I've def. got used devices in my plots, so I kind of think it has to do with characterization. If we can get readers to pull and care about our characters, then the story might seem new because it's about someone the reader "knows".Jessica Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12365768876905444157noreply@blogger.com