On March 22, 2012, Inkling wrote, My book is the same genre as Lord of the Rings, and I’m having trouble being original. All books of the fantasy genre are takeoffs (not sure if this is the right word) of LOTR because Tolkien created the genre, and I’m afraid of my book being just another takeoff. The plot isn’t the same (far from it) and I’ve tried to add big differences, such as my Elves mainly being samurai-ish unlike most fantasy books where Elves are pretty peaceful, but I’m still afraid of not being original. I’d let my dad read it (his picture is under the definition of blunt), but most of the book is still in my head since I tend to plan my stuff out before I write. Can you help me???
I’m not sure I agree that Tolkien invented fantasy as a genre, although he certainly was a major figure and has influenced lots of writers. I just looked at a Wikipedia article, and here’s the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_fantasy, that discusses the roots of fantasy, which go back to antiquity. The article defines modern fantasy as taking place in an invented world beyond the ordinary or tucked into the ordinary. It credits Tolkien as the founder of the sub-genre of epic fantasy. Maybe, although I think there are Arthurian tales that are pretty epic.
Originality is at least as slippery a topic as the origins of fantasy. I wrote a post that also addresses the subject, which I suggest you visit. Just click on the label Originality. Then come back because I have a few more thoughts.
First off, there’s the question of outright infringement, that is, appropriating someone else’s creativity. We’re in danger of that if we copy word for word or if we put another author’s characters into our stories, not merely their names but also their essences. Fanfiction routinely uses other author’s characters, which I think is okay (I’m not a lawyer) when the writer is open about it and not profiting.
Even without infringing we can be unoriginal. If our story revolves around the rediscovery of a lost object of great power we may be in danger. LOTR isn’t the only example of this. Think of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark and even stories about the search for the Holy Grail, and there must be many more. Then suppose the forces of good and the forces of evil are both vying to get to it first. You can write the rest in your head. Many struggles, many battles, and good wins out but at great cost.
But we can take this framework and still be original. Our characters can be so unexpected that they surprise the reader at every turn. We can spoof the prototype and exaggerate everything until the reader is laughing so hard he’s gasping for air.
In your example, Inkling, why do your characters have to be elves? If you’re worried about originality, why not invent a new kind of creature with a samurai sort of culture? Maybe your creatures have long heads and short bodies and their limbs are extraordinarily flexible. In my Disney fairy books I came up with tiffens, who are smaller than people and whose ears are thin and floppy like elephant ears and who debate everything and accomplish little beyond banana farming.
In writing there are a zillion candidates for fretting, and worry about originality may just be one of them. Writing a quest, say, or a conflict between good and evil doesn’t mean you’re unoriginal. There must be thousands of novels that involve one or the other or both. Some are tired and predictable, but many many take a fresh approach. Both are archetypal plot structures that probably will never get used up.
But if you’re still worrying, go through your story or review your conception of it. In every spot where you’re unsure, list at least five other possible ways to go. See if one of them pleases you more than your first choice. But also keep in mind that your fears very likely are exaggerated. You’re you and not this other author. Your choices will be your own. Your uniqueness will infuse your tale.
Oddly enough, another place to go for originality is real life. I wrote in an early blog post that when I want to describe a new character, in particular a character character, like a character actor, not beautiful or handsome, I like to look at photographs or portrait paintings from the art books on my shelves. Seeing actual faces moves me beyond the standard elements like hair and eye color, complexion, smile, into shape of upper lip, length of jaw line, forehead furrows – elements I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Likewise, the real life attitudes and struggles of actual personalities involve so many variables and quirks that we can never run out of ideas. We can recast the efforts of a friend to get along with a sibling as a the challenge of a new initiate to establish herself in society of warrior butterfly hunters while hanging on to the actual idiosyncratic approach our friend takes.
Here are four prompts:
∙ Invent a new species of creature different from elves, ogres, giants, fairies, and the like. Imagine that their habitat, which may not be a forest (a forest is unoriginal), is threatened. Invent a character who is such a creature. What happens? Write it!
∙ Retell “Beauty and the Beast,” setting it in the future and making all the characters robots.
∙ Turn something difficult, a struggle in your life or in the life of someone you know into an epic. For example, from my life, finishing Beloved Elodie was tough. If I were going to dramatize it, I might cast my editor and my critique buddy as guardian angels battling along with me and I’d incorporate aspects of their personalities into the story. There could be a swamp, a mountain, certainly a desert. Maybe a mine would need to be explored or a tunnel dug.
∙ As an exercise, which may turn into something more, chart out the story of LOTR. At each plot point, imagine other directions the story might have gone. For example, what if Sam had chosen not to go with Frodo? Write what might have happened. Keep going. Suppose Sam had gone along, but Strider wasn’t at the inn in Bree? What then? And so on. If you get to a point that intrigues you, write a new beginning that plunged your characters into this fix, replace the cast with your own creations, and keep going. You’ve got a new, original story on your hands.
Have fun, and save what you write!
Amber Dawn says:
Originality was my very first struggle. So much so that it cramped me. I didn't write anything because I figured my ideas had already been taken. The easiest thing to start with was fan-fiction. I renamed characters from someone else's story and just wrote. Those characters turned out to be so completely different from what I'd started with. I laughed. When I read how other writers experienced characters taking over their writing, I completely understood. Now my current WIP is based off something I started with as a way of wondering what would have happened if something in LOTR had gone a different way. It combined with an idea from something else I'd worked on and now… It has nothing to do with that original thought pattern. All the characters changed drastically when I turned an insignificant character into my main one. Now the only thing that resembles my first thoughts are the names. lol. Some of those don't even match up! Your Writing Magic book was such a huge help in those days. I found it by accident on a library shelf. My sister and I loved it so much that we bought some for friends!
I love your prompt for Beauty and the Beast! I have an idea working up and occasionally bubbling over on a burner at the back of my mind. Your prompt was NOTHING like what I was thinking! Although I totally think it is worth a try… even if whatever story turns out looks back and laughs at it! 🙂
The hardest thing for me to write now are battle scenes! I'm hoping I can solve the problem when I work out my second draft. The only thing I can think to do is research and study scenes similar to how I see my battle turning out. Your post has helped, yet I still find it sticky work. If writing was easy it wouldn't be worth it. 🙂
gailcarsonlevine says:
Interesting! We all build on what's gone before, and you're really making it work for you.
gailcarsonlevine says:
From the website: Hi, Gail! I didn't have time to comment on your last post (school really is hectic!), but congrats on Beloved Elodie! Inkling, my advice to you would be to just write the book and qut worrying. When you read through it once you're done, that'll give you a better idea of whethe or not it's too much like LOTR. Even if it is, at least you'll have learned a lot about writing through it!
I have exciting news to broadcast now: I just finished a full length novel! Now I need to dive into the editing process – and, quite honestly, I'm not sure where to begin. Should I rewrite? Should I do line editing first? Help, please!
Onceuponatime
gailcarsonlevine says:
Thanks!
And congratulations back at you! There are three posts on revisions, which you may find helpful. I hope you aren't thinking of rewriting from scratch, which seems extreme. You can revise and rewrite as you go, more than line editing but less than a complete do-over.
me, myself, and I says:
Funny thing, I've already invented a new race in my 220k word book. They DO live in a forest, but, to make up for that, Elves now live in a wide expanse of tunnels under a mountain, like Dwarves. It's a totally original story as well. I'm not too happy with the beginning, though, and it would be good to get some positive criticism on that.
Lark says:
220k? You've been working for a long time! The most I've written is 30k for NaNo last year. o_O Guess I'm doomed for "short stories."
Do you have dwarves in your story who live in tunnels as well?
Agnes says:
Hi!
I don't know if this counts as publishing, but, a play that I wrote for a contest near me won! Two other plays won as well, (If your wondering the prize is to read it at a festival). Gail said to share "publishing triumphs" here so, I am!
gailcarsonlevine says:
Agnes–It counts! Reading it at a festival sounds like a big deal to me. Congratulations!
E.S. Ivy says:
Congratulations! Definitely a win.
Chicory says:
One thing I enjoy doing is taking ideas that I think are over-used and playing with them. I wrote a story once in a Gothic pattern, only instead of a governess coming to a creepy mansion, my heroine was kidnapped by evil elves and taken to a creepy island.
writeforfun says:
That's cool, Agnes! Actually, way back in early spring, I posted a comment asking if anyone had advice on writing plays, but no one did. Miraculously, though, I did manage to persevere and write one, and it is now in production as my church's Christmas play! Plays are kind of fun, aren't they? Once I forget how much work they are to put on, I think I'll write another;)
Carpelibris – I think last week you had asked if there were any little-used fairytales that we found interesting (or something like that). I don't know if you're still looking for suggestions, but here's one that'll really give you something to work on: Rumpelstiltsken. I can't even figure out how to spell it!
E.S. Ivy says:
Wow! That will be fun to see your words come to life. Are you directing or are you hands off now?
writeforfun says:
Actully, I'm directing the acting and my sister is in charge of the music. Lots of work, but tons of fun!
Lark says:
Sounds awesome, writeforfun! Congratulations! I believe writing scripts are equally as difficult as writing fiction novels, if not harder.
gailcarsonlevine says:
Yes, awesome. Congratulations!
writeforfun says:
Thanks!!!
carpelibris says:
Congratulations, Writeforfun! I did turn the project in, but Rumplestiltskin was in there (Well, more of a sequel, really), and I used Gail's Humpty-Dumpty suggestion too.
Now I'll bite my nails to the quick waiting to see if anything comes of it. 😉
writeforfun says:
Thanks! And good luck – I didn't realize that it was a contest (kudos for being brave enough to enter – I'm not)!
carpelibris says:
Thanks! It's not a contest, but there's no guarantee that the project will actually happen.
Besides, submitting stories always involves nail-biting. At least for me. 😉
writeforfun says:
I see – well, I still wish you luck:D
Lark says:
I have a quick question here for everyone… does anyone here do the One Year Adventure Novel? What exactly is the definition of an "adventure novel"? I'm only on the 3rd lesson, but already I've been told that in my novel, it HAS to be adventure, it HAS to be a main character within about 2 years of my age, and it HAS to be in first-person. Right now I feel really forced, and I'm hating it. Ironically, I've never written a "adventure novel" (although the dude in the DVD never actually defined it) and my WIP that I'm about to start has 3 POVS, a 17 year old girl's, a 30-ish year old man, and 3rd person omniscient. And it's a realistic fiction mystery. Does anyone have any thoughts on being forced to write something you don't want to? I don't want to spend the entire year writing something I don't want to when I could be using the time to write something that actually means something to me. Thanks!
gailcarsonlevine says:
Sounds a little prescriptive to me, BUT if you respect the writer who's teaching the program it may be worth going with it and taking a chance that you'll learn a lot along the way, which you'll be able to use in other projects that will be less limited. When I was starting out, and now as a person who's learning about writing poetry, I took classes and pretty much went with whatever was suggested. What didn't help was as much a discovery as what did.
Lark says:
Yes, the guy is really cool. His teaching is very straightforward, which I like, and there's neat little video clips that go along with what he's teaching. I guess I'm mainly curious about what the actual definition of "adventure novel". Maybe then I'll be able to find an old story idea and alter it to fit the class. I'm excited about it, although it is becoming a little bit constraining. But there's no limit to the number of my own fiction works I can write in my own time! 🙂
** Imagine Dream Inspire ** says:
I really love your book Fairest and it is the only onne I have read, but I am going to read more definitely! I would REALLY love a movie to that book because like I said, it's amazing! It teaches people that there is more to life than beauty.
Thanks!