An odd problem has cropped up.

[MSTarot]

I have an awesome idea in mind for a Valentine's day story.

The problem is I'm not entirely sure it's mine.


I read on average about 100 novels a year. In addition to that I have read what has to be thousands of stories here on Lit in the decade and a half I've been here as a reader.

Contest stories or fun to read. Stories of friends, or requests to edit. Over and over, seeing the same themes turned and twisted in various ways. Old stories made new and fun again. Now there is nothing wrong with taking an idea and making it your own. That's what writing is after all.

But where is the idea no longer just an idea but a direct plagiaristic copy of another's story?


My idea:

A well established lesbian couple, getting ready to celebrate a romantic Valentine's day together, get the niece of one of them dumped on them for the weekend. Her mom is traveling to the Bahamas or something and can't take her daughter and doesn't trust her alone. (Mom has a new rich boy toy, footing the bill for the trip)

Neice is not aware that her aunt is a lesbian. Neice will be turning 18 on the 14th as well.

Her aunt's partner finds her simply scrumptious but understands it has to be hands-off while the girl is there. However, her aunt's other lesbian friends (who show up for the V-day party) shock the girl's sensibilities something fierce.

You can no doubt see where this story is heading.

The niece ends up with a million questions for her aunt. Maybe some after-the-party attempts at seduction by a younger woman, (her aunt's friend that is single) has her questioning her own feelings?

All in all just something fun to write.


The problem, I swear I've read this story in some way shape or form. I just can't remember where.


Does it sound familiar to anyone?

 

[jaF0]

But where is the idea no longer just an idea but a direct plagiaristic copy of another's story?

Writing your own words vs. copying those of another.

It's been said that there are only a small number of truly original stories and those are many, many years (maybe hundreds of years) old. Nearly everything written today is some form of variation. That's why some novels, movie and TV scripts tend to follow certain formulas.

That said, the others will probably disagree, as usual.

 

[KeithD]

Writing your own words vs. copying those of another.

It's been said that there are only a small number of truly original stories and those are many, many years (maybe hundreds of years) old. Nearly everything written today is some form of variation. That's why some novels, movie and TV scripts tend to follow certain formulas.

That said, the others will probably disagree, as usual.

I agree.

 

[SimonDoom]

I wouldn't sweat this. The idea you've described is general enough that if you write it yourself without reading something else while you are doing so you are at most going to borrow that author's ideas, over which the author has no exclusive, proprietary right. Just right the story. Put twists into the story that make it different from the story as you think you remember it. Make sure the place and character names are different from what you remember. You'll be fine.

 

[MagicaPractica]

I have to agree, the premise is general enough that how you write it would likely be totally different from any story that might have inspired.

 

[MSTarot]

Thanks, everyone. That was pretty much my thoughts, I was just a hint worried someone might going screaming that it was their story I had tried to copy.

Oh, well I'll write it, and if anyone gets fussy I'll just point them to this thread and blame all of you.



Thanks again.

MST

 

[DBom]

.....

 

[jaF0]

That's precisely why I don't post anything online until I get it published first.

Why is that? 'Published' doesn't mean fully, entirely, genuinely original.

 

[Hypoxia]

Mark Twain's 3-act story structure: 1) send them up a tree; 2) throw rocks at them; 3) see if they come down. There -- all stories plagiarize that plot, so improvise and smile.

 

[SimonDoom]

Thanks, everyone. That was pretty much my thoughts, I was just a hint worried someone might going screaming that it was their story I had tried to copy.

Oh, well I'll write it, and if anyone gets fussy I'll just point them to this thread and blame all of you.



Thanks again.

MST

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Author accepts that he/she/they is on his/her/their own.

Good luck.

 

[ElectricBlue]

STANDARD AUTHOR'S HANGOUT OPINION DISCLAIMER:

Opinions offered by Author's Hangout Contributors ("AHCs") are made without any warranty of any kind, including warranties of safety, accuracy, merchantability, decency, or fitness for a particular purpose. AHCs hereby disclaim liability or responsibility of any kind for reliance by authors on their opinions.

Author accepts sole and exclusive responsibility and risk for any liability or injury resulting from the reliance upon opinions of the AHCs.

Author hereby acknowledges and warrants that AHCs make no claim of authority, accuracy, knowledge, reasonabilty, or good faith. Author accepts and acknowledges that AHCs may be criminals, mental defectives, escaped patients from insane asylums, or people who've been locked up in basements for long periods of time by their parents while gaining unauthorized access to the Internet.

Author acknowledges that AHCs may be lying to Author, or trying to fool author, or maliciously trying to lead Author into behavior that will lead to Author's loss of reputation or financial ruin. Author acknowledges that AHCs may, and probably do, know nothing whatsoever about such matters as copyright infringement, plagiarism, defamation, or publication norms or standards of any kind whatsoever. Author acknowledges and agrees that he/she/they would be crazy to reply upon anything said here.

Author accepts that he/she/they is on his/her/their own.

Good luck.

"See," said Suzie proudly. "He IS a lawyer!"

 

[BelleCanzuto]

STANDARD AUTHOR'S HANGOUT OPINION DISCLAIMER:

Opinions offered by Author's Hangout Contributors ("AHCs") are made without any warranty of any kind, including warranties of safety, accuracy, merchantability, decency, or fitness for a particular purpose. AHCs hereby disclaim liability or responsibility of any kind for reliance by authors on their opinions.

Author accepts sole and exclusive responsibility and risk for any liability or injury resulting from the reliance upon opinions of the AHCs.

Author hereby acknowledges and warrants that AHCs make no claim of authority, accuracy, knowledge, reasonabilty, or good faith. Author accepts and acknowledges that AHCs may be criminals, mental defectives, escaped patients from insane asylums, or people who've been locked up in basements for long periods of time by their parents while gaining unauthorized access to the Internet.

Author acknowledges that AHCs may be lying to Author, or trying to fool author, or maliciously trying to lead Author into behavior that will lead to Author's loss of reputation or financial ruin. Author acknowledges that AHCs may, and probably do, know nothing whatsoever about such matters as copyright infringement, plagiarism, defamation, or publication norms or standards of any kind whatsoever. Author acknowledges and agrees that he/she/they would be crazy to reply upon anything said here.

Author accepts that he/she/they is on his/her/their own.

Good luck.

And EB was surprised you're a lawyer...
Me? I saw that post and thought, 'yep, figures'

 

[BrokenBarbie]

Avatar is Pocahontas with better guns any funny complexions.

It's all been done, just do it in your own way.

 

[ElectricBlue]

And EB was surprised you're a lawyer...
Me? I saw that post and thought, 'yep, figures'

Lol. As long as the bastard ain't a contracts lawyer! Penguin hunters is one thing, contracts lawyers are close to the anti-Christ, in my world .

 

[Bramblethorn]

Lol. As long as the bastard ain't a contracts lawyer! Penguin hunters is one thing, contracts lawyers are close to the anti-Christ, in my world .

IP lawyers.

*shudders at the memory*

Though as it happens, I'm writing a story about a magical contract lawyer right now.

 

[ElectricBlue]

IP lawyers.

*shudders at the memory*

Though as it happens, I'm writing a story about a magical contract lawyer right now.

Magical contract lawyer? - probably not the same thing at all.

IP lawyers are easy - you want my money for your shit? Give me a licence, sunshine, here's a buck. Money rules. IP is worthless if the owner doesn't want to sell it .

 

[BelleCanzuto]

IP lawyers.

*shudders at the memory*

Though as it happens, I'm writing a story about a magical contract lawyer right now.

You wrote "magical contract lawyer" and I immediately thought "is his name Beelzebub?"

IP = Intellectual property?

 

[ElectricBlue]

You wrote "magical contract lawyer" and I immediately thought "is his name Beelzebub?"

IP = Intellectual property?

Or Robert Johnson at the crossroads.

IP? Yes.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Or Robert Johnson at the crossroads.

IP? Yes.

Well, Robert Johnson made his pact with the Devil supposedly, so same difference, sort of.

 

[Jada59]

I gave up on writing music for the same reason. Snippets of words or a tune would stick in my mind. I'd write the song, put on the radio and hear a bit of a song that sounded like mine. Oops! Same for dance choreography. I'd choreograph something then see choreography that I'd never seen before and parts would be similar to mine. I was even accused on this site of writing a poem that copied the lyrics of a recent pop hit. I didn't see any sameness and I wrote that poem long before the song writer was even born.

Stories are different in that they are longer and contain more details. The novel I am now working on is inspired partly by The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe. There is no lion, witch or wardrobe in my novel though. And the setting is in a country that I made up. It has no name but it does have a King. *I* know what I used for inspiration and that would be specific parts of the story. But I have enough differences in there that a reader would likely not see that at all.

I think your story should be fine. We can't help but pick up details of things, even if only in our subconscious mind. Sometimes I just *know* things, but I couldn't tell you why. We all do.