But that was MY idea!

MelodyO · Nov 1, 2007

Have you ever had an idea for your novel that you thought was particularly brilliant...then discovered that somebody else already had the idea and ran with it? Which made you feel both gratified and cheesed that it was obviously a good idea, at least for the other writer? Yeah, me too. In fact, it just happened to me, when I found out my "unique" plan to have a zombie as a regular character with a personality and history was already done by someone else. Sob! I was contemplating booting the character right out of my book -- until I read this quote online today. Looks like this happens to everyone, even Joss Whedon!

TVWeek: "Heroes" recently added a character who’s sort of like Echo, in that she can instantly learn any ability. Did that give you an "uh-oh" moment?

Whedon: I didn’t actually know that. I was fine until now. Thanks a lot. One of the first rules of a pilot, you will see everything you are doing somewhere else the year before you do it. I saw "Bionic Woman" and I was like, "Oh, I better change my thing." I like to think that means you’re smack dab in the middle of the zeitgeist. The real thing that’s important is what do you have to say about that person. And what I have to say is never what somebody else has to say. On "Buffy," all the hoariest old tropes—the evil twin, the Monkey’s Paw—what’s important is what you have to say about it.

Click to expand...

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/james-hibberd/2007/10/joss_whedon_returns_to_fox_wit.php

PS Yes, Joss is coming back to TV! \0/

CheshireCat · Nov 1, 2007

Happily hijacking thread ...

PS Yes, Joss is coming back to TV! \0/

Seriously? What's the project? And why don't I know about it??

:hooray:

ETA: Never mind -- I went to the TV/Movie board to get more info.

Zelenka · Nov 1, 2007

I spent months researching a historical novel on the real life Macbeth of Scotland, and just when I went to start writing it, Nigel Tranter released his book, exactly the same idea. I was not amused.

DeadlyAccurate · Nov 1, 2007

MelodyO said:
PS Yes, Joss is coming back to TV! \0/

You just kinda toss that bit of info out there at the end as an afterthought? Have you no shame?

heyjude · Nov 2, 2007

Greg Isles "stole" some of my more adventurous plot points in his recent novel. He also used my son's name, which is an unusual one. Should I sue?

MelodyO · Nov 2, 2007

heyjude said:
Greg Isles "stole" some of my more adventurous plot points in his recent novel. He also used my son's name, which is an unusual one. Should I sue?

Absolutely! Just ask Jo Rowling.

Tasmin21 · Nov 2, 2007

when I found out my "unique" plan to have a zombie as a regular character with a personality and history was already done by someone else

I actually had an idea for a zombie protagonist myself, once upon a time. (for me, it was going to be therapy. I find I have an irrational zombie phobia.

) What is the book that's already used it?

swvaughn · Nov 3, 2007

MelodyO said:
In fact, it just happened to me, when I found out my "unique" plan to have a zombie as a regular character with a personality and history was already done by someone else. Sob!

NOOOO! The zombie fiction market is MINE!

Drat. And at least one other person on this thread has a zombie idea too. Who is this writer, this pioneer of zombies?

MY zombie novels shall be amazingly different. So there.

MelodyO · Nov 3, 2007

Tasmin21 said:
I actually had an idea for a zombie protagonist myself, once upon a time. (for me, it was going to be therapy. I find I have an irrational zombie phobia. ) What is the book that's already used it?

swvaughn said:
NOOOO! The zombie fiction market is MINE!

Drat. And at least one other person on this thread has a zombie idea too. Who is this writer, this pioneer of zombies?

MY zombie novels shall be amazingly different. So there.

Pioneer of zombies. Heh. It's Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry. Great title, too, huh? ::despairs:: Well, let's go with Joss Whedon, resident genius, and say that if other people are writing about functional zombies, it's because it's a trend, and editors are going to want more, more, more!

Here's a link to the author's MySpace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=184187893

mcnorth · Nov 4, 2007

There's a great line in a song from The Rheostatics that says, "Someone keeps repeating what I've said, a hundred years before it's said."

Man, I can relate.

CandlestickJay · Nov 4, 2007

So how many times does it have to be repeated before it becomes stereotypical and an official faux pas?

Judg · Nov 4, 2007

Even worse is if it happens to you when writing your doctoral thesis, which is supposed to be entirely original. My husband had done a full year of research before he came across somebody else's thesis, which dealt with the same topic he wanted to, taking pretty much the same position. He could have done it if he argued that the other fellow had it all wrong, but he agreed with the main thrust. He had to scrap the whole thing and start over with something new.

Carrie R. · Nov 5, 2007

I love this thread for so many reasons...

First -- I just sold a zombie YA

(But my protag isn't a zombie);

Second -- Mark Henry and I share an agent (and his book sounds awesome!);

Third -- when I started my zombie book a year ago, I'd just started another YA about a girl going to school with the descendants of Greek gods. I was *so* sure it was an original and fun new idea. It was so hard to put it aside for what I thought was a totally unmarketable zombie book, but I did. A few months later I read about a woman who sold a YA about a girl going to school with the descendants of Greek gods. I was flabbergasted we'd shared this same idea -- so crazy!!

Anyway, I love zombies and def. think there should be more zombie books!

WendyNYC · Nov 5, 2007

Yep. A while back I was outlining a story about a male nanny....

qdsb · Nov 5, 2007

WendyNYC said:
Yep. A while back I was outlining a story about a male nanny....

Sigh. And now I have the theme song from "Who's the Boss" in my head.

Haven't gotten scooped on a story idea yet...but, in a blog, someone commented recently about wanting to see a novel about the East India Company's dealings in Asia. I had a momentary sense of panic...since my historical is only at fledgling stage and nowhere near completion...(My MC's husband works for the East India Company, and the whole family gets transferred to India.) Don't want to miss that wave, if one comes!

Madison · Nov 5, 2007

Worst thing ever! I had this brilliant plot line about that Christmas night during WWI when the two sides sang Christmas carols together - it was amazing. And then I saw MY EXACT BOOK with nearly THE EXACT TITLE in the bookstore. Crappo. That was the end of that.

Zelenka · Nov 7, 2007

K.J.Parker just did it to me - I bought 'Devices and Desires' today and part of chapter two is practically my opening to my WIP. Now I have to figure if I can still write it and make it different enough.... grrrr

callie · Nov 7, 2007

Stephen King former Sophomore English teacher in Maine.
Me, current Sophomore English teacher in Michigan.
He writes about his nightmare after a bad day in the classroom and titles it CARRIE.
I want to write about 30 years of nightmares i.e.correcting essays, short stories, poetry etc and title it HOW COME I CAN'T FIND A BEST SELLER AFTER LITERALLY READING A HUNDRED THOUSAND PAPERS?

Feathers · Nov 7, 2007

I hate it when that happens. I wrote an entire novel about a teenager named Clara who had a superpower, and her and her friends are saving the world form the evil guy in the lab. Two months later Heroes comes out. My dad was reading my novel at the time, and told my people would think I stole my protag (Clara) from the cheerleader Claire in Heroes...Gah! Its such an amazing show, too. Totally not fair.

-Feathers

MelodyO · Nov 7, 2007

Carrie R. said:
I love this thread for so many reasons...

First -- I just sold a zombie YA (But my protag isn't a zombie);

Yay! So maybe zombies are the new vampires. Grr! Argh!

Second -- Mark Henry and I share an agent (and his book sounds awesome!);

Needless to say, when my UF novel is done, I will be querying your agent!

Third -- when I started my zombie book a year ago, I'd just started another YA about a girl going to school with the descendants of Greek gods. I was *so* sure it was an original and fun new idea. It was so hard to put it aside for what I thought was a totally unmarketable zombie book, but I did. A few months later I read about a woman who sold a YA about a girl going to school with the descendants of Greek gods. I was flabbergasted we'd shared this same idea -- so crazy!!

It reminds me of when painfully similar movies come out at the same time, like two volcano eruption movies and so forth. You just can't predict these things!

Anyway, I love zombies and def. think there should be more zombie books!

::writes faster::

.

MelodyO · Nov 7, 2007

Feathers said:
I hate it when that happens. I wrote an entire novel about a teenager named Clara who had a superpower, and her and her friends are saving the world form the evil guy in the lab. Two months later Heroes comes out. My dad was reading my novel at the time, and told my people would think I stole my protag (Clara) from the cheerleader Claire in Heroes...Gah! Its such an amazing show, too. Totally not fair.

-Feathers

Don't give up! There's a endless need for hero (and especially superhero) stories because they strike such a deep chord in people. There will never be too many of these stories...although you might have to set that one aside for a bit until the TV show isn't so prominent. And change that girl's name, pronto!

badducky · Nov 7, 2007

Huh. Good thing I read a lot in my field to prevent this from happening.

Hasn't happened yet.

*wanders off to write a story about robots and zeppelins...*

Don Allen · Nov 7, 2007

Hey Mel,
It's that old saying that there really isn't anything new under ths sun, just re-packaged. I'm sure someone else can quote this better than I, but I remember being taught in school, ( log cabin and all) That there are only 6 or 7 orginal plot lines and everything else is just a copy. Screw it I say!!! Put your name on it and call it your own....

markhenry · Nov 9, 2007

Wha? Hunh? My Ears Were Burning.

MelodyO said:
Pioneer of zombies. Heh. It's Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry. Great title, too, huh? ::despairs:: Well, let's go with Joss Whedon, resident genius, and say that if other people are writing about functional zombies, it's because it's a trend, and editors are going to want more, more, more!

Here's a link to the author's MySpace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=184187893

Hey! That's me.

Don't you dare give up on the sentient zombie idea. The market could use a few more, anyway. Just met with my agent on Wednesday and we both agree 2008 is going to be dripping in zombie love. You can quote me on that.

Look how many people are writing about vampires, shapeshifters, etc.

By the way, the first sentient zombie stories I read were Douglas E. Winters' LESS THAN ZOMBIE and BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG ZOMBIE. Both were written and published in the early eighties, so the idea is definitely not a new one.

David Wellington had a sentient zombie villain in MONSTER ISLAND, which is the first of a trilogy and awesome! I haven't read the Terry Pratchett books but he's got thinking zombies, as well. Then there's Christopher Moore's STUPIDEST ANGEL, which has a hilarious crop of ghouls. Just when we thought we had an original idea, too.

Ah well. Lucky for us, people love zombies and it doesn't appear to be the end of that trend.

Cheers.

Stacia Kane · Nov 9, 2007

Sheesh, Mark, how much time do you spend Googling yourself? Go get some work done, you famewhore.

But that was MY idea!

Waiting for love on the web

Mostly purring. Mostly.

Going home!

Absolutely Fazed

Making my own sunshine

Waiting for love on the web

They will come from below...

adrift

Waiting for love on the web

Gigantopithecus canadensis

DISENCHANTED coming soon

Procrastinating, clearly

fiddle-dee-dee

Cynical Idealist

summertime...

Going home!

callie

emerging from the writing cave

Waiting for love on the web

Waiting for love on the web

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.

Seeking a Sanctuary of Intelligence

markhenry

Girl Detective