Avoiding the rip-off

Reservoir Angel · Nov 2, 2014

Okay so I haven't been around here in a long while now. Didn't have anything else, just got massively disheartened with the whole 'wanting to write' malarkey and abandoned my ambitions for a spell.

But lately the old urge of "write all the things" is coming back and becoming harder and harder to ignore. Maybe it's because I've started trying to make an effort to read more... that's probably it.

Anyhow.

I'm aware of what the general theme of any answers to this question will most likely be, but I need to ask this just to make it a bit clearer for myself and give myself permission, so to speak.

Put simply, how do you avoid potentially ripping off another important work in your own writing?

Because I've been on a sci-fi kick lately (blame Next Generation and the New Jedi Order books). I'd had a fantasy-based idea floating in the back of my mind for a while, slowly dragging in other disparate elements that can be found lurking around in those dark recesses but lately because of my sci-fi kick I've been compelled to science this thing up something fierce.

I know most of how it's going to translate from fantasy to sci-fi, that's not a problem.

The problem is the magic.

Yes, we're going that route. I need to have magic or some magic-like controlling and manipulatable force in my universe without making it, you know, the Force.

And basically, I am plum out of ideas of how to not seem (more to myself than to anyone else) like some kind of intellectually-bankrupt thief of good ideas.

Don't know what else to say on this one, but yeah. In need of general words of advice, or possibly a stiff smack upside the head if I'm being too stupid about this whole thing. Which is a very real possibility.

Jack McManus · Nov 2, 2014

I think the best way to avoid an inadvertent ripoff is to read as much as you can in the genre. As there is only a handful of original ideas to draw from, the key to success may lie in the handling. Put a new spin on an old idea. But be well versed in the old ideas; your agents, editors, and readers undoubtedly will.

Craig McNeil · Nov 2, 2014

All good writers steal ideas whether from other writers or from real life. I wouldn't get too hung up about it unless you find yourself writing about folks with psychic powers and laser swords called Luke and Vader ;-)

gettingby · Nov 2, 2014

Instead of stealing an idea, take that idea and say to yourself, "What if this didn't work?" What would your characters then do to fix the problem. This might help you come up with something more original.

neandermagnon · Nov 2, 2014

Give it another name. Rewrite the rules of how it works and how to control it - your rules that suit your story and characters. Also look at mythologies that have a similar concept of magic to "the Force", that might give you some ideas you can include or ways you can modify the basic idea to fit your story better. So what you're essentially doing is taking the general concept and modifying it to make it your own.

stephenf · Nov 2, 2014

Hi
Everything is in a state of development or decay. Writing is a processing of ideas and presenting them in a interesting, engaging and enjoyable way . So your problem is what ..exactly .

Wilde_at_heart · Nov 2, 2014

Reservoir Angel said:
....

The problem is the magic.

Yes, we're going that route. I need to have magic or some magic-like controlling and manipulatable force in my universe without making it, you know, the Force. As in Qi or Chi, Odic force, astral energy or Prana??

And basically, I am plum out of ideas of how to not seem (more to myself than to anyone else) like some kind of intellectually-bankrupt thief of good ideas.

Back in Uni my cultural studies prof knocked Star Wars for basically pillaging martial arts films... One could argue that The Force is more or less similar to 'energy work' and so on. There are various terms for ultimately the same thing.

CathleenT · Nov 2, 2014

Actually, when I read about Taoism, I thought Lucas lifted the Force from that. So you might want to go back and study the original.

rwm4768 · Nov 2, 2014

There are tons of different kinds of magic you can have. The Force is just one of them. You might want to take a look at some fantasy books so you can see the wide variety of magic out there. I find Brandon Sanderson does great magic systems.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 3, 2014

Just write it. It won't be as similar to other work as you think.

Fruitbat · Nov 3, 2014

I agree with the resident curmudgeon. There are many common stories and things within stories that are done over and over and over again. Also, especially if you are a newer writer, you should probably be putting your stuff up in Share Your Work and getting feedback anyway. So if several people point out a suspected inadvertent rip-off there, then consider changing it up a bit. Otherwise, well, if you've ever read an anthology where everyone starts with the same prompt, you see how different they are even then. No worries.

Reziac · Nov 3, 2014

Craig McNeil said:
All good writers steal ideas whether from other writers or from real life. I wouldn't get too hung up about it unless you find yourself writing about folks with psychic powers and laser swords called Luke and Vader ;-)

I changed the names.

Cyia · Nov 3, 2014

Does the word "Midichlorian" appear in your book.

If yes: It's a rip-off, and I kind of hate you because Midichlorians are stupid.

If no: keep going and periodically check to make sure you haven't typed that word by accident.

Reziac · Nov 3, 2014

Cyia said:
Does the word "Midichlorian" appear in your book.

If yes: It's a rip-off, and I kind of hate you because Midichlorians are stupid.

If no: keep going and periodically check to make sure you haven't typed that word by accident.

I would never type that <shudder> word, even by accident!

Thomas Vail · Nov 3, 2014

Nuts, I was beaten to the midicholorian joke.

To a certain extent, magic is magic. It's always going to share a certain amount of similarity to other examples. Give it your own twists to make it your own. So long as you're not running both trilogies and the CG cartoon in the background every time you write out scenes of magical powers, you'll probably be okay.

Chase · Nov 3, 2014

Craig McNeil said:
I wouldn't get too hung up about it unless you find yourself writing about folks with psychic powers and laser swords called Luke and Vader

Folks would be ripping off The Real McCoys, Cool Hand Luke, a Polish death metal band, and a WWE wrestler if they named their swords Luke and Vader.

Try Cain and Abel for swords. Very few readers today have read the book.

spikeman4444 · Nov 3, 2014

Instead of calling it 'the force' call it 'el force' so that only Spanish-speaking readers will really know you are ripping it off. You ask for free advice, you get what you pay for.

No, just establish some sort of rules that govern your version of the force and make it as unique to you as possible. Make it different in some way and more kickass some how and you'll be good. The force is incredibly inconsistent anyways. How come they don't use it for every day things like sipping coffee and getting dressed? Only for battle? Is that ever explained? You can do better.

Reziac · Nov 3, 2014

An easy way to vary psychic or magical forces is to mess with the limitations. In my universe, the biggest limitation (outside of individual ability) is that the practitioner cannot act (safely) upon himself, nor upon another practitioner, in any significant way.

And you can also mess with the "Hey Bubba, watch this!" factor: At my school-for-psychics, there's always some smartass who thinks he can get away with levitating himself, and becomes a flying torch. (Literally.)

Debbie V · Nov 3, 2014

Read deeply in your genre and widely, in other genres. This way you know what's been done, but you also bring new concepts to your brain. The real science around some of these topics, psychic phenomena and religion, can lead to variation in story. Also, reading outside of genre and age group exposes you to a broader range of styles, voices an ideas. The broader your reading, the broader your influences.

Reservoir Angel · Nov 3, 2014

This is why I'm always nervous making threads like this.

Because the answer is always so obvious but it just takes other people telling me what I already knew to ever make it actually stick for any length of time.

So thank you to everyone to dignified my idiocy with a response.

Reziac · Nov 3, 2014

Curiosity about or desire to learn How Things Work, including the Story Recycling business, is never idiotic.

M. D. Ireman · Nov 4, 2014

Virtually every magic "system" imaginable has been used already. Don't stress over borrowing from elements that you liked the most from other novels, just make sure you're using your own words to describe them.

Remember, too, that magic is really just part of a story's setting. You wouldn't worry about having your story set in the same sort of place as another would you? There probably wouldn't be a fantasy genre at all if we had to come up with completely unique settings, it would all be sci-fi!

Avoiding the rip-off

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