Crit Group Member Uses Siimilar Ideas

Procrastinista · May 22, 2011

Last year I wrote a horror story for MG. After reading my full, one of my crit group members then wrote a funny MG with many similarities. This is really eating me up inside. But I wanted to see if you think I'm overreacting.

Here are the similarities:

Both stories have a supernatural creature that lures a boy to the woods. (The creatures are different.)
In both stories, the supernatural creature will destroy the entire small town unless the boy stops him.
Both boys try to destroy the creature by taking away its power (rather than blowing it up or some such).
In both stories, the supernatural creature reads the boy's mind.
In both stories the boy tries to thwart the mind reading (but by different tactics).
In my story, the boy receives a bunch of text messages from the creature; in my crit-group member's story the creature communicates via computer only one time (and usually communicates by other means).
Both stories take place in October (a scary month).

There is also one more similarity, but it is very unique. I know, it's believed no idea is new, but this one is truly unique, and agents have confirmed it to be so. But after what's happened, I'm reluctant to say what it is.

I realize the similarities I've detailed are pretty generic. What troubles me is the amount of similarity. And that the person is in my very group. Also, the "borrowing" of my unique idea is really troubling to me. Overall, the stories are quite different. Mine feels like a scary mystery and his feels like a funny buddy story (but with scary elements).

I've discussed this with the other person, but he thinks he came up with all the ideas himself (even the unique idea) and doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

I'm considering leaving the group, which would really stink. I've been a member for 2.5 years, and it's a fabulous group. We've all really grown as writers.

What do you think? Am I overreacting?

Smish · May 22, 2011

I'm not sure if you're overreacting or not. Honestly, most of the items on your list are fairly common in MG and YA. So, it is certainly possible the ideas were his own (or that they were inspired by other books he's read, not necessarily yours).

That said, it sounds like you've lost trust in your critique partner, and I'm not sure that's an obstacle you can overcome. You simply have to be able to trust your crit partners. And if you don't, it's time to find a new group, in my opinion.

Maryn · May 22, 2011

I'm a grizzled veteran of a critique group in its nineteenth year, and I know how we might handle such a situation--as a group.

Both you and the other author have too much invested to be objective on whether he's stolen your concept or merely been inspired by your work to write his own version. I assume everyone in the group has read both manuscripts, which places them in the ideal position to determine if he's overstepped his bounds or if you're overreacting.

If your group has a leader, propose an item for the agenda of the next meeting, or simply bring it up when you next meet. Say you seek a civil group discussion on whether his work is too derivative, what to do about it if the consensus is that it is, and how such incidents and hard feelings might be prevented in the future.

I agree that the items on the list are fairly typical heroic-cycle elements--but if the item you are loath to reveal here is also quite similar, he may well have simply taken it. Your group will see that, and may well reprimand him and elicit a promise that he will not market his work without major revision and will never do it again, or they may eject him. If the group does neither, that's a wake-up call to leave it, because the group is not supporting its members.

It seems to me that the thing to do, in addition to discussing it with the group, is to focus on getting that story in its best possible shape and marketing it, hard, to ensure it reaches publication before his possibly could. Nothing succeeds like success.

Be aware, though, that nobody really owns an idea. Be aware, too, that many people have no qualms about using an idea which was not their own. If you cannot safely share your ideas with this writing group, you should not be a part of it. After the group discussion, if it is not settled to your satisfaction, you might well form a secondary group, inviting only those members who share your ethics, which meets at a different time. They would be free to be in both groups but would be expected not to share any details of writing in one group with members of the other.

Maryn, sorry this happened

Procrastinista · May 22, 2011

Maryn said:
I'm a grizzled veteran of a critique group in its nineteenth year, and I know how we might handle such a situation--as a group.

Both you and the other author have too much invested to be objective on whether he's stolen your concept or merely been inspired by your work to write his own version. I assume everyone in the group has read both manuscripts, which places them in the ideal position to determine if he's overstepped his bounds or if you're overreacting.

If your group has a leader, propose an item for the agenda of the next meeting, or simply bring it up when you next meet. Say you seek a civil group discussion on whether his work is too derivative, what to do about it if the consensus is that it is, and how such incidents and hard feelings might be prevented in the future.

I agree that the items on the list are fairly typical heroic-cycle elements--but if the item you are loath to reveal here is also quite similar, he may well have simply taken it. Your group will see that, and may well reprimand him and elicit a promise that he will not market his work without major revision and will never do it again, or they may eject him. If the group does neither, that's a wake-up call to leave it, because the group is not supporting its members.

It seems to me that the thing to do, in addition to discussing it with the group, is to focus on getting that story in its best possible shape and marketing it, hard, to ensure it reaches publication before his possibly could. Nothing succeeds like success.

Be aware, though, that nobody really owns an idea. Be aware, too, that many people have no qualms about using an idea which was not their own. If you cannot safely share your ideas with this writing group, you should not be a part of it. After the group discussion, if it is not settled to your satisfaction, you might well form a secondary group, inviting only those members who share your ethics, which meets at a different time. They would be free to be in both groups but would be expected not to share any details of writing in one group with members of the other.

Maryn, sorry this happened

This is fantastic advice. I've already contacted our group leader to see what she thinks. Thanks so much.

Crit Group Member Uses Siimilar Ideas

Procrastinista

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

Maryn

At Sea

Procrastinista