Except for Harry Porter books, I wasn't big on reading YA books until recently. I wanted to see what was selling out there outside Hogwarts and its heroes.
Anyway, I had this wonderful idea for a YA fantasy story with a teen hero, wrote three chapters, a detailed synopsis( a first for me) and then decided I wanted the hero to be a teen girl, not a boy. So I started to change a few things around.
Yesterday, my daughter calls me from the library and she goes, "Ma, I have some bad news."
My first thought was, oh no, another twenty dollars late charges on their cards? I start threatening her with freezing all their cards and canceling library day for the entire family.
She interrupts me with, "That's not it, Ma. Remember the story you're working on, the one with a teen who's a member of a secret society, people around him knows but he doesn't until blah blah happens and he founds out what his destiny is and..."
I grin, totally flattered that she remembered the three chapters she'd read at the beginning of the summer. "I'm working on the new version," I tell her. "I'll give you the first chapter to read in the next couple of days."
"Well, Ma, that's the problem...someone else has written it."
I'm thinking, hell no. Who stole my idea!!! She's not sure whether to borrow the book, my baby tells me (she's the sensitive one and knows I'm stressing over my writing, especially after this summer hiatus from writing) but I urge her to get it. I intended to scrutinize and dissect that book from cover to cover.
She brought it home yesterday and I spent three hours reading it. In the first chapter, I was grinding my teeth, thinking I either absorbed the guy's ideas via osmosis, or diffusion, or telepathically...I don't know. It was spooky. By chapter three, I was seeing major differences. Still....
Towards the end of the book, I reached the conclusion there were no more original ideas in fiction, just variations of the same ol' themes. Still, my ideas are mine dang it, a little similar to others, like this dude, but different. Besides, I noticed we have different writing styles, different voices, and different settings, different this and that.
This is what I've decided-I'm ditching the shared ideas in the first chapter....you know, just in case some editor or watchdogs cry plagiarism when my book gets published (yeah , I'm convinced it will be published) But I'm not abandoning it, no matter what.
Has anything like that ever happened to anyone???
The more I read YA books, the more I see recurring themes...kids finding out they have powers, be they witches, wizards, superheroes, or aliens. And as we romance writers know, there are recurring themes in our stories too...secret babies, old flames rekindled, ugly duckling gets the hero. Soo hey...no one owns the copyright to a theme, right? Or am I wrong. Let me know before I finish the writing the book.
Speaking of ugly ducklings...I'm reading a wonderful book by Dara Girard...the uglyduckling with three gorgeous sisters, who gets the hunk. I haven't enjoyed a contemporary romance in ages. I tend to go for romantic suspense, but Dara Girard got me hooked from page one with her book: The Gass Slipper Project.
Better head to bed.
Bella
5 comments:
That's a bummer about the book idea, but you're so right, there are no new fiction ideas out there. I guess that's why so many seasoned authors tell the newbies to write "the book of your heart" and not to worry about what's out there or what's selling at the moment.
Make the changes and go on with YOUR story.
Thanks Denise, I'm actually excited about it because my daughters really want to read a story I've written and my romance novels are too much for them now...maybe later.
Bella
I'm convinced there is nothing new under the sun. So the most we can do is put our spin on it, bring our flavor to it and make it our own that way... That said, I'm sure your story will be the best. :-)
Gwyneth
Nope. There isn't any orginal ideas, just original takes on ideas.
Did you ever read The Breakout Novel by Donald Maas? Take a look at what you've written, and tweak it a bit to make sure it has your spin on it.
Good luck!
That's pretty cool that your kids are excited about your work. Whats good is that they are so protective and supportive. Your voice is what will make your ms so special!
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