I can tell you that everybody's the sum of everything they've read, heard about, experienced, and studied up to the point of their writing.
Of course. We're merely redirecting our own experiences and perceptions into our work. You can get really existential about it.
I have intentionally, from time to time played with an image or phrase from another work, reworked, not copied verbatim, but recognizable, often in a humorous context, usually as tribute to the writer (I'm not trying to hide it even; it's meant to be clear, like in "Of Pink and Black," but that's within the bounds of acceptable usage.
Well, and satire/parody is an accepted form of free speech, at least in the US. Where does coincidence and happenstance end, and subconscious plagiarism begin? Maybe that's my main question.
I can name who are the strongest of my influences on how I came to the conclusions on how I characterize each character. But I have a very strong sense of who I am writing, and what I intend to do with the characters. That helps me be true to myself.
Oh, definitely. I think we've all had very interesting canon vs fanon conversations about all the characters in IY. I also think I surround myself with fairly astute writers, so maybe this was the wrong group to ask, LOL.
There ARE stories out there I'd like to rewrite, because the idea was cool, but not well executed, or there's something in it that bugs me to death, or I just love it enough to wish I had written it first, but I have resisted. I'd have to figure out a way to separate the basic idea from the execution, and figure out a way to do it every bit as unique and mine as the one that inspired me and is not mine, and if I can't, I sure wouldn't even start.
That's very interesting. Mostly I find myself in the last category, reading something so amazing I wish I'd thought of it first. There are plenty of just...jaw-droppingly good fics out there that I am desperately jealous of the original authors, and maybe that's the motivation behind some of my own work. I don't think I could ever actually reuse one of their ideas, though. It'd feel like cheating.
I wonder if this sort of subconscious plagiarism is more of a problem when it comes to specific things - like writing battle scenes, or sex scenes, or something with a fairly fixed sequence of events.
*ponders*
I don't read much fanfic any more. Read most of the big fics and the medium fics in the areas I'm interested, and am only following a tiny handful of currently being written fics right now.
I'm rather with you on this - I tend to read stories I'm interested in/work of my immediate circle of friends, and then it drops off, regardless of how popular a story is or how intriguing the premise may be. In some ways, I feel bad, because without those intrepid readers and reviewers, I never would've gotten my start in fandom...and I want to giver back and support as I was supported...but I just find I don't have the time (or the inclination, given how very large and varied our fandom is o.O).
no subject
Of course. We're merely redirecting our own experiences and perceptions into our work. You can get really existential about it.
I have intentionally, from time to time played with an image or phrase from another work, reworked, not copied verbatim, but recognizable, often in a humorous context, usually as tribute to the writer (I'm not trying to hide it even; it's meant to be clear, like in "Of Pink and Black," but that's within the bounds of acceptable usage.
Well, and satire/parody is an accepted form of free speech, at least in the US. Where does coincidence and happenstance end, and subconscious plagiarism begin? Maybe that's my main question.
I can name who are the strongest of my influences on how I came to the conclusions on how I characterize each character. But I have a very strong sense of who I am writing, and what I intend to do with the characters. That helps me be true to myself.
Oh, definitely. I think we've all had very interesting canon vs fanon conversations about all the characters in IY. I also think I surround myself with fairly astute writers, so maybe this was the wrong group to ask, LOL.
There ARE stories out there I'd like to rewrite, because the idea was cool, but not well executed, or there's something in it that bugs me to death, or I just love it enough to wish I had written it first, but I have resisted. I'd have to figure out a way to separate the basic idea from the execution, and figure out a way to do it every bit as unique and mine as the one that inspired me and is not mine, and if I can't, I sure wouldn't even start.
That's very interesting. Mostly I find myself in the last category, reading something so amazing I wish I'd thought of it first. There are plenty of just...jaw-droppingly good fics out there that I am desperately jealous of the original authors, and maybe that's the motivation behind some of my own work. I don't think I could ever actually reuse one of their ideas, though. It'd feel like cheating.
I wonder if this sort of subconscious plagiarism is more of a problem when it comes to specific things - like writing battle scenes, or sex scenes, or something with a fairly fixed sequence of events.
*ponders*
I don't read much fanfic any more. Read most of the big fics and the medium fics in the areas I'm interested, and am only following a tiny handful of currently being written fics right now.
I'm rather with you on this - I tend to read stories I'm interested in/work of my immediate circle of friends, and then it drops off, regardless of how popular a story is or how intriguing the premise may be. In some ways, I feel bad, because without those intrepid readers and reviewers, I never would've gotten my start in fandom...and I want to giver back and support as I was supported...but I just find I don't have the time (or the inclination, given how very large and varied our fandom is o.O).