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Well chances are she didn't. She had a vision, and she went for it. Probably, the details revealed themselves as she worked on it. But what she DIDN'T do was say, "oh well it's been done, so it isn't worth my time."
Some people say there are only 7 plots, and every story we write fits into one of those slots. There are variations of course. I've heard 3, 9, and 13 as well. But the point is the same. Why do it if it's already been done?
Because it isn't the story. It's how it's told.
You can make it unique by taking a fresh perspective. Yes, EVEN dystopian and paranormal romance. Here are some tips, followed up by some CRAZY/SILLY ideas that just popped into my head - and by the way I am not advocating re-writing the books mentioned, just trying to get you to think out of the box:
- Change the perspective. What if HUNGER GAMES (one of my favorite books btw) were written from President Snow's POV? WHOA. Not YA, but...
- Tweak the circumstances. Suppose EVERYONE in Forks was a vampire or werewolf, and Bella had to proclaim her loyalty right away in order to stay alive. And ONLY THEN did she fall for someone in the opposite group. West Side Story meets Twilight. LOL!
- Find a New Kind of MC. What if the swashbuckling hero had OCD?
You have to ask yourself how your idea differentiates itself from other things out there, and go for it. Don't give up on something you really love because there are too many already "out there". Ask yourself how your story can bring something new to the table. Ask what it is there are really too many OF and change that aspect of the story.
Is market important? Yes. But it's not everything, and by the time you write and revise it, the market will have changed anyway. If you put your energy into something you love, it will show.
Is market important? Yes. But it's not everything, and by the time you write and revise it, the market will have changed anyway. If you put your energy into something you love, it will show.
This is so true--pretty much everything's been done, but that doesn't mean there aren't fresh stories to be told. It does mean authors have to stretch and twist to get there, and that voice, complexity, structure, and quality/rhythm of prose matters, etc. I love your ideas, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, writers should spend time figuring out what is publishing. But, it's more important to have a story that is written well and unique, no matter what the genre. Editors are supposedly looking for the next Ramona but somehow writing about a girl in elementary school seems overdone. So you're right it's about making it different and making the readers care.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Lisa. I think one of the most frustrating things as a writer is to come up with an idea that you believe to be fresh, get all excited about it, and then discover that it's already been done before. When this has happened to me (too frequently) I look at those that have come before and try to figure out what distinguishes mine and then write to that. It's all related to Voice because if Voice is based on your truth and your experience, no one else can duplicate it.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Lisa. As writers, we read other books that are in our writing genre, therefore we're learning everyday about what's already out there and been done before. I told myself when I began writing that I just needed to write what I know, feel, and experience - MY truth. That will make my voice unique and different from the rest. I personally believe that room for everyone on the bookshelf - although market is important. But like you said, by the time the MS is completed, the market will change again....then again.....then again.....
ReplyDeleteOne of my critique group members took the story of the birth of Jesus and wrote it from the inn keeper's wife POV. It is a great turn of POV for a very old story and made for a good read.
ReplyDeleteI'm still all for writing what we want, when we want. Then, as you point out, see where the marketing chips have fallen. At that point, the move to change, edit, re-write POV to see what might sell. Otherwise we'll be second guessing every new paragraph we produce, wondering if it will fit the market.
Guess it depends on your own reason for writing.
Excellent advice, Lisa! When I first heard the 7/9/13 plot thing, I was surprised. Amazing authors have twisted those plots to create their own unique stories!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Lisa! And I think what it really comes down to is why we write. If we write for the story, there is no cliche, because we haven't written it before. If we write for the market, it's almost impossible to avoid. I mean, really, two books are rarely the same, even with similar plots arcs and characters. Writing voice is huge. :)
ReplyDeletethis is so, so true and it's true not just in fiction writing, but practically any creative endeavor. it always seems like whatever you thought you wanted to do, someone else has already done it. this used to discourage me a lot - but now i've realized that the unique factor is YOU. yes, someone else may have told a similar story or whatever, but no one else is YOU. when you're true to yourself, then even if you start off doing something that's already been done, it ends up being unique and authentic. our souls, after all, are all "original". :)
ReplyDeletelike you said so succinctly, it's not the story, it's how you tell it.
If the character(s) are strong enough and readers engage with them strongly enough, you're three-quarters there no matter the plot, in my opinion. Then, if you use that age-old trick of great writers and let the action come from the characters' emotions (and let yourself veer off the beaten path in your imagination), your characters' quirks may lead you to an unusual plot development, starting with the inciting incident. And voila, (since the inciting incident sets the story line) you've got a plot that's not worn down by previous treadmarks!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the 7/3/9/13 plot thing (although I'm not surprised to hear of it). Do you have any good links to info about that?
ReplyDeleteHere's a poem I use when I teach writing classes:
Write about a radish
Too many people write about the moon.
The night is black
The stars are small and high
The clock unwinds its ever-ticking tune
Hills gleam dimly
Distant nighthawks cry.
A radish rises in the waiting sky.
by Karla Kuskin
Again, you strike me with your wisdom. LOL! Seriously, I love this post! You're right, it's all about our take on something, making it original. For me it doesn't come down to what plot to write, it comes down to the character's story. What plot line it falls under never enters my mind.
ReplyDeleteLoved your changed up POV ideas. I think a fresh take on a story can be as exciting as the original. If we'd left vampires at Dracula, we'd never have met Lestat, Angel, or Edward Cullen. Look at all the retold fairy tales. How many times did Shakespeare put a girl in boys clothes and spin it into different story?
ReplyDeleteThis is SO true! I don't know how many writer friends stop writing something when they see a "similar" book on the shelves.
ReplyDeleteIt's all in the TELLING. Everyone's imagination is unique.
When the hubby and I go to the movies, he's always saying that it's the same old plot, and I say it's not about the plot but the characters and how they handle it. Love how you give us examples of how to mix it up. Great post! :D
ReplyDeleteMore nodding in agreement here,
ReplyDeleteI also find if you tell people what you're writing, in the early stages, they can't help but respond with 'oh, that sounds just like book lmnop' etc.
No matter how short your description, people will match it to something. This is not a bad thing. Sure, 'it's been done', but it's all in the execution.
I heart this blog so much.
Great post Lisa! Out of the box is the only place to be for writers. Sure nearly everything has been done, long, long, before any of us drew breath, but the one thing that has never been done is what you, as a unique person, can do with anything.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post, but I must disagree with you and King Solomon in Ecclesiastes in that "there is nothing new under the sun". As people change and the rules and mores and needs and capabilities of societies change, literature changes with it to become relevant anew with each iteration. So, instead of repeating our stories, we're...rebooting them?
ReplyDeleteIt's so true that every story's been told before. Part of the fun of writing is finding new ways to tell them!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lisa! It's all about the way a tale is told and the characters for me. If you make me connect to the people, I'll read whatever story you want :-)
ReplyDeleteSome of the best stories are fresh twists on very familiar tropes. :)
ReplyDeleteThis left me with an image of Monk, pirate-style. I deem this pleasing.
ReplyDeleteAlso pleasing? This entry. Books don't just tell us a story, but also about the heart behind the story. If a story reflects a heart--and thus words--full of awesome, I'm in.
My God.
ReplyDeleteI just wrote a blog on my frustrations with the same thoughts about other stories being too similar to my WIP.
Great minds think alike. Or not-so-great ones, depending on your self-image.
*throws pencil across room* Then what the heck am I doing this for?!? JK. It seems the powers that be who keep pointing out there are only X number of plots in existence are trying to discourage the masses from writing. It's a secret plot, I'm sure of it. :)
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be a fun writing class to have all the students rewrite a scene from Twilight. You'd get 10 new stories. I'd have them go beyond first base for sure!
I love your Westside Story meets Twighlight idea, Lisa. Now, girl, get to work on it. I expect it on the bookshelves early 2013. :D
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Lisa
ReplyDeleteGreat advice :)
Short Poems
Oh, I like those spins off Twilight and the Hunger Games! I love asking what if questions to come up with new twists on old ideas.
ReplyDeleteLove it!! I've asked my students to write from the pov of other characters in the past - I'll have to try that again - and try that myself! :)
ReplyDeleteHere’s the truth: There is no original story. It’s all been done before. If you are a budding novelist hoping to be original, sorry – all original ideas have been taken.
ReplyDeleteHowever, nobody has told YOUR story yet. While it’s all been done before, nobody has told it like you. Nobody knows the characters the way you do. Nobody has seen your universe the way you do. My story is original because it is YOUR STORY
I loved the Hunger Games too. Many balked that the Hunger Games was a knock off of Lord of the Flies. And yet, look how successful the Hunger Games has become!
A very thought-provoking post. It makes me want to tweak aspects of my WIP even though I'm not writing paranormal or dystopian YA, just straightforward YA.
ReplyDeleteYou can also shift the perspective to make a story unique by changing the setting or creating a setting. One of the things that make stories like The Lord of The Rings, the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games so earth-shattering is they are. They shatter our myopic world view, inviting us inside a new world.