It’s Difficult to Create a New Story
Since humans ventured out of the caves, we have imagined many fantastic stories, but this presented a problem; it is now difficult to create something new. One could argue that authors should have an easy time because we have more knowledge and better access to information. This certainly makes sense, but there is another side of the information coin.
Let’s pretend the year is 1970, and an author wrote a book set on the small island of Palau. What are the people like? It was difficult in the seventies to travel inexpensively to this remote location; thus, the author made assumptions. The seventies reader was in the same boat. If they wanted to learn more about the limited subject of Palau, they would have to own an encyclopedia or travel to a local library to research the topic. The seventies author can take advantage of this situation and invent any fact about Palau without consequence. Only a few people with direct knowledge would criticize the error-infested work. I bet even the people of Palau would not be aware of a new book unless the local paper contained an article.
Today, making up facts rapidly gets authors into trouble because readers are more knowledgeable, and information is easy to obtain. As a result, the tiny island of Palau is no longer an obscure topic. It stands out as an information powerhouse full of internet-savvy inhabitants. The local people would instantly become aware of any works that trash their wonderful community, resulting in widespread negative reviews. The inhabitants of Palau might even start a negative online campaign against the foolish author. Yikes!
To make matters worse, many topics are off-limits. Let’s write a story about a boy learning magic. Stop. That is a Harry Potter rip-off. How about a non-human character on a distant planet who learns magic? Nope. A magic school in the distant past? Nope. What if an author goes far out of my way to ensure the magic school has no similarities to any Harry Potter stories? Readers, critics, retailers, and juries would fail to see any difference, no matter how large. As a result, the entire subject of magic education is now the whole property of J. K. Rowling.
What if I want to be a rebel? Harvey Pots goes to magic school. I am such a great author that nobody will dare challenge me! This reckless choice would doom even the most famous author.
What if an author made a mistake? A few incorrect Palau facts and a mild Harry Potter look-alike plot? Critics, readers, and lawyers have no heart. It is a writer’s job to be aware of all existing works and ruthlessly check facts. But is there some wiggle room?
In my first book, I wrote a story near the popular topic in the book Misery by Steven King. His story is about an author forced by a crazy fan to alter his story. My book is about an author forced to interview an immortal woman and write her biography. I have never read Misery or watched the movie, but I know the basic plot. As such, I made great efforts to distance my plot from Misery. However, I expected and did get review comments like, “This story is similar to Misery.” Did I make a mistake? Perhaps, but there is only so much story space to write in.
The reality of creating a modern book is depressing. So many topics have been covered. I wish I had the freedom to make up facts, create a new Star Wars movie, or write about a boy learning magic. I also wish I could visit distant worlds to get new ideas. For now, I will have to use my imagination (with great care).
You’re the best -Bill
January 22, 2020 Updated November 16, 2024
Let’s pretend the year is 1970, and an author wrote a book set on the small island of Palau. What are the people like? It was difficult in the seventies to travel inexpensively to this remote location; thus, the author made assumptions. The seventies reader was in the same boat. If they wanted to learn more about the limited subject of Palau, they would have to own an encyclopedia or travel to a local library to research the topic. The seventies author can take advantage of this situation and invent any fact about Palau without consequence. Only a few people with direct knowledge would criticize the error-infested work. I bet even the people of Palau would not be aware of a new book unless the local paper contained an article.
Today, making up facts rapidly gets authors into trouble because readers are more knowledgeable, and information is easy to obtain. As a result, the tiny island of Palau is no longer an obscure topic. It stands out as an information powerhouse full of internet-savvy inhabitants. The local people would instantly become aware of any works that trash their wonderful community, resulting in widespread negative reviews. The inhabitants of Palau might even start a negative online campaign against the foolish author. Yikes!
To make matters worse, many topics are off-limits. Let’s write a story about a boy learning magic. Stop. That is a Harry Potter rip-off. How about a non-human character on a distant planet who learns magic? Nope. A magic school in the distant past? Nope. What if an author goes far out of my way to ensure the magic school has no similarities to any Harry Potter stories? Readers, critics, retailers, and juries would fail to see any difference, no matter how large. As a result, the entire subject of magic education is now the whole property of J. K. Rowling.
What if I want to be a rebel? Harvey Pots goes to magic school. I am such a great author that nobody will dare challenge me! This reckless choice would doom even the most famous author.
What if an author made a mistake? A few incorrect Palau facts and a mild Harry Potter look-alike plot? Critics, readers, and lawyers have no heart. It is a writer’s job to be aware of all existing works and ruthlessly check facts. But is there some wiggle room?
In my first book, I wrote a story near the popular topic in the book Misery by Steven King. His story is about an author forced by a crazy fan to alter his story. My book is about an author forced to interview an immortal woman and write her biography. I have never read Misery or watched the movie, but I know the basic plot. As such, I made great efforts to distance my plot from Misery. However, I expected and did get review comments like, “This story is similar to Misery.” Did I make a mistake? Perhaps, but there is only so much story space to write in.
The reality of creating a modern book is depressing. So many topics have been covered. I wish I had the freedom to make up facts, create a new Star Wars movie, or write about a boy learning magic. I also wish I could visit distant worlds to get new ideas. For now, I will have to use my imagination (with great care).
You’re the best -Bill
January 22, 2020 Updated November 16, 2024
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