I have a great idea for a new book. It's a heartwarming tale about my yellow lab, Hunter. Hunter is a wonderfully sweet boy who has done some pretty funny things including the moment captured in this picture. Since the sofa was already occupied by another four-legged creature, up he climbed on my coffee table to have an afternoon siesta. The water bottle behind him is supposed to be the deterrent, but once again, it was completely ignored. The story will be warm and funny. You'll laugh, you'll cry. But wait...wasn't there a bestseller not too long ago...
As writers, it is often difficult to steer clear of existing storylines and plots. When a manuscript is submitted, we're asked to make comparisons to other works, yet express why ours is fresh and unique. When a book hits the bestseller list, agents and publishers are inundated with copycat manuscripts.
I'll be the first one to admit that I have read books that have launched other story ideas. Anyone else out there care to admit that? It's a fine line we walk when one book shuttles another, but sometimes it happens. Has anyone else ever read a book that sent you to the keyboard or notebook because you just had to get your idea down?
I still think Hunter & Me would be a great story but for now, I guess I'll just table it.
9 comments:
I loved the photo and saved it to my hard drive. My chocolate Lab, Frodo, sleeps pretty much where he pleases. His favorite spot is the La-Z-Boy and the damned dog is so La-Z that he often doesn't even get up when we get home, just thumps his tail and turns head as if to say, "Oh, you're back. I'd get up and greet you like a proper dog, but I'm so comfy here I don't think I'll bother."
Actually, I have the "I wish I'd written this" thing going all the time. From time to time it can be a real inspiration. The rest of the time it's a distraction. Like: Oh, that book was so successful, why don't you write one sort of like it...
Oh, I love the photo! Reminds me of my old yellow lab, Buddy. He wasn't allowed on the couch, so he'd hike one hip up on it, and then lean waa-ay back . . .
Someone wisely said that there are no new story ideas, just fresh takes on old ones. There's the rub.
Maybe if I spray my keyboard with Febreeze, or . . . ?
I recently got a great idea from our very own Jess Lourey and her "May Day." There is a rather provocative scene in the book (which I've discussed with Jess)and when I read it thought: what a great place for a murder, wish I'd thought of that. Now Jess did NOT use the location for a murder, just as part of the story, so game's on!
And I love the photo, especially with the "deterrent" in the background! My cats love to sleep in my linen closet. They're NOT SUPPOSED to sleep there, but you try telling them that, especially when they have figured out how to open the latched doors. I finally gave up, moved the clean towels and sheets to a higher shelf and made them a "bed" of old towels. What's a Mom to do?
Love the photo! My cat likes to curl up on top of me, or in the linen closet like yours, Sue Ann. My first published short story rose from a scene in ALL THE KINGS MEN (the novel not the movie). It helped me visualize a car speeding along a lane rimmed with cherry trees. That was the beginning of the story.
I'll confess I've pinched through osmosis (not consciously doing it, but catching myself by re-reading a novel) some sentence stucture and word choice - but never an idea. But as Candy said (or as Bono of U2 said) all poets are thieves. If I analyzed my stories, I bet I could find a host of similarites in story line to books I've read...but I'll let that "sleeping dog lie."
"Maybe if I spray my keyboard with Febreeze, or . . . ?" Candy, I laughed out loud on that one.
There's been many instances that I got an idea while reading another writer's work. It's never been a situation where I used their idea, it just turned on a switch in my head and I solved a problem with it. If I showed anyone the original prose that sparked my idea and what I did with it, there would be no similarity or obvious relationship between the two. There's a huge difference between being inspired by another's work and plagiarism.
Ideas come to us constantly from all directions. Whether it's from a novel or newspaper or TV show, they stream in like cell phone signals through the air. To me, it's important to be ready to receive them, then transpose the inspiration into a workable solution for our own stories.
In one of his books on writing Lawrence Block called this "creative plagiarism."
I didn't know that a pet was a prerequisite for Inkspot. I feel as out of place as a bacon cheeseburger in a kosher deli.
Mark 1: They are La-Z-Labs until a morsel of food comes their way.
Mark 2: "Let sleeping dogs lie..." Good one!
Candy: Your Buddy sounded very clever like my old yellow, Sunny. I miss her still.
Sue Ann: Loved your "Cat in the Closet" story. They do rule the roost.
Keith: I don't think pets are a requisite, but they do afford many light moments. On the other hand, I'd probably be far more productive writing if I wasn't always taking dogs out and bringing them back in.
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