Unlocked Secrets: No Tolkien or C.S. Influence!!!

[Debitt]

I apologize if this has been brought up before, but I feel the need to point out that there are NO such things as original stories - whether you like it or not you're always going to end up drawing upon some other work or tale that's been done before. What makes a piece of literature TRULY "original" is in the characterization and story-telling. The boiled down plot line does not make the story original, because it's all been done. The author's skill in weaving in the characters, the plot twists, (and in this case) the world that the characters reside in together is what builds a great story.

I've discovered that when writing, putting blinders on and striving for pure originality can more hinder you than help you. Instead of thinking up an idea, then telling yourself "no, that's been done before" and discarding it, modify your idea slightly - try not to draw off of other stories entirely, but think about what made them bad or cliche and try to work your way around that. ^^; It's difficult explaining the thought process...

[uc pseudonym]

I apologize if this has been brought up before,

Then I accept your apology. That has been the subject of discussion for pretty much the entirety of this thread.

EDIT: Though I do encourage thread-reading, I should soften that. Your post did have one or two new things to say, and summeries don't hurt in any case.

[Debitt]

>_< Ack, I'm so sorry. I read through the thread, and for some reason I was under the impression that I had something to contribute. I'm sorry.

[Maledicte]

I should say that, even if you ARE influenced by something, it doesn't make the story EXACTLY LIKE another. For example, I've come up with a story about vampires, which I readily admit was influenced by my watching Hellsing. So you have vampires working for an agency, an insanely powerful vampire, etc. However, Hellsing does NOT have:
-Lilith
-Quarter vampires
-Alternatives to drinking blood
-Is set in America, not England
and so forth. However, that doesn't mean that some other story that I've never read or heard of doesn't have the same elements mine does.

Another thought: while two stories can look similar on the surface, does not mean they are exactly alike. Case in point: UC's The Fall and my own Angel Death. Both have angels fighting demons, interacting with humans, the angel of death, and demons taking on the forms of pagan gods. Despite these similarities, from what I've read of UC's story (character descriptions and what not), our stories bear little resemblance to each other at all. And while I assume he and I have both read Peretti's "Darkness" books and the comic series Archangels, our stories do not resemble those either.