Welcome to Road Trip Wednesday! Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question. This Week’s Topic:
What SNI were you psyched to work on, but discovered it was too close to something already done?
A few years ago, I wrote a short story titled Regeneration. It earned some recognition in a contest, and I had always planned to revisit my feisty main character one day. I wasn’t ever sure if it was more dystopian or just speculative; in the world of the story, the government mandated all citizens to take “supplements,” which were meant to keep them healthy. The story unfolds when Tabitha loses her supply, and discovers the world without supplement-filtered lenses.
Flash-forward to fall 2011. I finally picked up Ally Condie’s Matched, which had been released the year before. First of all, I absolutely loved Matched. The world Condie created still exists in my mind today, all the scarier because it feels so possible. Cassia is both relatable and consistent in the confines of her dilemma. But two thoughts came to me when I put it down:
1. Wow, that was an amazing book.
2. Thank goodness I didn’t spend a year of my life turning Regeneration into a novel.
Of course my story was different from Matched, but it wasn’t different enough to be successful in the wake of such a blockbuster series. I think writers should tell the stories in their hearts, however similar they may be to others, and I’m glad I got to spend a little time with my Tabitha. But novels require blood, sweat, tears, and time. I haven’t done it myself, but should a writer Google his or her super-cool new ideas, or search them on Goodreads, before putting fingers to keyboard?
Music for today, in honor of Matched: Resistance by Muse
Oh well glad you did get to enjoy your short story. I still haven't read Matched just yet. I have it just waiting to finish a long list of other stories first. Yeah I think googling your idea might be helpful but I still think that if you have your own idea and it's told in a different way and doesn't seem like a retelling but names changed of another story then you're good.
I don't know if your idea is *that* much like Matched. Meds that aren't for what you think they are show up in plenty of dystopias, but I don't think they've ever been the main/original thing the MC rebelled against (e.g. for Matched it's the arranged pairing, for Across the Universe it's people being unplugged). I do agree that you really have to make sure each and every book idea brings something new to the table, though.
I guess I just felt like already knowing that a story out there was so similar made it not worth the effort. Matched is really good- I think you'll enjoy it, but if you haven't started, you might want to wait for the last one to come out.
I think the pairing is just the hook in Matched, a means to tell the bigger story. I guess because I read Matched before expanding on my story, it just doesn't feel fresh anymore. Maybe some day it will again 🙂
Oh, that's too bad. I worry about this happening all the time. My sister had to permanently shelf a WiP that she'd been working on for a decade that ended up being far too similar in ways to a recently published, extremely popular book (not Twilight). It's heart-breaking thinking about all the time put into it and that it will never see the light of day. You're right thinking that you saved yourself some time and disappointment.
A decade! That is heartbreaking. My biggest fear is finding out that something already exists that's too similar to my current manuscript. (That's why I haven't Googled.)
Oh yes I might have to wait. I have a ton of books between now and then anyways.
"I think writers should tell the stories in their hearts, however similar they may be to others, and I'm glad I got to spend a little time with my Tabitha. But novels require blood, sweat, tears, and time." this is so, so true! Ideas that are "Genre busters" should be tried because you never know, but doing something too "on trend", even if you love it, should be pursued with caution.
Googling an idea might be helpful, but often, I think ideas become so complex that it may not be a fruitful search. However, just because the idea is already in use, doesn't mean that yours wouldn't be perfectly unique. With your idea, specifically, I bet you could spin it in a really interesting way. But I totally get where you're coming from–when the similar book is a blockbuster or the two stories are high concept with the same high concept, things can start feeling derivative pretty quickly.
The problem with following trends, too, is that even with a unique spin, a story is hard to sell when the market is already saturated. Great points over on your blog today!
Yes, I've considered playing more on the speculative spin, as in, only a few years in the future, with the only reality changes coming as a result of the drugs. It's been interesting reading the posts today and seeing how many people have given up on an idea years in the works. It's such a tough choice.
I've never had this happen to me, but I did think it was happening. A big, hyped book was coming out and as soon as I read the blurb I realized there was something similar to my book in it. But the more I thought about the stories, the different I realized they were. Then I read the book and saw that there's nothing in common but this on thing. It rots that you think it's too similar to pursue, but I'm glad you got to tell the story, even if it's just for you. 🙂
I agree with you that if you weren't invested in it that much yet, and if it hadn't grown into a novel, you might not feel up to all the 'blood, sweat and tears' of making it into one. Especially if that genre fell out of popularity by the time you were able to publish or someone beat you to the concept.
But! If I love an idea, I hold onto it. I keep it around and if I still love it later on, I pull it out, dust it off, and work it in somewhere. I've been trying to do that with a lot of old characters I've created. I'm probably going to have ideas for books for YEARS to come!
I think there will always be similarities, maybe very close parallels in many stories, but I have to write what's near and dear to me – characters I draw close to, worlds I become immersed in. Will these stories be publishable? Eh. I understand it's key to consider an audience, a market. But I also know it's important that you write something that you would love to read.
I don't think you can ever be certain your story is unique. You have to just write the story that's on your heart the best you can. Being aware of what else is out there in your genre helps, but as long as the voice is yours and the story is compelling, that's what matters most.
Thanks, Tracey. I think there are similarities in every story- how else would English students compare and contrast? 🙂
Oh, yes, when I love a character, I hold on to him or her. The ones we've known for the longest are probably the ones we can write with the most depth!
Yes, that is a hard thing, considering the market. On my current MS, I've had advice from different readers to take things in the complete opposite directions. One felt it was already too dark, the other wanted it darker. And I think that has to do with the audience/market each has in mind.
Ah, the elusive voice! You are absolutely right. I constantly struggle with that in the revision process.