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Question: I'm writing a book, and the thing I'm concentrating most on is making it original!. Is this good!?
It sounds like a good thing!.!.!.making a book original!.!.!.but it seems like some of the story and a lot of my ideas are thrown out just because I feel that people will find similarities between other books!. The thing that makes it difficult is that I am writing a fantasy novel!.!.!.you know!.!.!.swords, arrows, dungeons, and stuff like that!. More than anything else, I find myself concentrating most on not using cliches!. With great fantasy books like LotR and Narnia, I know it's hard for people to not draw comparisons!. I do think Eregon is too much like LotR and Star Wars, so I'm not talking about that many similarities (in this case, it could be considered plagiarism!)!. What I've noticed is that people will jump on the slightest similarity, even if the plot and characters are completely different (see example bellow)!. So, my questions are: How much should I be concentrating on this!? Do you find that most fantasy books these days are too cliche!? What are some cliches that I should avoid!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Hi!.
Glad to hear the you are writing - great stuff!
I wouldn't worry about cliches, such mental acitivity might lead you into a block and that is never a good idea!.
I have a recommendation, however:
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/The_Hero_wi!.!.!.
I would suggest that you read the reference, buy the book, read it and take notes concerning its application to your plot!.
That so many writers recommend the book and the assistance that it has given them in their work, George Lucas included, is, perhaps, the best reason I can offer for your reading it, too!.
That your brother, and others, may make comparisons to other stories, it is but one of the means that we all use to discuss what is, essentially, new to us!. And, most importantly, it is a prospect over which you can have no control!.
Imagine it this way: there are many varieties of trees all over the globe, though they may share certain common characteristics such as bark, leaves, branches, roots, each genus of tree is entirely different!. In time, you may consider your stories in a similar way!.
We all need some essences that are familiar to us so that we might imagine and embrace other ideas!.
What is most important to me when I am reading a story is the journey that I am being taken on and where it leads me!.
Good luck
bobWww@QuestionHome@Com
Just write what u wanna write!. If u like it then have other people read it - besides a family member!. Vague similarities such as that will happen don't worry about them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
You shouldn't have to ask this!. If you were going to do something truely original, you would know!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
just relax and don't take it too hard!. :D
don't worry about cliches just write what you wanna write about!. X3Www@QuestionHome@Com
If this is your first book you should be careful of similarities to any other work if they could be deemed plaigarism!. At the same time, you can't write a western without a gunfight or a mystery without an evil killer and a brilliant detective, so similarities will always exist!. I would just write what I want to, read it again and edit out what I alone feel is unacceptable!. Good luck by the way, writing books can be frustrating and in the end, not very lucrative!. The work must be its own reward!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I wouldn't worry about that similar guide thing, unless your guide is a slimy blue sort-of hobbit named Smeagol!. If it's just a guide, then don't worry about it!. I think it's great you are trying to an original book!. As a writer myself, I sympathize with you because it seems like so many ideas have already been used, so it's hard to come up with something new!. Unfortunately, new stuff is always going to be compared to old stuff, that's just how people are!. They key is making your new stuff better, putting a different spin on it, so that people will forget the old stuff!.
One random piece of advice: Make sure your characters have names that are different from the names of established characters!. I mean, don't go nuts and name your main guy "Raebidasheyan" or something nutty just to be different (because that get's really old), but if, for instance, your main character was named "Fordo", he would always be compared to "Frodo", even if he was, say, a super space warrior battling alien dinosaurs, and not a hobbit!.Www@QuestionHome@Com