Quote:
Originally Posted by Quoth
Also two authors can be inspired by books or films ages ago, which they may even have forgotten.
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I think it's unavoidable. We take in all kinds of ideas, and tell ourselves stories, and we're influenced by what we've heard before. We're sponges, and we share our stories, which someone else then soaks in.
And there are only so many basic stories to tell, it's really sometimes just the minor details that differ. There are only so many plots that can apply to the human character. We just fiddle with different details and play with those.
I've read a lot of fanfic, and have even written some. There's just too much out there to have read it all and be sure that any plot I've come up with is 100% my own creation. And even if I did, the main advice about that kind of fear is to 'make it your own'. Don't take someone else's specifics, (even though it is fanfic after all, where following source canon can be very important. Or important *not* to follow it) and don't worry if it's been done before. Readers *like* certain tropes, and you can't say that yours won't be the very FIRST they ever read in it.
I love Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" books, enjoy Urban Fantasy, and go looking for more of that. There's not always a lot of original plot-lines in the new stuff, but my enjoyment is all in the details. And when I like it, it just makes me look harder for the same thing.