One of the most frustrating things I have experienced as an author is to find another novel that is similar to the one I am writing.
There’s nothing more deflating than realising someone else has beaten you to the punch with your supposedly original idea.
The novel I’m working on the moment is a classic example. I originally wrote How Far Forgive? back in 1998 and I have kept it in mind all this time because I’d never read another book like it.
Then I started to work for Rochelle Manners at Wombat Books/Even Before Publishing and she gave me a copy of Paula Vince’s Picking up the Pieces to read. What do you know? The two stories have a lot in common! Fortunately, there are still some significant differences as well.
I’m more accustomed, these days, to seeing similar books to my own works and recognising that what I am writing can still have a place in spite of those similarities.
The Heir has a lot in common with Twilight and one of my favourite TV shows, Roswell. However, while there are similar themes, I take them in different directions from both of these works. In fact, when writing The Heir I tried to avoid as many similarities as I could.
I think there’s a limit to how original any of us can be. My publisher occasionally reminds me that there are only about seven stories in the world and every story we see or read is a variation on one of them.
I think most authors know this but some of our readers may not. A few months ago a friend of mine contacted me in a panic. She had seen the trailer for the upcoming movie by the Wachowskis called Jupiter Ascending.
‘They’ve stolen your story from The Heir!’ she said. ‘I just thought you needed to know.’
I reassured her that I was sure the Wachowksis were unlikely to have read The Heir and stolen it from me. A quick google search revealed the premise of Jupiter Ascending, and although there were clear similarities, there were plenty of differences as well.
Are you an author? Have you ever discovered a book eerily similar to one you were working on? Are you a reader? Have you ever read a book that had a lot in common with another you had loved? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Hi Lynne,
Wow, I started working on Picking up the Pieces in 1999, so we must have been on a similar wavelength around then. I too, considered it a fairly original idea. I’m glad there are some differences though.
I noticed a fantasy series for young adults entitled “Quentaris” appear on the library shelves soon after I’d written my Quenarden trilogy, and even the font they chose was similar. A look inside shows that mine were published earlier, but I felt the same way you did when I saw them take off.
Yes, it’s frustrating, isn’t it, Paula? For the record, I really enjoyed Picking up the Pieces. I just can’t review it because Rochelle published it. 🙂
Unfortunately it happens and it’s frustrating!
What’s worse is in today’s society everyone wants unique stories, but then are quick to back flip and ask: So which books/authors would you compare yourself to? I guess all I can do is hope that one day an author will say they’ve been inspired by me.
Yes, that would certainly be nice! 🙂 And with so many novels out there, the chances of finding something truly unique are not high. I think the most important thing is that we bring our own unique spin to it.
It seems to be more true for science fiction /fantasy. Everything seems to be so derivative. I even had two scientists in my story called Evelyn and William and what do you know, they are the names in Johnny Depp’s latest ‘Transcendence’. A recent documentary on the history of science fiction highlighted this, pointing out that ‘Forbidden Planet’ is in fact, Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. I guess there really is nothing new under the sun. The challenge is as you say, to make our stories go in different directions. Wasn’t Roswell, great. We loved it in our house.
I adored Roswell! I’ve got all three seasons on DVD.