Am I Copying the Percy Jackson series?

So, I'm writing a story based on fairy folklore surrounding Irish/Welsh fairy stories. I've decided on making one of the main characters a part of a certain fairy race (the Gwragedd Annwn to be specific) that is based around having water-like abilities.
The problem I'm having however is that I'm worried that my character is too similar to Percy Jackson. I wanted to write my story with a similar narration style as the Rick Riordan books (maybe meant for a more college-age demographic) so if I give the main character water based abilities it will be a dead giveaway.
Should I change the fairy race that my character is a part of? The main reason why I've been having writer's block is because I can't seem to decide.
Any advice works too.

 

If you are copying Percy Jackson then changing one thing about your story won't alter that fact.

 

Maybe now in your mind it is like that of Percy Jackson, but if you actually write it, you might find out it is not as dead similar as you originally imagined. Things change along the way and as your main character takes shape he might push your story in different directions.

 

Have you seen Furngully? Dances with Wolves? Avatar? The Last Samurai? I could go on, the point is people write the same characters and stories over and over again because people love them. You know what I do after reading the perfect novel? I wish to all hell I knew where to find another book just like it!

This is your novel, your character. No matter what you do you could never make it just like Riordan's work. Impossible.

You do you. Cant wait to see more about it. I love Celtic lore!!

 

If you did some research you'd likely find a book just like PJ done way before it. Like Hunger Games, the Battle Royale was done before and hugely similar. The Hunger Games is still popular. When I watch a movie or read a book I love I'll often go on Google and look for books similar to it and I'm often disappointed to find there aren't that many. I think the best books are a mix of familiar and strange - so done before with a spice of originality.

 

I would worry more about similar stories than similar origins. I think you're starting off far enough away from Percy Jackson in premise. There are water gods and deities in every mythology. If you have an original story, you have nothing to worry about. If anything, Percy Jackson proves there's an interest in this sort of setup for a book. Go for it.

If, on the other hand, you're finding it hard to differentiate the characters' arcs due to similarities, perhaps choose a different figure from the same set of mythology. Being of Celtic blood myself, I wish I knew more of our stories, but I imagine there must be non-water based figures that would work for the sort of story you have in mind. For instance, if someone wanted to modernize another Greek hero, they could use Theseus instead of Perseus (who didn't have water powers in mythology, by the way) and stay away from the Hogwarts-like school Percy attends (I only saw the movie, but that was my takeaway,) and poof: you have an (almost) totally unique book.

 

Personally I don't think "writing a fantasy story based on a particular mythology and giving your protagonist water powers" is quite enough to to call it a Percy Jackson copy. Especially if those are the only similarities you're concerned about. That's a bit surface-level, if you ask me. Narratives have much deeper and more vital layers than that.

For that matter, even if you are "copying" Rick Riordan to some extent, is that a bad thing? If you liked the Percy Jackson books it makes sense you would emulate them to some extent - that's kinda what we do. It's how we discover what sort of stories we like to write. The trick is going a step further and finding our own distinct way of expressing why those stories turned out to be special to us.

I just don't think trying to create art through subtraction is a healthy attitude - chipping away at your inspirations like you're ashamed of them. Art grows and shifts through permutations from one generation to the next, like a memetic organism. It's not about avoiding whatever your predecessors did, rather it's about doing what they did but doing it your way.

Maybe? I mean, it doesn't hurt to consider it. Just, not simply because you fear getting accused of ripping off Riordan.

More like, can you change it, and if so are there more interesting options? Is it important for your character to have magic water powers in terms of plot or themes, or is it just something you decided on because you liked the flavor? If you changed your hero into a different type of fairy, could you then do something more interesting with that?

Anyway, it's not wrong to contemplate whether a creative decision was uninspired. You probably shouldn't settle for that if you feel that you can do better. But that should be a decision based on whatever standards you hold yourself to, rather than mere fear of negative critique. Does it bother you that your protagonist is a bit similar to Percy Jackson, even a little? Is this something you think you could improve upon?

It's a good thing for a writer to learn a bit of creative flexibility, because sometimes our work demands an amount of compromise. It's very easy to get fixated on the first best idea you have, becoming unable to consider other options. And that isn't very creative, is it? Breaking out of that mindset is scary but also very relieving. That great English bard - John Cleese - said that one of the most important aspects of creativity is playfulness: You need to be able to play with your idea, even after you think it's "finished."

You say you have writer's block? That can happen when you are preoccupied with negativity, for example worrying too much about what you "shouldn't do." You know what's a great cure for that? Relaxing for a bit and suddenly having a much better idea than your original one: One that seems more inspired, interesting and stimulating to you. That's a positive attitude, and as such a source of motivation.

That said, if you do think the water fairy thing is the way to go - like you really want to keep that aspect of the story, or actually need it for your concept to make sense - then fine, go with that. I'm sure it'll be great. Try not to worry about it.

 

I echo what everyone else just said, just write the story.