Just a quick question.. Ive started a new vampire love story, but i was wondering how people stick to their own ideas, without following suit or copying what they've read in some manner? I worry that my story may seem too similar to others of its kind! Any help would be mucho helpful!
Everyone seems to have this problem. Everyone seems to ask this question as well and I can easily say this: Write whatever you want. Don't worry if its copying on something. In some way, shape or form all stories have been copied from somewhere. And some people are influenced by other writings. So don't worry about it so much.
As long as the plot and characters haven't been directly ripped from another story, there really is no need to worry. Vampire novels are common nowadays and it's almost impossible to not use at least one or two elements from a pre-existing story. Just go ahead and write. It's your story. No one else can tell you different.
Without feeding you ideas you I can just say to go against the stuff that was set forth before the genre became popular. Not to mention the T-Word, but try to take things that aren't present in Twilight. There are other baddies out there besides Werewolves. Make it less of a forbidden fruit, less vamp on vamp action, and... Now I'm feeding you dieas. Shutting up now.
Just don't think about any outside stuff. Just write, and never compare anything you're reading to your own work. I'm reading Heretics of Dune at the same time I'm writing my own sci-fi, but I have no worries because I just don't think about it.
Lol that was my main problem, ive just finished reading the Twilight series which is what sparked me back into writing.. Ive had the idea for my novel for about 2/3 years, but lost track when life got a bit hectic, which is why im scared that it's going to be much the same because her ideas are fresh in my head. I have my own ideas and twists that havent been used to the best of my knowledge, so i am sticking with them Any other ideas for enemies other than werewolves? Because that was my original idea.. At the time i started i was paranoid about copying Underworld too! Arrrgh!
Well, you can beat Twilight simply by taking it a bit more seriously, not being to cliche, and most of all, have some sort of plot. Any kind will do. as long as you have a plot and no pedophile werewolves, you're better than Twilight.
bahaha, sounds like a hilarious book everyone talks about it, but i havent read it yet. my view on the situation is that like the others, who cares if you copy an idea or two? not us. Shakespeare's Hamlet was based on Amleth a story almost exactly the same, and before Amleth it has other roots, but i cant remember. my point, is that Shakespeare told it better, made it more interesting (and full of plot holes to boot) im writing something that i have never read nor heard of, but chances are its out there somewhere already, but im enjoying writing it. as far as other enemies...invent one, harry potter the the dementor things, Dr jekyll had Mr hyde. there are always witches, dragons and ogres...and if its a love story, you just need competition, like a punk rocker with a motorbike
And not making female characters in your novel so completely stupid and useless that your readers end up hoping the vampires just rip her limb from limb (unless you let them rip her to shreds in which case go for it, it'd be very satisfying!)
Well, everything I would've said has pretty much been said before; the same goes for writing. I read on here the other day that there are very few original ideas left in the world anymore. That might scare some, but what I've come to believe is that nothing is truly original: it is merely a set of cliches bundled together and warped in such a fashion as to be unrecognisable and thus 'fresh' and 'new'. I'm writing some work that I'm sure has been done countless times before, but it's what you do with it that counts. Write whatever you want. Nobody can stop you but you. Unless it's the judicial system, but that's another matter entirely...
I just write what I want to write, primarily, and don't even bother considering whether it's like something else or not. If a story is too similar to somebody else's idea, you can always work that out when it's done. I write primarily fantasy but I actually don't read much of it. Nevertheless, I've seen on so-called "trope" websites that lots--just about ALL--of the elements that ANYBODY uses in fantasy have been "done to death" already. I don't care, because for the most part I haven't even read the stories that I supposedly could have lifted ideas from. So I know I'm in the clear. Usually, as long as somebody is passionate enough about their particular story, they can overcome cliches or stereotypes and make them something fresh and new. There's only one time I remember backing off a story I was writing because it was too similar to something that had already been done. And that was only because I felt I was cheating myself (in this case I was quite familiar with the original story that mine was similar to) and I could do it a lot better if I tried to make it more different. But for the most part, I just write something the way I want and let the pieces fall where they may. Granted, I don't tend to read somebody else's work, tell myself, "Wow, now I want to write a story about the same thing!" and then go write. I imagine that if that's your case, then yes, you might end up copying a lot. I'm not saying that's illegal, just that when you get inspired by somebody else's fictional work, you might want to have a cooling-off period so your own ideas don't come across sounding exactly the same. Allow YOUR story ideas time to develop. The longer you let them develop, the more likely they are to become their own thing, your ideas, not somebody else's.
Hmm.. a punk rocker, sounds like a good twist haha! Dont worry little miss edi, i intend on making my female a little more self aware and more of a fighter..! Thanks alot guys, i feel a lot more at ease about it now! I have a little bit of it posted up on the review room in novels, yer feedback would be much appriciated Thanks again!
I have been a vampire fan since I was 4, and I am now 30. Over the years I had my own idea of what a vampire should be. What I thought would be cool. I took those ideas and developed my own vampire myths and put it in my new novel Bending Nature. According to those who have read the whole thing, they really enjoyed the fresh take on vampires. To answer your question then, I guess I used my own ideas of what I thought would make vampires cool. As far as making the story itself unique, well that is something you have to create in your imagination. I'm not sure there is a method for making a unique story. I have put together a youtube video series on story structure. Basically, I put all the information I have learned about how to develop a good story and put it into my own words. I share the information in a way that made since to me. If you are interested type in story structure advanced into youtube. It should come up. My nick is architectus there as well.
It is easily possible to be creative with a Paranormal Love story. Don't write in the mindset that you will gain money if you write it like twilight for teen girls. Also read real vampire books to see what their like, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Stephen King's 'Salem's lot come to my mind which are fantastic and get you an idea of the real danger of getting involved with vampires dont copy twilight
Like Buffy, you mean? Don't worry, whatever you do, somebody will have done it before. But not with your voice.
Keep your ideas fresh and stick to general concepts of vampire folklore. If you switch up any of those ideas then make sure you explain how your vampires do things differently. For example Edward sparkles in the sun, unlike Bill in the Sookie Stackhouse novels who is a more traditional vampire, or Stephan from the Vampire Diaries who wears a special ring to keep him from burning up. Everything you write will shadow someones story. It's just the nature of the beast. I wouldn't base any vampire story on Twilight. I understand it's all the rage right now, but as far as character development, plot, and writing in general Twilight is severely lacking. Can't write a sci-fi novel and not describe where things come from. How in the world can a Vampire and a human have a child together --- just one of the many under served and not described parts of that story. Looking for a good vampire tale? Try Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire. It's not a YA novel, but it's great and she explains things to the nth degree.
