Ok this is something that's bugging me... My scene: Hero is looking for MC. MC works as volunteer at an asylum, goes back home by foot at night, is attacked by two creatures that are a mix of reptilians and canines created by a vampire from microscopic beings that live in his blood. Hero senses where MC is, appears and saves MC, then leaves. MC, naively, looks for the hero on the following day at the same place she was attacked, they meet because he expected her to come back, and he explains the situation to her. The scene from another work (not mine): MC is a student. He sees the heroine and enters a mad trance. The MC follows her to her apartment, then slashes her to bits. The day after, heroine reappears before MC. MC is scared because she revived and tries to flee from her, but is cornered in an alley, where he's attacked by two (I don't remember if they were two) dogs created by a vampire as his day scouts. Heroine saves MC, then explains the situation to him and befriends him. I'm pissed because of the similarities. I'm trying some alternatives, but to make the story work I need the hero to save the MC at this point, to form a bond between them. Should I scrap it, or is it ok to have the similarities?
Eh, there's a lot of similar scene in writing. It's okay, since it'll be written differently as no two writers would write it the same. Besides, I don't think that yours and other scene is so similar enough to change it. I hope this helped.
I swear I've seen that other work from somewhere. A manga perhaps... From what I see, the similarity is, to put it simply, the MC gets saved by the hero/heroine from a vampires creatures. That's totally acceptable according to me. It is just one scene after all. Personally, I'd keep that scene (unless I get a better idea ^^).
Why would you worry about a single scene being similar? It's just one scene - it's not like you've ripped off an entire plot or something. In fact sometimes I deliberately write a scene similar to another story, because it can be interesting to show the same event and then handle it differently.
Thanks for the replies! They mean a lot to me. The "scene from another work" is from the Tsukihime visual novel by Nasu Kinoko. I admit I'm greatly influenced by his universe as I love it so much...! So a few things end up quite similar. I've been told in a fansite that Nasu himself sort of "borrowed" a few character concepts from Hellsing (plot is vastly different though), which might make me a bit "less" guilty if my work ends up similar to his.
A room full of 1st graders were all told to draw a picture with a hill, a flower, blue sky, sun, a road and a car. The only two pictures that looked remotely similar was a girl who watched her friend draw something and tried to copy it. The beauty of art is taking an idea that isn't unique and making unigue through your own style and imagination. I bet you also use the words 'and', 'the' & 'but' just like the other story.
Don't scrap anything. Don't do it! The way you approach your story is going to be vastly different to how another author approaches theirs. As AmyHolt said above, you might have a similar idea in your head but on paper, it will not look the same. I know it's really frustrating when you have this idea in your head only to find someone else had it too. Your idea probably isn't even that similar, it's just gotten under your skin because you're scared people won't take it seriously. Similarities are unavoidable, just make sure you write your story and don't get derailed by someone elses.
