In my novel, part of my plot involves a replica of Germany’s Reichstag Fire in 1933. In my novel, a schizophrenic sets alight an important government building in protest–don’t really want to go into why he’s protesting but bear with me. The end result is that the President becomes paranoid of a coup–again don’t want to go into it–and hires a private army. This event is important as it contributes to the increasing paranoia and delusion I build in one of my main characters–the President. My only concern is that this whole situation is unoriginal, and dear I say it, uncreative. I’m pretty much using history to help me build my story. Am I being too pedantic? Any comments would be much appreciated.
I don't think you're being unoriginal (is that a word?) so long as you don't say it's a fire in Germany in the year 1933 or have the same name for the president or other characters as in history. It can sometimes be very useful and occasionally original to use historical events, people or even ideas (as in common ideas that are now generally ignored or ridiculed, like that germs were spread via smell) as a platform for your story. Just don't make it a perfect replica of history and start to introduce your own storyline fairly soon.
Look at Harry Potter with all its cliches and yet it's one of the most popular series ever. Even what you consider as "uncreative", if used well, can be a big hit In any case, your plot sounded interesting to me - I don't think of it as unoriginal at all. As long as you write it well, it'll be awesome. It's in how you write it.
I like the idea of the paranoid president. This is the very opposite of the pinnacle of uncreative writing. That is, it's damned creative and very original.
Being creative isn't about doing something completely new, it's about doing something interesting. Just write what interests you and it'll resonate with others.
Just about every idea has already been written. Its how you write the story that counts. Look at all of the vampire books there are as an example. "Being creative isn't about doing something completely new" I totally agree.
Using history as inspiration for your story ideas is entirely the opposite of being uncreative. It's a fantastic idea! Remember, George R R Martin's epic "A Song Of Ice And Fire" is based on the War of the Roses which occured in England centuries ago at the start of the Tudor reign. Harry Potter has borrowed more than a few plot devices from the New Testament, including Rowling's audacity to actually have Harry sacrificed and then resurrected in the final book. Planet of the Apes was based on a revolution from history as well, though I forget which one. In short, borrowing events from history is one of the best ways of establishing a story's plot. What makes it a good story from there is how you choose to tell it.
