4 thoughts on “Writing Advice Update: On Originality

  1. Matt says:

    I see what you did there

  2. Bill K says:

    Excellent post.

    Just had my wife read a chapter of mine last night, and she tore it to shreds. I ran to my computer to start fixing the things she’d rightly criticized, and she thought that I was all in a pissed-off huff because she’d been pretty harsh on a couple paragraphs. No, I told her – I’m trying to get all your edits made while they’re still fresh in my head. *Thank* you.

    Too many people just read something and go, “Oh, yeah, it’s good.”

  3. Marcy says:

    Good advice!

    “Instead, as I’ve recommended before, I’d say follow your passions. For me, this means, that I don’t look at the way slavery works in other fantasy novels and try to do something different.” It seems like a better idea to me to “look at the way slavery works in other fantasy novels,” see what worked well, and use that. Counter-intuitive when you’re talking about originality, but if combined with research into source material and following your passions, it seems like a good idea to me. Learn from the best, while still working out your own original material.

  4. WD says:

    Thank you for explaining it the way you did, others have explained to me how to check the originality of my premise but you made it sound so much more simple than having to check every name and like you had said “Don’t go out and read every fantasy book out there” that rang clear as a bell considering that is practically what i was doing. Thank you for the writing advice, it is much appreciated!

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