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Since I started contributing complete (though short) stories to this site, I've noticed a curious thing.
I've pretty much stopped reading other people's.
Once in a while I might find something that piques my interest, but that's rare these days.
Now, this is no reflection on the quality of the writing. If my fellow Mixed Tape authors are any indication, the quality of writing on Big Closet certainly hasn't declined.
Part of it might be that I'm intimidated by a lot of people because I don't feel I'm in, or anywhere near, their league. Nancy Cole, Katie Leone, and Raff01 certainly fall in that category. My work actually seems childish compared to theirs (and it's not just because kids are the protagonists of a lot of my stories). I've always aspired to write not just TG stories, but TG literature, and that goal seems light years away.
Second, I fear I'll accidentally plagiarize. I made considerable progress on an upcoming flash fiction story to find that certain elements were far too familiar, leaving me to wonder just what story or stories I might have unintentionally cribbed them from. It has all the makings of a wonderful story, but the moment I publish it, someone is likely to say, "Hey! That seems just like [insert story here]!" My recall of what I've read is good--maybe too good, but not good enough to determine what might be original and what might have come from someone else.
On the personal front, I've been a bit testy, since I've had to endure two solid weeks of intermittent to no hot water in my apartment. It's reached the point where I've had to boil water on my rangetop just to bathe. The management and the maintenance people have been as clear as mud about what exactly is wrong, and when--or if--it's going to be fixed. My home-health agency is getting involved, since the main office might listen to them more readily than they would me alone. At least that's the theory.
Maybe I'll be in a better frame of mind to write once I'm able to wash my hair.
Comments
Much more picky
I too have became much more picky as the number of stories I posted increased. But to be fair, that's also reflected in the number of mainstream fiction books I read, which is now almost zero.
For me, the stories I write are the best there is (I know not many share that opinion!). They're on genres and topics I enjoy, written in a style I love. So reading most other people's work is reading second best (in my eyes). I recently PM'd a fellow author: "Why aren't there more stories like you and I write?"
I always start to read every Standalone story, and probably finish less than one percent. Many are on subjects which do not interest me or they simply don't match up to my own standards.
I don't worry about copying other people's stories, but I'll never read other's story ideas. I have so many of my own, why risk being caught on someone else's and developing their idea rather than my own?
I do realise this makes me sound very egocentric, but I'm actually quite a normal person in RL. I'm in a writing group where we make a point of openly criticising other's work and discussing the criticisms. We have all become much better writers, but perhaps worse readers!
Me too
When I write, I have taken to not reading not because of plagiarism, but because I fear I will start mimicking the voice of who I am reading. A long time ago when I was penning one of the God Bless the Child stories I was reading a lot of Douglas Adams to lighten the mood around me.
BIG MISTAKE
I had to toss 6 chapters away because I had started writing like him. Now I have to wait to the week in between projects to read or I read biographies (which closely resemble my story telling) while I'm writing or other non-fiction works. It's a catch-22, they say to be a good writer you need to read, but you don't want to sound like those you are reading, because it robs the audience of your voice.
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
If there be nothing new, but
If there be nothing new, but that which is
Hath been before, how are our brains beguil'd,
Which, labouring for invention, bear amiss
The second burden of a former child.
Rachel -
Write what your inner voice dictates. Don't worry about 'accidental plagerism'. The wealth of existing material makes it impossible to not have a character, or an idea, or a bit of dialogue that will not resemble something someone else has done before. But if you tell your story, with your words, in your style, that tale will be uniquely yours.
Tell us your story.
- vessica b
Reading Another's Story
When I read this, I was pretty sure you had commented on one of my stories from last summer, so I went back and checked. It was "John's Living Nightmare". Now that you mention that you've almost stopped reading others' stories, I'm quite flattered that you read one of mine. Not only that, your comment was very much about what you discuss here. My story turned out to be similar to one you were about to write for a Mixed Tape posting.
-- Daphne Xu
I remember that story!
Thank you for reminding me--it was utterly horrifying, and I truly felt for poor John. I decided against my story, however, for more reasons than its similarity to yours. Mine was in the realm of age-regression fiction, and I figured that was not to the taste of most people here.
Livin' A Ragtime Life,
Rachel
Utterly Horrifying
That's not the only story I've written described in such terms. I guess I like to torment my protagonists, and I rarely do subtle well. My version of subtle is usually a metaphorical bump on the head -- although I do occasionally degenerate into physical violence. (Such as hairbrush scenes.)
Age Regression not liked here? I guess that I wouldn't know, because I haven't been here long enough. The Mixed Tape stories are also posted on FM, and Age Regression is routinely done and accepted there. My longest story also featured Age Regression -- as will its sequel.
-- Daphne Xu