When You Wish You’d Thought of It First

28 July 2010 | Filed Under Creativity 


I don’t think Aang approves of the new movie

Sometimes you read a story and think “Darn. I wish I’d thought of that first.”

I’m sure you can name your wish list. Mine includes, but is not limited to, Fruits Basket, Harry Potter, and pretty much any Tamora Pierce book.

Fortunately for us late bloomers, ideas aren’t copy-righted. Good thing too, or J. K. Rowling might have been in serious trouble using a large three-headed dog and a boy destined to rid the world of evil. I could write a novel about a zodiac-cursed family, and the worst thing anyone could say is that Fruits Basket is better. (The fact that it probably would be is another point entirely.)

So you like an idea. Use it!

Write about girls disguising themselves as boys to become knights, write about wizarding schools, write about vampires if you must (all I ask is that you do it well).

Don’t be discouraged just because someone else “got there first.” Maybe someday you’ll discover young writers complaining that you got there first!

Comments

3 Responses to “When You Wish You’d Thought of It First”

  1. Kim on July 28th, 2010 11:36 pm

    I totally feel you on the Tamora Pierce novels. I love her writing!

    I especially like this post – quite uplifting :D

  2. Jenn on July 29th, 2010 5:15 pm

    I like to listen to books-on-ipod at work, and I’m about halfway through Trickster’s Queen. :)

    Thanks!

  3. Kicking It Up a Notch, and Other Useful Links | A Single Bell on December 31st, 2010 12:12 am

    [...] When You Wish You’d Thought of It First. Good advice considering every idea has been done to death. [...]

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    Hi, I'm Jenn, new grad student and old YA fantasy writer. I've long dreamed of being a novelist, and I bet you have too. I hope you find my blog helpful, inspiring, and maybe just a little bit fun. (But not too much fun. Writing is serious business, you know.)

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