#hive

How original do stories need to be?

@jeezzle@jeezzle (70)1180d

The other night I was writing a story in bed.

In my mind. It's what I often do.

I lie in bed and I just create the story itself. The next day, if I like the story, I may begin to actually work on it.

Sometimes, I will forget the story very quickly if I don't get it out of my head.

Other times, it will stay with me for a long time.

When it stays with me, I often do end up writing it.

This story was about a young boy who gets transported from his swimming pool into another world.

It's a horror story. A very short story. I usually prefer the very short stories even though I have been writing longer ones lately.

It made me think about something I'd seen on TV before though.

This is not a completely original idea.

However, I like horror stories.

I like stories about spaceships.

I've seen many episodes of TV shows which were almost exactly the same as other episodes. I liked them though.

Time traveling episodes. It doesn't matter that the same thing happens twice. It has different characters and different scenarios.

So, I wonder how original stories actually need to be?

I think they really just need to be entertaining.

They shouldn't be duplicates. That's for sure.

However, if they're entertaining, it probably it doesn't matter.

Comments · 5

@grindan(71)· 1165d
Heya! Kenny sent me your way awhile back, but I've been away. Getting back to Hive myself.

I'd say that technically, every story has been written in some sense— the 7 plots theory and whatnot?

I think the important thing is just to write. Without judgement or parameters, freely. When we worry and make rules, sometimes we just don't write at all (at least in my experience). The big thing in my book is not to use AI, I think that is wrong, for many reasons.

I hope my musings on this help you take it easy on yourself and enjoy the creative process more. Will go check out some of your more recent stuff! 😁
@marxrab(65)· 1174d
I my experience writing more academic articles, all we academics do is read a bunch of other people's work and paraphrase it into our own original words and cite sources. There's really no originality unless you were the first person to discover something. As for fiction, it's not often I see original scenarios but the characters and stories can be different. That's why I can watch ever post-apocalyptic world TV show and movie and still be entertained. I've been gone a long time and it's nice to see you are still writing stories. Just dropping it to say hi and visit old friends posts.
@honeydue(79)· 1179d
It's cool you remember your stories. I forget in a flash, if I haven't put it down.

I don't think any story is new under the sun. They've all been done already, in some form, and I think a lot of writers actually get themselves caught in this folly of trying to create something that hasn't been done before. 100% new? Sounds impossible.

I think it was Hemingway who said you need to learn and read, because the stories have been done already. You just need to figure out what's been done, and how you can do it better (aka in a way we ain't seen before) ;)

Cool post.
@ericvancewalton(81)· 1180d
I think, when it comes to entertainment, there are very few truly original ideas left. Most of what is popular is just rehashed from other times/generations and adapted to modern times.
@kenny-crane(73)· 1180d
I also recall seeing a TV show or movie or series where someone in a pool transports elsewhere. I could Google it and then I'd know if I'm recalling something I've seen or just think I am recalling it.

Isn't there some line of thought that there are something like 7 basic plots in all of literature? Or maybe just one - some kind of Hero's Journey? It's a normal day, then something happens to change the world of the protagonist, then they have to take action to overcome this. I guess people find it entertaining because they see themselves in it. Everyone continually has this plot in their own life.

As far as originality, we're seen the same issue in music. Someone borrows a riff or a lyric and builds it into their own song. The borrowee and the public then decide if the new tune is original enough.

If it's true that there is one general plot line, then there's bound to be similarities in stories. Writers bring the context of their entire lives to their stories, blending things that happened to them with things they heard others talk about either person to person or reader/watcher to writer/movie maker.

And now, we have ChatGPT who seems to have read quite a bit of everything everyone has written and with that context and the understanding of language has been able to create "original" stories. But for sure we know in this case that it is ALL borrowed and just rearranged in a unique way.

So on a continuum from totally unique to totally borrowed, there's probably a sweet spot where it's borrowed enough from general human experience to be relatable yet random/new enough to be surprising and entertaining. I hope your writings find this spot to your, and your readers' satisfaction!

Just my rambling thoughts inspired by your nice original Post. Have a nice day! :)