In the dictionary plagiarize is defined as a verb: to take (the work or idea of someone else) and pass if off as one’s own. I’ve been in a debate with myself over voice and plagiarism and built a scenario around an image to offer a foundation for my belief structure.
In simple terms, in the world of writing fiction my thoughts lean into the opinion that the same ideas are constantly used over and over again. If all stories come from one of seven story ideas, all writer’s are guilty of plagiarism.
I’m eager to hear what others believe. I’d like to apply a proper definition to the mortar, fit it in place and reconstruct and redefine the details of the current confusing facade. I’d also like to argue our individual and unique voices can trump plagiarism. Give ten writers the same cast of characters, occupations, settings, hurdles and pets. Have them each write their first chapter and read them aloud. No two chapters will read or sound the same. Voice will set them apart.
How many times have you read a book quite similar to another book? Does this mean one plagiarized from the other? No. I don’t believe it’s plagiarism even though they’re each writing from the same idea format. It’s impossible to come up with a story idea that doesn’t have elements already done before. No matter how you mix and stir them together they’ve all been written before. We gather our ideas from every corner of our world, books read, movies watched, stories told, music sung, poems spun, and dreams shared. What makes these ideas uniquely yours is your voice.
I agree lifting a sentence/s or paragraph/s from another work of fiction under copyright is plagiarism without the consent of the author or owner of the copyright. But honestly, I’ll bet I’ve written a sentence or two and it matches word for word another author’s work. He/she who copyrights first, wins?
Where do you stand? How fine have you drawn the line of plagiarism? Do you write in fear your words are already written and in print? Where is your proof and guarantee you haven’t robbed or been robbed of ideas?
11 comments:
Kate Rose- Please e-mail me at patyjage@patyjager.com you sound like a person who can give me a little more detail for my book.
Oh, Lori, you picked a tough topic today! I feel the same as you- If people want to get really sticky everyone who has ever wrote a Cinderella story has plagiarized the first person who penned that story if you go by some people's strict code of plagiarism.
And one of the reasons I struggle with reading so much in my genre,- will I some day write a sentence word for word that someone else has written and be taken to task for it? I mean there are only so many ways you can write a sentence with some of the cowboy jargon. I hope not. I hope they realize it was just my creative mind putting words in the same order because I'm sure the rest of the story will be different.
Heck, in editing, you wouldn't believe the synopsis that read with identical premises, yet the characters and "voice" make them appear different when you read the ms.
This has been and always will be a sticky topic. You're a brave soul for bringing it up.
I've thought about this too, Lori, esp. after the situation a few months ago with a writer whose name has now completely escaped me.
During my personal investigation (out of curiosity) into what exactly this woman had done, I read the alleged plagiarized passages next to the originals written by another author. In many cases they were word for word, details and phrasing so exact it left little to wonder about.
I don't worry about stealing an idea because ideas inspire ideas. You and Paty are right, I believe, that many people seem to have the same ideas, so many at times that something becomes a cliche. I don't worry that I will write a sentence that will remind someone else of another sentence, or describe something in a similar way to how another writer would describe it.
On the other hand, if I am using reference material, I do not lift every word from my source, and if I read a book and loved the concept, I wouldn't then attempt to to recreate it, trusting my "voice" would make an identical situation different.
Perhaps, the whole thing has to come down to what you, as a writer, know to be the truth. The honesty you carry, your character and your intent. I go by the standard that if something looks like a pig and oinks like a pig, it's probably a pig. If I feel my words have come close to mimicking a passage out of a reference book, for instance, then I need to look for ways I can make something my own in a truly substantial way.
So, to answer your questions: I stand on the side of creativity and original thought (on a one to one basis.) I draw the line at intentionally stealing things from other people. I do not write in fear that what seems unique to me may not be unique at all. That just sounds like a way to handcuff yourself to a sinking bag of bricks.
I have no way of knowing if someone has stolen something from me. I do know I have not stolen something from someone else. Perhaps what I am trying to say is this: give me a pallet of paints and lock me in a room with a yellow rose. Do the same with another "artist". After an hour, compare the paintings. Chances are good you'll see two yellow roses. If the artists are any good and see things in a similar way, the paintings might not even look that different.
Plagiarism? No.
Lock me in a room with a pallet of paints. Tell me to paint any flower I want right out of my imagination. I find, hidden behind a curtain, a painting of a yellow rose which I study with great intensity. I recreate that painting down to the torn edge of a petal. Then I hide the original painting behind the curtain and present my painting as an original.
In art it's called forgery, I believe. To me, the literary equivalent would be plagiarism.
Great blog.
I'm not worried that I've ever plagiarized or been plagarized. For one thing, the stuff I write is too weird.
I never thought ideas could be plagiarized, but I suppose someone could try to sue someone else for having a similar idea. I doubt it would hold up in court, though. A good example of this is Rick Riordin's Percy Jackson series, which is an exact knock-off of the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. The difference is that instead of being a wizard, Percy is half Greek god (his dad is Poseidon) and instead of a wizard school, he goes to a camp where all the kids' parents are Greek gods and goddesses. They play capture the flag instead of Quidditch. There's even a Malfoy-like character, but it's a girl. There's lots of magic and stuff, except that Riordin's has a lot of real mythology in his stories so they're considered educational. There are 3 or 4 books in the series so far, with the first one in production for a movie. No one has said boo about the series being an HP ripoff, though it obviously is. So I'd say you can take the same "idea" angle pretty darn far. But what's the fun in that? I'd much rather write something totally original.
Karen, that's the art begets art thing. Rowling, for that matter, owes many ideas to Lord of the Rings (Evil dark lord without a body, struck down once, gaining strength, etc...)
Lori, you are completely right about giving a group of authors the same premise and seeing they would all come up with something totally different.
A few years ago I picked up two new (to me) authors. Both wrote RS - for one it was her first ST, for the other it was her 4th, but her first stab at a series. I read the first book and really liked it. It was about a family of ex-military individuals who now run a security business. In the book, the brother's just returned from Iraq and his first bodyguard assignment is protecting a news anchorwoman in Miami who's being stalked. The second book was also about an elite group of bodyguards, though these people weren't related and they were based out of NY. I started reading the second book. First chapter started off with the bodyguard going to meet his client. A news anchorwoman in Miami who is being stalked. I couldn't believe it. These two books started off almost exactly the same. Same location, same premise, they were released from two different houses, within a month of each other! But that's where the similarities ended. Each story took off in a completely different direction, and BOTH authors are on my auto buy list now, even though at first I thought that was really fishy.
Paty, This is a tough topic and I expect all of you to give me the definitive answer! LOL
You're right about cowboy jargon. How many ways can you say, "Howdy partner. How's your chaps hangin'?
Thanks for saddlin' up to my side of the fence and supporting my take on this sticky situation.
Alice, Oh, I love your rose analogy. Can I steal...I mean lift...err, borrow it from you and slap my name on it? I'm asking permission right, so I'd be in the clear right? Please don't send the plagiarism police after me!
Seriously, absolutely lovey clarity and explanation of plagiarism. Keep zinging us those Aliceisms. I learn so much from you.
Wait a minute, you didn't take your rose analogy from the song or Movie THE ROSE?
Karen, great cases and points. I've read single books and series that carry the same ring to them. All delightful and apparently acceptable since they've found themselves in print.
I'm betting no matter the genre, no matter how far out or bizarre, similarities can always be found.
Eli, You slipped in while I was posting. Two books starting out so similar is freaky. Good thing you didn't put the second one down. You might have dismissed that author's future books.
Thankfully, our voice allows our writing to stand and shine independently from each others in it's own unique style.
Sorry for being MIA from the blog---very busy with start-of-semester stuff.
This is topic I deal with each semester with student writing, and I'm a bit more sensitive to it on a professional level because of this. On a student level, I give all 25 the same topic (i.e. Why I love school), and I expect to get 25 UNIQUE essays back. This is similar to 25 authors all tackling the cinderella story. I expect to see unique details, and yes voice--even basic writing students have voice. I expect the pacing in each essay to feel different, and for each author to make stylistic choices of their own. If the writing feels too generic, too boilerplate, lacks specific details, then my plagiarism radar is triggered.
It's the details that make each story unique. That said, you can't just change the names and hair color--it needs a whole new twist, a new fresh voice. If it has that, sure it can have the same turn of phrase, or even a similar character.
Plagiarism is more than just verbatim copying--it's a failure to make a work uniquely yours and relying on others to do your heavy lifting for you.
Wavy, I agree. It's the details that makes each story unique.
Teaching writing really allows you to see and hear each of your students 'voices.' Over time I imagine you're able to detect who's paper you're reading without glancing at their name. Their voice becomes their identification.
Very interesting topic, Lori, and wonderful discussion!
Years ago at one of our conferences, the speaker gave us a scenario to write about--and I was amazed at the very different takes each person had. I think it's harder to plagarize than to let your own voice and perspective run with an idea.
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