Things that make one go argh.

[shadowscast]

Don't you hate it when you read someone else's story and it has a major plot point which is exactly the same as a major plot point which you had planned for your own story, your own story which hasn't even been written yet and likely won't be for many months, but for which the notes (including a full description of this particular plot point) have been sitting on your hard drive for months already? And now you fear that when/if you finally do write that story, which has been close to your heart for so long, everyone will think you got the idea from X?

It can't be just me.

*sigh*

Comments

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

So. Not.

Um, without all that planning stuff because I never do, but -- so. not. the only one.

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Well, good to know. *g*

(*sigh* again)

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

It's not just you.

It's happened several times between me and theohara, both ways round, to the point where we have a running gag between us about wearing tinfoil hats to shut out each other's brainwaves. And one of my WIPs that hasn't been updated for a while is stalled because of exactly the circumstance you described; the plot point in question was absolutely crucial and I haven't been able to think of a way round it yet.

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Ah, clearly that's an unfortunate side-effect of the both of you being so incredibly brilliant. You're both overdrawing from the universal pool of Brilliant Ideas. *g*

P.S.

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Which one?

Re: P.S.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

The Nirvana Trilogy Part 3, "Lithium".

[lumenara.livejournal.com]

Dude, YES.

[poshcat.livejournal.com]

It happens to me all the time! Thank God I'm not the only one. The last couple of times it was major plot points that Alias used, back to back. I USED THEM FIRST, GODDAMMIT!!! Like anybody would believe me after the fact, but I did. I really did. ::sobs::

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

Yes.

Or, no... whatever.

I read something about two weeks ago which paralleled a plot point in my one and only fic, in a chapter which hadn't been posted but which first readers had seen months ago. Still made me feel queasy, because I didn't want to take it out in case the whole story collapsed into a pile of disconnected blocks.

Worked around it, but it was scary.

Julia, now that I'm out of buffer, I'm scared of other things

[dodyskin.livejournal.com]

Yes. It happens all the time. I have maybe ten or more abandoned fics that have died the death of the too-similar. It's so annoying but, what can you do?

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

There's a finite number of plot points and an infinite number of monkeys... sorry, I mean fanfic writers... out there!

The chances of any one person reading both stories, given the amount of fic around, is fairly minimal anyway, I would have thought...

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

There is that.

Ultimately, I'll probably write the story as I originally intended. Full speed ahead and damn the cannons.

Actually, the plot point in question goes in the future of that fic you were beta-reading for me until I stalled on it. Thanks so much for that, by the way—I do intend to pick it up again once I've put "How the Light Gets In" to rest.

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about that - I'd be happy to go on when you're ready, if you want.
I'm not ready your current one I'm afraid, 'cos too many WIPS make me confused!
Did you ever read mine when it was finished?

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Did you ever read mine when it was finished?

No, I didn't realize it had been! That must have been during one of the periods when I wasn't managing to keep up with my flist (um, that covers most of the past 7 months, actually).

Since I've been writing more, I've been reading less. :(

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Its linked on my user info page, if you get time... it ended up as a two-parter.
I also managed to archive at Buffy Fan Archive - that's a slightly cleaner version (punctuation/typo-wise, not rating-waise!)

PS

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Found the rest in your memories. Bookmarked it now, in my "read this!" file.

Re: PS

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Thanks - I'll be interested in your verdict.

Re: PS

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

I love your "I love nerds" icon!!

[vureoelt.livejournal.com]

Stolen: Thunder. Will pay handsomely to have it back.

Yeah, I can understand that kind of thing. It's annoying to say the least.

[flurblewig.livejournal.com]

Ah, I wouldn't worry too much. It might be the same general event but your characters, circumstances and setting will be different - so the event will have a totally different interpretation and execution. Where would we be if we couldn't re-use plots, after all? If only one story could be written about the star-crossed lovers or the pyscho serial killer or the adulterous affair, or... etc etc etc :-)