A note on originality (my own 2 cents) (1 Viewer)

[glitterfairy]

Rather than joining a conglomerate thread I have decided to start a new one. Dearest EE2 people, please do not be afraid of creating new threads! It is sometimes difficult to keep track of what's going on in a thread with 12+ pages or so, and even more difficult to track discussion on a particular subject when there's "a bit here" and "a bit there".

Back onto the original topic now:

I have noticed that a number of you are concerned about originality, trying to find a particular aspect of your work that you can tweak so that it stands out from the crowd.

It is my personal belief that there's nothing truly original left to do. Nothing under the sun is sacred! lol. If you have what you feel is a good idea (however like everyone says, it is advisable to avoid teen angst, and it is suicide to mention HSC-related angst) then just run with your idea. There is only ONE "you" in the world - there is only ONE person who thinks the way you do, only ONE who will write the way you do, and only ONE who will approach and interpret a concept the way you do. And that person is you.

Don't beat yourselves up too much because someone has "done" your concept - unless you actively seek to copy someone else's work, the chances of you ending up with the same finished product are extremely small. If you have the time and drive to find what you feel is a unique take, go for it - but if you don't, it's so much more important that you WRITE something (anything at all) rather than wasting time trying to think of something original to write about in the first place.

Best wishes,
glitterfairy (your friendly EE2 mod)

 

[Master Gopher]

"There is nothing new under the sun! It has all been seen and done before."

- Sherlock Holmes under the guise of Arthur Conan Doyle

 

[goldendawn]

I doubt that it's all been seen and done before - if that were true, then our culture would be atrophied. You just have to think harder to find fresh stuff - stuff beyond hallowed cultural institutions or the usual cycle of human history. It does, however, depend on what you want. These aspects of human nature, though hardly "original", are constantly significant because they are archetypal. I think we just like to see them played out with different characters, and in circumstances reflecting changes in the world. At any rate, there are so many creative variables that the vast possibilities seem to me to be far more crippling than concerns about originality.

 

[Asheroth]

"There is nothing new under the sun! It has all been seen and done before."

- Sherlock Holmes under the guise of Arthur Conan Doyle

Either that or the book of Ecclesiastes. King Solomon got there first, Tess

Oh, and before you start worrying that I'm stalking you, I'm Andrew from the Philosophy res. It's OK, I haven't been trawling your profile for information, I just know your nickname from the Philosophy site