Category: Writing

Writers and pirates have a lot in common.

And no, I’m not talking about the proverbial internet pirates, I’m talking about daring and dangerous scavengers with eye patches who sail the tumultuous seas in search of treasure or another bottle of rum (or both… both is good).

As writers, we sail the great muse sea in search of elusive ideas and… well, probably rum.

I had a writer friend come to me this week, confessing that she hasn’t been able to pin down any of her stories lately because she feels like every time she writes something down, she’s copying someone else’s story.

Concerned, I started questioning exactly what she meant. What it really dwindled down to  was little concepts – someone finds a magical talking artifact, or the world has been overtaken by zombie-like creatures, or dystopian overlords are forcing the youth of their nation to do terrible things and stand for something they oppose.

My friend isn’t alone. I, too, have had those exact same thoughts.

Oh my god. They’re going to say that I stole this concept.

This is way too much like that video game that just came out.

I can’t have a magic school. There are already too many magic schools.

But, here’s the thing. Most concepts, just like names, are not exclusive.

No one looks at The Walking Dead and shouts, “THEY STOLE THE CONCEPT OF ZOMBIES! THEY AREN’T ORIGINAL! BURN THEM! BURN THEM ALL!”

I mean, as long as you’re not dropping a character named Catnuss into an arena for the Hangry Games, you’re pretty safe these days.

Sure, I personally think there are some concepts that are overused, tropes that I try to steer away from, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t successfully use them. That doesn’t mean that you can’t successfully use them. It all depends on your approach and how you present an idea.

To drive my point home, I looked at my friend and asked, “Did J.K. Rowling create magic?”

“Well, no..” she replied.

“Did J.K. Rowling create Latin, the language from which she pulls most of her spells?”

“No, she didn’t.”

Point being, there are so many elements to a story that could be looked at initially as a “copy” of something else. I ended up telling my friend that she needed to try and erase the word “copy” from her vocabulary when it comes to writing, and replace it with the words “borrowing concepts.”

So what do writers and pirates have in common, you ask?

We’re all scavengers.

As long as you’re not plagiarizing someone else’s work (sorry, Catnuss, no Hangry Games for you), there is nothing wrong with borrowing concepts.

We are creatures of habit and so are our readers. We like certain repeated ideas. The magic quest to save a far-off land, a forbidden romance, an innocent thrown into an impossible situation, a youth forced to train and learn something that will mean the rise or fall of his or her people, war, an impossible heist, etc.

Look at how successful GRRM has been with Game of Thrones. His books include common fantasy tones – war, terror, dragons, crazy religions, and so many concepts borrowed from history. It ALL came down to how he presented his story, characters, and ideas.

I’m preaching to the choir on this one, but I truly believe that we, as writers, should not be afraid to use concepts and ideas that may already be in circulation. Make the idea your own. Present it in a way that no one else has. Put a spin on it. Maybe you have a vampire, but he’s a kleptomaniac and he’s afraid of children. Maybe you have a “crazed dystopian government” and reveal halfway through the book that the government is actually right.

Seriously. There are so many pieces of ripe fruit for the picking, and it’s your privilege to decide just how those pieces fit together.

Don’t. Be. Afraid.

You’re a fierce writing pirate, for god’s sake.

Disclaimer:

If you decide to add pillaging and burning to the menu (you know, to enhance the whole pirate persona), don’t blame me when the FBI shows up at your door.

Look alive, soldier! You’re no longer on your own. You’re one of the few, the brave, the resolute! You’ve joined the Stack. The Army of Notebooks. There’s no turning back.

–

I’ve always had a huge obsession with notebooks. Nothing makes me happier than buying a new one, even if I have three (or more, let’s be honest) empty ones waiting for me at home.

There is something about blank paper that calls to me. Sure, I can open up my phone, iPad, or laptop at any point during the day and write down ideas, but nothing quite speaks to me as much as letting my pen flow against a smooth piece of paper.

I may write on my laptop, but recording ideas and outlining, for me, is all about notebooks.

I spotted my new recruit (pictured above) when I was shopping after work this week. My internal conversation went as follows:

Me: Do I need this notebook?

Logical me: No, you have tons of notebooks.

Me: But it says “ideas” on the cover!

Logical me: You have “ideas” written on the front of other unused notebooks!

Me: Right. But this one is so PRETTY.

Logical me: *throws up hands and stalks away*

Me: *gleefully purchases notebook*

I guess there’s something to be said for self control (which I obviously have none of when it comes to notebooks), but there’s also something to be said for feeding your muse with little chunks of delight every once in awhile. You have to let it have its way… sometimes.

I truly believe that you can never have too many notebooks; just like you can never have enough coffee, or too many fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. I always have a notebook with me. It’s easy to forget that I texted myself an idea, because when I open my phone, I tend to get distracted by social media or the internet. It’s much more convenient to have a dedicated place that I can jot down ideas when inspiration hits; a place that’s separate from all my glowing pieces of technology.

As important as it is to track your ideas, it’s as equally important (at least to me) to make your ideas clear. I was recently looking through a stack of my notebooks and discovered  an old, scrawled note that read something like, “Girl on train. Hair. Cat. Does she know the prince? Favor rising. Three ravens. World is darkness.”

Uhhhh… what?

I’m glad that these days I (hopefully) do a better job of clarifying what the actual crap I mean, because I still have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote that one. Now that girl with the favorable ideas on the train (who apparently has hair) may never find her cat and uh… visit a prince who has three ravens and is afraid of the dark? Seriously. Who knows.

So, I leave you with this:

1. Buy all the notebooks.
2. If you’re going to write down an idea and leave it sitting, for god’s sake, make it clear what your inspiration was.
3. Always, always, always have a place to write down your ideas.
4. Let your muse win once in awhile.

Hi, my name is Morgan Ranes, and I haven’t cancelled plans with friends in at least 2 days.

The more writers I get to know, the more I find that the majority of us are introverts, or have very strong introverted tendencies.

I personally can’t imagine keeping up with a super active social life and my writing projects. In fact, the very thought makes me want to start breathing into a brown lunch sack.

Luckily, I’ve been blessed with close friends that mostly get me. When they ask me what I’m doing that night, and I tell them I’m busy, they generally don’t push the question.

Yep.

I’m very busy getting into my pajamas, brewing a pot of coffee, and hiding out in my room for hours, cranking out words like they’re going out of style (or, you know, crying over my laptop because I can’t remember the genius idea I had at work).

The problem I generally run into is with my non-writing friends. How do you explain to real people that you’ve already made plans with other people? Namely, your characters.

“Sorry! I’m not going to make it to Applebees because I have to torture Remington tonight.”

“I can’t come. I need to help save a continent. A CONTINENT.”

Here’s the thing; the kicker:

These characters may not be real to them, but they are very real to me.

I have a great social life… with my characters, and I am 100% okay with that.

God, that makes me sound like such a shut in. By all means, I do go out sometimes. It’s good to get out, to see the world, to experience things firsthand, to get some fresh air, to see the ball of light in the sky they call the sun (I live in Washington, so I’m still pretty convinced the sun is a myth).

I guess what I’m saying is that if you have plans to write, or plans with your characters, don’t feel guilty if you want to stick with them. Your characters will thank you for it.

Disclaimer:

At least roam out of your room sometimes. You know, to get more chocolate.

My name is Morgan Ranes. Welcome to my little slice of the internet!

Here you will find the crazed ramblings and grandiose delusions of an insufficiently rested and overly caffeinated cat-loving writer who spends far too much time in her pajamas.

Have some coffee, grab a cookie, and stay awhile!