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	Subtopic	Started By	Posts
	Archive through Dec 27, 2004 Last Post: Dec 28, 2004, 08:43 am		20
	Archive through Jan 02, 2005 Last Post: Jan 03, 2005, 02:58 pm		20

Posted By: Magus Jan 02, 2005 - 10:16 am

You're not being stupid. I used to be errified of it. And, to some extent, there's still a fear about it in my mind.

But somebody said, and I really forget who, that it's not as much of a worry as you'd think. Who can take an idea that is so clear from your mind write it before you and do it better then you? The answer is nobody, really.

But i suggest that you don't give away all the twists in your plot or all of the story either. Keep some parts secret, if only for your own mind's sake, and don't give it in complete detail.
Just tell what you can, what you're comfortable in telling. That's the best I can come up with, at any rate.

Posted By: BenJaru Jan 02, 2005 - 03:41 pm

ok, thanks a ton Magus

Posted By: Magus Jan 02, 2005 - 05:49 pm

My pleasure.

Posted By: Aldan Jan 02, 2005 - 09:46 pm

I agree. If anyone can take my basic idea and run with it, fine. They're thieves and will probably dwell in Dante's Inferno, but fine. However, I strongly doubt that they'd write it at all like how I would, and that in and of itself would be the strongest selling point. I mean, it's not like most novel ideas are all that novel, now, are they??

Posted By: Magus Jan 03, 2005 - 02:58 pm

I agree. It's more the style then the idea, in my opinion. That's what makes an author good and a book sell.

Posted By: manji Jan 06, 2005 - 09:38 am

I agree. If anyone can take my basic idea and run Alden- with it, fine. They're thieves and will probably dwell in Dante's Inferno, but fine. However, I strongly doubt that they'd write it at all like how I would, and that in and of itself would be the strongest selling point. I mean, it's not like most novel ideas are all that novel, now, are they??

Alden, that's probably the smartest thing anyone on this forum has ever said.

Posted By: Aldan Jan 06, 2005 - 05:07 pm

Thank you. I have my rare moments, I guess.

I personally believe that it's the style in which a person writes, and how they develop their characters, that sells a novel. Some novel types can be very big fads (for example, there are currently a lot of novels of military bent taking place in the Middle East), but while a person may grab a book because of the TYPE of book it is or because it has nice artwork on the cover, the thing which will cause that person to go back to buy a second novel from that author, IMO, will be the writing style and the way his characters are developed.

Posted By: Magus Jan 06, 2005 - 05:18 pm

Yes. That is it exactly. Aldan does it again.