Shot from the original art. This was a pretty clean page. I made some minor lettering changes, but as always, if you spot something I missed, sing out.
FYI: I usually do my own hatching, but the hatching in the BG of the final panel is a tone sheet.
But Colleen! Even if it resonated for another writer … what he did would not be what you would do with the idea! Besides, I know I’ve seen similar concepts in various stories. But I’d still want to see what YOU would do!
😀
I know exactly what you mean. Even if it’s not directly copied, for someone to take a core idea and then spin it entirely different, it still makes it hard to look at your own idea without going “now why do I feel like the derivitive one?”
I have a whole long story about that happening to me, now almost 20 years ago. Fortunately the spun thing is long dead and almost completely forgotten (and was so godawful it didn’t last long, IIRC) that I’m almost able to start working on the original thing again.
But it STILL SUCKS 😛 so yeah, I feel your pain.
Yes, it feels even worse when the dude makes lofty statements about how he takes the mediocre ideas of others and spins them into gold from dross, and even if it’s not directed at me, it stings.
It’s even worse when you KNOW you told the dude about your novel plans, and you KNOW you can’t copyright an idea, but it just feels wrong.
I deliberately avoid working on things that might be considered similar to works I know my friends are doing. Not everyone feels that way.
But then, perhaps my ideas are so mediocre, they must be spun into gold by greater minds.
exactly. The sitting there with egg on your face, d’oh I can’t believe I broke the cardinal rule of not telling people your plans feeling.
Sucks rocks.
But if ever there’s an illustration of what not to do, this is it. If someone who is earnest but naive says “I have this great idea I just want to bounce off someone, just to get a second opinion” then it’s your solemn duty to lunge forward, grab them back and shout “NO!!!” in their face while clamping their mouth shut until the feeling to share goes away. It’s for their own good. Really.
It’s a fine line to walk. Because we do sometimes need sounding-boards to test stories. But you have to trust the person you do it with. I have a couple of friends I can do it with — the types of stories they like to write are different than most of the ones I want to write, so we’re unlikely to be stealing each other’s ideas.
And it’s possible to be genuinely inspired by the work of a friend, and have echoes of that show up in one’s own work.
But of course, that is different than flat out lifting a story idea from a friend’s work and running with it, because [begin sarcasm] YOU can make something SO MUCH BETTER from the idea than your friend can. [end sarcasm]
But yeah… not fun being upstaged by someone running away with your own idea.
oh yeah. Trusted a good friend/roommate with a lot of stuff. Then saw her turn them all into filksongs. And perform them. And then get the “can’t copyright ideas nyah nyah” thing thrown in my face.
The only ones I trust right now are the ones who DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING EVER.
I realize some people don’t mean any harm, but they manage without even trying sometimes.
And this is important: sometimes the act of telling your story can give you the satisfaction of creation without putting forth the serious effort of placing that creation in fixed form and finishing it.
It’s best not to talk about your story too much. It’s a catharsis. It is better to live with the discomfort of the secret inside you than it is to blab too soon, drain your energy, and see someone else walk off with it…and gloat about it later.
oh I thought it was just me! Yeah, the minute I tell someone about this great scene I came up with or whatnot, it’s like it already exists and I don’t need to create it and it definitely takes the air out of the balloon. So, okay, it’s not just me. Oh yay.
It’s kind of like going up to someone and saying “it’s May but I bought your Christmas present, wanna see it?” :-/
20 Comments
Colleen
Shot from the original art. This was a pretty clean page. I made some minor lettering changes, but as always, if you spot something I missed, sing out.
FYI: I usually do my own hatching, but the hatching in the BG of the final panel is a tone sheet.
Carla Speed McNeil
AIYAA, and there’s a whole nother graphic novel in that one page.
Colleen
A old acquaintance of mine admitted to me that he spun this idea from this scene off into a series of novels. Alas, that was my plan.
scribblerworks
But Colleen! Even if it resonated for another writer … what he did would not be what you would do with the idea! Besides, I know I’ve seen similar concepts in various stories. But I’d still want to see what YOU would do!
😀
Colleen
Yes, I know that.
Arlnee
I know exactly what you mean. Even if it’s not directly copied, for someone to take a core idea and then spin it entirely different, it still makes it hard to look at your own idea without going “now why do I feel like the derivitive one?”
I have a whole long story about that happening to me, now almost 20 years ago. Fortunately the spun thing is long dead and almost completely forgotten (and was so godawful it didn’t last long, IIRC) that I’m almost able to start working on the original thing again.
But it STILL SUCKS 😛 so yeah, I feel your pain.
Colleen
Yes, it feels even worse when the dude makes lofty statements about how he takes the mediocre ideas of others and spins them into gold from dross, and even if it’s not directed at me, it stings.
It’s even worse when you KNOW you told the dude about your novel plans, and you KNOW you can’t copyright an idea, but it just feels wrong.
I deliberately avoid working on things that might be considered similar to works I know my friends are doing. Not everyone feels that way.
But then, perhaps my ideas are so mediocre, they must be spun into gold by greater minds.
Arlnee wins.
Miki
Hopefully, you are just being sarcastic.
Your ideas are great!
Colleen
LOL! Well, I like to think so. But I have bad days.
Arlnee
exactly. The sitting there with egg on your face, d’oh I can’t believe I broke the cardinal rule of not telling people your plans feeling.
Sucks rocks.
But if ever there’s an illustration of what not to do, this is it. If someone who is earnest but naive says “I have this great idea I just want to bounce off someone, just to get a second opinion” then it’s your solemn duty to lunge forward, grab them back and shout “NO!!!” in their face while clamping their mouth shut until the feeling to share goes away. It’s for their own good. Really.
scribblerworks
It’s a fine line to walk. Because we do sometimes need sounding-boards to test stories. But you have to trust the person you do it with. I have a couple of friends I can do it with — the types of stories they like to write are different than most of the ones I want to write, so we’re unlikely to be stealing each other’s ideas.
And it’s possible to be genuinely inspired by the work of a friend, and have echoes of that show up in one’s own work.
But of course, that is different than flat out lifting a story idea from a friend’s work and running with it, because [begin sarcasm] YOU can make something SO MUCH BETTER from the idea than your friend can. [end sarcasm]
But yeah… not fun being upstaged by someone running away with your own idea.
Colleen
Yeah, I told Jeff Smith too, but I absolutely trust Jeff. And you know what Jeff said to me? “You need to keep this quiet! Don’t tell ANYONE!”
But I did because I am an idiot.
Arlnee
oh yeah. Trusted a good friend/roommate with a lot of stuff. Then saw her turn them all into filksongs. And perform them. And then get the “can’t copyright ideas nyah nyah” thing thrown in my face.
The only ones I trust right now are the ones who DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING EVER.
Colleen
And not even those.
I realize some people don’t mean any harm, but they manage without even trying sometimes.
And this is important: sometimes the act of telling your story can give you the satisfaction of creation without putting forth the serious effort of placing that creation in fixed form and finishing it.
It’s best not to talk about your story too much. It’s a catharsis. It is better to live with the discomfort of the secret inside you than it is to blab too soon, drain your energy, and see someone else walk off with it…and gloat about it later.
Arlnee
oh I thought it was just me! Yeah, the minute I tell someone about this great scene I came up with or whatnot, it’s like it already exists and I don’t need to create it and it definitely takes the air out of the balloon. So, okay, it’s not just me. Oh yay.
It’s kind of like going up to someone and saying “it’s May but I bought your Christmas present, wanna see it?” :-/
Colleen
You got it. It’s a terrible habit.
I got a very nice lecture from JMS about this awhile back.
scribblerworks
“Nice lecture from JMS”…. LOL. Come on, Colleen. I’ve heard him talk about writing! He doesn’t pull punches.
😀
Marina
I still think its a very pretty page. I love the detail. I’m sorry you had your idea stolen like that.
Colleen
But Marina, you can’t steal an idea! LOL!
Colleen Doran
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