"Borrowing" Ideas...

[Kali]

For that matter, I'm working on a very similar concept: technology, for X reason, abruptly doesn't work. Now what?  And yeah, when Revolution came out, I thought "Oh well, time to toss this one in the trash." The thing is, though, given the same exact starting point, the writers of Revolution and I went in radically different directions. We're not even sort of telling the same story, despite the same starting point.

I recently saw somewhere -- and I want to say it was on Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds blog 'cause he's big with the pithy writing advice except there wasn't nearly enough profanity in it for it to have come from Wendig -- a bit of advice that went something like, "It doesn't matter if someone else had the same story idea you had. Tell yourself that you can do it better." That's what I'm doing. I like my idea, my interpretation, way better. I do like Revolution, but the more I watch it, the more dissatisfied I get if only because I keep thinking, "Man, there were SO MANY better ways y'all could've gone with the basic idea." 

Besides, their interpretation is informed by their details, most importantly the detail of what made tech stop working. Just as with your notion, my version of what made tech stop working necessarily takes my story in a wildly different direction. The inciting incident in Revolution is a key story point. The weapons research, the amulets, are all the focus for the show: who has them, who wants them, what they'll do to get them/keep them. That's simply not the case in my story. What happened and why is incidental. To meme things up a bit, ain't nobody got time fo' dat in my world.

So write it. I've got $20 in my pocket right now that says even if you had quite literally the EXACT same starting point, amulets and all, you'd be writing a completely different story. And odds are very good you'll like your story better. So write it. There's an audience out there who'll like it better, too.

[slrogers]

So I agree with most of what has been said here. Even if you tried to write exactly the same story, each person is so different, the resulting story would be quite different.

But I don't understand the legalities that are mentioned a number of times on this site. I think there are some writers that are so protective of their ideas that they'll sue anyone that writes fan fiction or anything that comes close to being the same. I'd think in general when things are close you'll have readers that will make the comparison, and when you come up short I doubt you would have much worries about law suits. It's when you're incredibly successful that you have to worry about the jealous authors wanting a piece of your profits by trying to sue you. That being said, it sounds like you'd have more to worry about with all the things you haven't read. But I'm still hoping to understand all of these things better. (You might only have to worry about it when you get to a Jim Butcher or J. K. Rowlings status ... Which means be excited if you have to worry about it! Until then don't worry, and have fun writing.)

[Dina]

Don, just write it! Worry for similarities later-

[trboturtle]

So I agree with most of what has been said here. Even if you tried to write exactly the same story, each person is so different, the resulting story would be quite different.

But I don't understand the legalities that are mentioned a number of times on this site. I think there are some writers that are so protective of their ideas that they'll sue anyone that writes fan fiction or anything that comes close to being the same. I'd think in general when things are close you'll have readers that will make the comparison, and when you come up short I doubt you would have much worries about law suits. It's when you're incredibly successful that you have to worry about the jealous authors wanting a piece of your profits by trying to sue you. That being said, it sounds like you'd have more to worry about with all the things you haven't read. But I'm still hoping to understand all of these things better. (You might only have to worry about it when you get to a Jim Butcher or J. K. Rowlings status ... Which means be excited if you have to worry about it! Until then don't worry, and have fun writing.)

I think you're confusing content with concepts. For example, I am writing about a Wizard in today's world. That is the same basic concept as the Dresden Files. But I'm not writing Dresden Files. My content is completely different from what Jim is writing.

Here's a copuple of examples of the differece between Concept and content:

Concept: Giant robots fighting each other
Content: Battletech, Gundam, Macross

Concept: Sherlock Holmes in the modern world
Content: Sherlock, Elementry

Jim doesn't have ownership of the concept of a modern-day wizard. What he owns is the content, his take on the modern-day wizard. My wizard cannot be facing the Summer and Winter Farie, the Black Council, and the assorted foes as Jim writes it. I cannot have gray-cloaked Wardens working for the White Council. While I have vampies, they aren't set up as Red, Black and White Court. The Summer or Winter Knight cannot exist in my world as Jim writes them.

So, I write to make my wizard as different as I can from Jim's with MY take on the world and MY take on the vampires/Farie. I have to create my own form of magic that it my worlds own.

Look at Jim's Furies series -- I head that someone dared him to write a novel based on the Roman Empire and Pokemon. I see both concepts, but I'm never going to mistaken a Pikichoo for a Fury, nor Aleria's legions for Ceasar's legions. Two concepts, different content.

So, I can take any concept I see, but as long as I write it using my own content, I'm fine. Star Wars wasn't the first one to use the "Rebels vs. evil empire," concept. I can use that concept, as long as I avoid wholsale use of Smugglars, ancient order of knights, An evil empire's superweapon, Walking fur carpets, backwater famers who happen to be the hope for the future, and a large armored bad guy.

Concepts are universal: content is the key.

Craig

[slrogers]

I think you're confusing content with concepts. For example, I am writing about a Wizard in today's world. That is the same basic concept as the Dresden Files. But I'm not writing Dresden Files. My content is completely different from what Jim is writing.

Here's a copuple of examples of the differece between Concept and content:

Concept: Giant robots fighting each other
Content: Battletech, Gundam, Macross

Concept: Sherlock Holmes in the modern world
Content: Sherlock, Elementry

You have a number of good points. But I think in the spectrum of things, even fan fiction, which borrows not only concept but also content, is sometimes OK and a good way to get recognized for you're writing tallents. But where exactly on that spectrum you have to worry, I don't know. I think that certainly you're safe, Craig. And that you have good advice on a safe distance to stay.

I think you'll still have to worry about how readers compare you with others who use the same concept, I think that's unavoidable. So even when you are borrowing just concepts, I think you have to ask yourself, "What is it in my story that is uniquely AWESOME." And if you can't think of anything, you might be in trouble. But since there is something about the story that is driving you to write it, I imagine you'll find it. If you capitalize on that, then your good.

(At least until you reach a Jim Butcher, J.K. Rowlings status , when people might search through your books looking for the content that's close enough that they think they might get money from you by legal means -- And even then, I think you should be fine. But, I'm no leagal expert.)