HELP - In need of advice

[donutsweeper]

My bigbang is nearing the 11,000 word mark and I was about to begin to drop hints to what the alien menace was, except now I have a problem.  I just read the Torchwood book  Another Life, and while it's not exactly the alien storyline I was going for there are plenty of similarities.  I don't know what to do.  Should I:

1- Write it the way I planned and hope no one notices the similarities or accuses me of copying the book's premise?

2- Try to figure out a way to rewrite the alien menace to limit the similarities as much as possible?

3- Give up, since there is no way to alter the story to the point that there aren't some basic similarities or assumptions?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

I say continue as you've begun, because this is Who-verse and if we had to do something different from *anything* that's been done, we couldn't write. Seriously. It's all been done somewhere in some obscure audio somewhere, if no where else.

You can put a disclaimer on it if you like, saying that you know there are similarities, but they're coincidental. Which they are.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I guess you do have a point. Between TV and books and audios every story has been done. And it's not like TW seemed to care that "Adam" had some basic similarities to "Border Princes."

It's just... *sigh* and *very big sigh*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I agree with _medley_ - all sci fi stories have basic similarities with each other. It's what you do with them that counts, and I know you'll write something that's you. Besides, if it's good enough for the series (Adam=Border Princes), it's good enough for us!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

Yeah, I know. It's discouraging when you have this nice shiny idea and somebody else has written it first. But yours will be different enough, I bet!

[k-haldane.livejournal.com]

Do it as you intended. *You* know it wasn't plagarism. If you and they had a similar idea, it just means it was a good idea. ; )

Besides, what if you spent weeks making alterations, only to have another book come out, which matches the new storyline?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

have you read "another life"?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

:) good point. The alien aspect of my story is more of a subplot with characterization and the like more important so I suppose it's not as bad as it could have been. Quite frustrating though!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I could see that happening too. I think some minor alterations might make a big difference, I'll have to see what I can do within reason

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I'd just write it the way you planned. After all, you didn't copy the book's premise, you came up with the idea yourself and if people don't see that, they're the ones who're wrong, aren't they?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*hugs* you guys are great

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

No, I haven't read any of the TW books, or the new school Who ones. ::winces:: Is it really, really similar?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

spoilers for the book below:


the basic premise is a ship came/is coming through the rift and into the Cardiff Bay (it's underwater). An alien from the ship takes over people's bodies, eventually killing them, but using them to learn enough about earth to find and obtain a fuel source for the ship so alien can leave and get home.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

That's...not exactly unique in sci-fi. *g*

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

no, but the whole body-of-water thing seems a bit too close for comfort

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

Well, there are a limited number of places to hide a spaceship, really, and underwater seems like a good place.

And if I was trying to land a ship with not enough power/fuel/whatever, better to hit the water than the ground, I'd think. If it's good enough for NASA, it's good enough for me. *g*

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

ah, very true.

sorry for panicking and bothering everyone there

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

Pfft, you're not bothering anybody. Nothing at all to apologize for. It sucks about the book, it really does, but I really do think continuing as you've started is just fine.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

thanks

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

You're very welcome. Any time!

[matsujo9.livejournal.com]

I agree with the others, write as you intended!

If you're worried about people thinking you copied, put in a disclaimer that you had this idea before you even read the book.

Also, if it helps, even the producers and creators of the show take their ideas from other shows.

I'm pretty sure it was the special effects guy who created Mary's alien form in "Greeks", that kept referring to the movie "The Abyss" and saying "and we wanted it to look like that alien. That's a great movie. Everyone should see it. I loved that alien."

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I guess I'll see how it turns out and how close the final product is to the book. That's pretty true though- people are always borrowing ideas

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

I haven't read anyone else's comments on this yet, so forgive me if I am just repeating anything already said.

I personally think that no one could be expected to read and see every single thing that is associated with a fandom. If you've read the book after you started the fiction than you didn't copy the alien, even if it is similar. Having read Another Life, as well, I imagine you're going to do a much better job with it than that author did, anyway. If you're really worried about it, just put a disclaimer on the chapter where the menace starts to become similar saying that you realize there are similarities but they are unintentional, blah, blah, blah.

With the entire history of Doctor Who, I'm sure most anything anyone comes up with is similar to something that's already happened. It's no different, in my mind, than writing that Rose's birthday is July 19th or whatever and then having a later episode set it out in stone as a different date. You couldn't be expected to know.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

And it's not like TW seemed to care that "Adam" had some basic similarities to "Border Princes."

Exactly what I was thinking. If people worried about basic premise/plot similarities, we would have no more sci fi, ever again. I agree with others - it's what you do with it that makes it unique.

I know it's disappointing initially, though. I've been worrying since KKBB that my Jack mpreg epic adventure plot was going to be done on the show. I think I'm safe, now, but there was that panic.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

thanks- I'll probably wind up doing that then- if it turns out similar enough

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

panic can take over your brain though. Glad that you appear to be safe!