A Sobering Question

The dilemma of one of our Fast Track members prompted me to write this post. The statement she made to us haunted me long after I had posted a reply. I hope she will forgive me, but I realized that her concern was one that plagues many new writers. I remember having the same thought when I was younger.

A most exciting time for a writer is that moment of pure inspiration. You get an idea for a book that grips you and just won't let go. All of your thoughts center on this idea. Scenarios, angles, even dialogue swirl around in your mind. You know without a doubt that you have to write this book. Then you think, what if this book has already been written? It's a sobering question that can quickly douse the flame of inspiration. But is it valid? My answer is no, but I wanted the opinion of another writer.

I posed this question to Funds for Writers founder C. Hope Clark. Hope constantly encourages and inspires me...and patiently answers my questions. She has graciously permitted me to quote her answer in this post.

What if the book I want to write has already been written?

What an intriguing question. First of all, your book has never been written. The topic may have been discussed, researched and presented, but never in the manner in which you can write it. How many biographies have been written about George Washington, John F. Kennedy, or Princess Diana? How many Civil War books have covered each skirmish, battle by battle, date by date, general by general? There was even a law-suit about the DaVinci Code, if you will recall, and the authors of the first book lost against Dan Brown, the author of the second book.

You cannot copyright an idea. Ideas belong to the world. The manner in which they are explained belongs to the author. Regardless of what you write, nonfiction or fiction, the manner of story-telling is yours. Even the driest history can come alive in the words of the right author. Your job is to write to make a reader want to read. And if you write it well, with a style all your own, no matter how many times a reader has read about the Industrial Revolution, the greening of America or the lifestyle of the early pioneers in relation to Native Americans, he'll enjoy your book. He'll also tell his friends who will tell their friends, something he's never done with the other versions of the book you think have already been written.

As you can see, it doesn't matter how much has been written on a subject, it's all about your own voice and what you feel you can add to the mix. Don't let anything steal your dreams. If you have questions about writing, ask another writer. Most will be happy to help you. No matter how trivial you may think your questions are, if they keep you from moving forward they are important enough to be answered.

Happy Writing!
StellaD
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C. Hope Clark is the founder of FundsforWriters.com and author of The Shy Writer. She has also been published in Writer's Digest, The Writer, Byline Magazine and others.