I saw this quote the other day:

“Some writers confuse authentic, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.” – W. H. Auden

It reminds me or another quote, this one by Oscar Wilde:

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

 

There is so much out there for authors about being “original.” About not writing something like other people write, about putting your own spin on things. So many manuscripts are rejected because they aren’t original enough—whatever that means.

And while I absolutely believe that it is important to do so, authors worry way too much about being original.

 

What does “original” even mean?

There is nothing truly new to humanity. Even the newest invention only improves upon something that we already do or need to do. So why do we authors constantly worry about being “original”?

Partly I think this is the “gatekeeper” mentality, where traditional publishers keep out anyone that doesn’t have a “unique” enough voice, plot, writing style, what-have-you. But that’s not really fair to anyone, is it? Because each one of us is absolutely unique. And by that very nature, we bring our one-of-a-kind-ness to our writing.

I could read 100 Snow White fairy tale retellings. And not two of them are going to be the same. Some might stray far from the original; some might retell it faithfully. Some might change the genders of the characters and change nothing else; some will keep them the same but change everything else. Some might give Snow White a gentle personality in keeping with the original; some might give her animosity toward her stepmother and make her bitter. Some might start at the beginning of the original; some might start at the end. You get the idea. There are endless ways to make Snow White your own. (And who’s to say that Snow White was ever original in the first place?!)

While there is value in telling a memorable story, no story is absolutely original. There are several books and essays and sources that break down how many universal plots there are. Some say six, some say seven. Some are generous and say 20. (Revenge, Adventure, Quest, Love, Forbidden Love, are some examples of types of plots that stories follow.)

So since any story can be broken down to that general plot, who are we to attempt something “original”? If it can fall into a “Love” plot, then it’s not original. And yet…it might still be special and worth reading.

The problem when most people say they want something “original” is that they actually want something memorable and familiar.

Okay, that seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Hear me out.

 

Memorable:

We all want to write memorable stories, don’t we? While J.K. Rowling probably sat down with the intention of writing a memorable story, she wasn’t the first to write about a child wizard, was she? She wasn’t the first to write about a magical world; she didn’t write about many things that were unique.  She wrote about magic and wands, dragons and chimeras, children and adults. Instead of seeking to be original and new, she took a unique mix of many things she knew, learned about, read about, and imagined, and mixed it into a memorable concoction for the reader.

 

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Familiar:

As I said above, Rowling didn’t invent most of the individual things in her story. (Please don’t get me wrong. They are wonderfully creative, but she did not invent lots of things she uses in her magical world.)

Dragons, wands, magic, magical boarding schools… None of these things are unique to her. And in having those things as familiar, we are put into a comfortable, familiar world despite its unfamiliarity. It’s the unfamiliar that intrigues us, but it’s the familiar (Harry being human, having human emotions, experiencing doubts fears, etc.) that make us want to stay and experience his life through the pages of the story she crafts.

The trick for the author is putting those unfamiliar and familiar things together and twisting them so that the reader remembers them, connects with them, and thinks they’re original.

Just as there are infinite ways to retell a fairy tale, there are endless ways to tell any story. Pick a plot—any plot—and write the story you want to tell. Just by being you, your story will be unique. Just don’t forget to inject your own personality into it. If you’re naturally snarky, add some snark. If you’re fascinated by photography, make your character obsessed with it. If you like to run, make your character a marathoner. The conflicts that should arise from those passions given to your characters will make your story a part of you.

Your story is totally unique—just like you.

 

Tips for being “original”

Honestly? Instead of worrying about being “original,” improve your craft as much as you can.

How? By writing as much and as often as you can. By creating stories in your head. By giving and receiving feedback and critiques. By self-editing and sending out to an editor. By reading widely and knowing what has been done before so that you can twist expectations. By learning the clichés and tropes in your genre and others so you can reverse them.

Be authentically you. Put yourself into your writing as only you can do. Be passionate. And your story will naturally be unique.

Most importantly, don’t stop writing.

 

 

Kelsie Engen is a writer, editor, and daydreamer. She lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, where the winters are long and cold enough to drive her crazy.