Plagiarism is Not The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Question of the day: I'm an avid reader and have always wondered how writers are able to read other books and not worry about plagiarizing other author's work. So, how do you keep this from happening?
Very valid question and one that I think is worth discussing among other authors. When I first started writing fiction, I was less sure of myself and less sure of my voice (or perhaps my characters' voices), and this was something that I truly worried about. When I was a kid, for example, I was a little bit obsessed with Stephen King, and when reading his books, I found myself thinking in phrases in the way that he wrote...mimicking his tone of voice, his metaphors, etc. So I definitely worried about this. In fact, I was so concerned about staying true to my voice that when working on a manuscript, I very much limited what else I read - I would turn down blurb requests and refuse to read any author who might write similarly to me.
Not that I would have plagiarized - that's something different, of course - in which you're taking specific wording and passing it off as your own. But I worried that I would unintentionally stray from my own organic voice, which to me, was an equally concerning offense.
Now, many books later, I've realized that this simply isn't something to be concerned about. For me. Other authors probably feel differently. In fact, I've learned that reading authors I admire while in the thick of a manuscript can really help fuel my creativity - to see how well someone wrangles language or to see how perfectly someone manipulates the plot - well, that helps me raise my game a bit. Sometimes, yes, I read a sentence and think, "Man, that is so eloquent, I wish that I'd written it!," but I guess I just tuck it away as a model, NOT as something to copy exactly.
Is that making sense? I think that most writers use other writers as inspiration, not as something to mimic. That's what I'm trying to say. Still though, it does weigh in the back of some authors' minds, so thanks for asking. I'd love to hear how other writers deal with this, and if it's something that any of you are concerned with.
Reader Comments (7)
"I think that most writers use other writers as inspiration, not as something to mimic."
Exactly. I wrote a blog post about this for Writer Unboxed a few weeks ago - http://writerunboxed.com/2011/01/08/reasons-not-to-be-afraid-of-reading-while-you-write/ - and basically my point was, for thousands of years apprentices studied from masters. It's an excellent way to get better at something. It's training. And yet for some reason, we frown upon this nowadays, at least writers seem to. But we can't be afraid; we have to be able and willing to learn from other writers. IMHO.
Allison, I completely agree. I think it would be almost impossible to write an entire manuscript in a voice that is not your own. I read all the time - not as much when I am in the midst of a manuscript due to time constraints - because I think reading good "current" writing (especially in your own genre) is important to doing your best work. That said, my writing always comes out as "me." I think the mark of great novel is when you read it you are totally taken in by the author's voice and can't imagine the book being written any other way. What I find truly fascinating is how many great voices there are out there.
I think reading and writing go hand in hand. What drove you you to write in the first place is reading. You have to love to read, otherwise how can you expect others to read your writing?
When in the middle of a project, I think it's still important to be reading. This doesn't have to be a re-read of your fav author's novels, in case their voice subconsciously overrides yours in your writing. It can be lots of different well-written articles, books, verses etc... anything of high quality which is a reminder of why the written word is still something you love.
Totally with you! I read voraciously whether or not I'm writing (and honestly, I'm always writing something). It's helpful and inspirational to see how other writers handle a situation. I'm also one of those people who can't put down a book once I start it, and sometimes I read something with which I have a lot of issues... and that's helpful too. Looking at what isn't working for me in another work gives me impetus to avoid similar issues in my own work.
Great question! I"ve wondered that myself! But I do think you're right, Allison, that reading good writing makes me want to be a better writer. I guess the more you write, the more confident in your own voice you become... I hope. :)
Thanks, as always, for your insight.
I have never really worried about accidentally using someone else's words and actually HATE it when members of a critique group rewrite sentences for me -- that makes it their words and not mine.
However, it really miffed me one day when a member loved a line so much in my manuscript that she (out loud to everybody!) said, "I love this so much, I'm going to use it in my next book." Not cool.
Makes perfect sense! For me I think part of the attraction to writing is the ability to share my interpretation of things, through my own eyes and 'voice'.
Although I am delighted to be lost in many, many authors' words, I don't particularly share their points of view. As a matter of fact that is why I read, to expand my own horizons so that I can continue to evolve my writing. I think Kristan said it best that other authors are more like muses, to inspire our own creative spark.