Bah! I’ve barely been online since the last Insecure Writers Support Group. I swear, if I don’t have the internet on Thursday, I’m flipping tables…
The co-hosts for this month are Sarah Foster, Joylene Nowell Butler, Rhonda Albom, and Lily Eva (and, omg, I almost typed “Evans”, sorry Lily. >_< My daughter's HP obsession's must be rubbing off on me.)
Last time, I was saying how I was enjoying a good long break from writing. It was good and, recently, I completely rewrote some chapters. So I’m feeling productive.
Do you have any idea what happens when I feel like that? Overdrive! New story babies … and doubts.
Let me start explaining by showing a picture. It’s pretty new, just a few day’s old…
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| I dub thee, Kaheran & Lady Adyia |
Right. Here we have an elf warrior and a human spellcaster. All on board now?
These two have been tromping through my brain for the last few days, teasing me with bits of scenes. Bits! I don’t even know what’s up with them. There seems to be a battle … some sort of war/revolution that endangers their lives (hers more than his), I don’t have all the details. Either way, it sounds like fun.
But I do feel like someone in the back of my mind is rehashing an altogether different story (beware: old image ahead)…
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| The MCs of my Witch of Morthin WiP Lorn and Princess Sarna |
Now allow me to break it down to the problem I’m having with this new couple…
- She’s a magically-gifted noblewoman (so is my princess in Witch of Morthin).
- Neither men have magic (again, like Witch of Morthin). One is a bodyguard and the other basically a mercenary-turned-bodyguard (I’ll leave it to you to decide who’s who, there). So I guess that’s double-snap.
- Lady Adyia bears the brunt of the chaos in the end. (So does Sarna, albeit for different reasons.)
Seeing those three lined up there, they feel awfully close. I don’t know how I’d take to finding I am rehashing my own plotlines.
I mean the characters have different personalities, it’s not like I could swap worlds on them and have everything play out the same. I’m not talking about minor details being a problem (an elf in Morthin would be a curiosity), but there’s slavery in the other story, my Morthin characters wouldn’t let that go on for a second more than it took to stop it. Excrement would pulverise the rapidly-moving blades.
Maybe I’m over-thinking it. I do that far too often.
Aldrea Alien 
I think you're fine. It sounds like a similar cast, but is the story the same? Do they have the same goals? Is it really the same plot line?
I think you should write both. And then let me read them. 🙂
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Agreeing with Loni. See what your beta readers think. The way you write the gender roles may be the very thing that attracts and pleases your readers.
IWSG #184 until Alex culls the list again.
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I think you're okay! If the characters have a different personality and goals and way of getting somewhere, it's okay something can be similar. Both sound good to me! 🙂
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From the way you've describing it, sounds like you've good. Don't over think it too much, otherwise you'll start pulling out your hair! 🙂
No problem on the almost typo, lol. I can't tell you how many times I've posted comments without realizing that spell check replaced my word with something that made no sense! Have a great day! Lily-Eva IWSG Co-host
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Don't think of it as copying yourself, think of it as your specific formula and what readers will come to expect from one of your novels. There are tons of authors I read because I like the way their characters interact, the plotlines, and their style of writing. It's the similarities I like. That can work for you too!
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It sounds like you worked out your own answer a bit here. If you're worried about it being similar, then you'll definitely make sure to change it up a bit as you write. I liked the idea and the fact that you could tell exactly what was bugging you with it. Play around with it in your head for a little bit or just go for it.
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Write them anyway. Even greats like Terry Brooks copied his basic formula with a new story. Or maybe combine them. (Be quite a cast, wouldn't it…?)
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It's early days for the new one (that doesn't even have a title yet), but I don't think the plotline is the same. When it comes to end goals, there are no similarities … that I can think of.
See, Witch of Morthin has more of a questing vibe and, despite the two PoVs, a wider need to find what they're after. When I think of the reason behind the fighting … it falls under civil war territory.
Whereas this new story … from what I can piece together, it's more social. She's an idealist sympathiser living in a world she hasn't the power to change on her own (and I got that feeling when identifying her brother who … most certainly isn't). As for the war, it's more of a background threat that turns everything on its head as the story get closer to the end.
And it'll be a while before you're able to read either story as I've still got the two Dark One's stories to go through … and Crimson Night … -and- Silver Moon… Do you know I've seventeen stories lined up? Hoy…
Can someone hook me up with a machine that instantly turns all my imaginings into comprehensible words? That would be great, really. I could churn out sooo many stories then.
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Well, I'm drawn towards writing defiant characters that don't have all the facts, and rarely the means, to make things right on their own. Either way, it should be fun.
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Yeah, I may very well being stressing myself over nothing, but I feel it's better to consider the possibility and find out things aren't that bad than to not care and be blindsided.
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At least if I pull all my hair out, I can be secure in the knowledge that there'll be enough to make a wig from. ^_^
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You know, now you've said it, I do recall some of my favourite authors doing just that. I mean, yeah, I've heard some of their fans complain about it, but the similarities were sort of what I liked about the stories.
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On that note, I think I'll be writing my older story first. That way, I can prod these newer characters for more information. And get a damn title. I can't keep calling it “the story with the elf” forever.
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I've not yet read much of Brooks' stuff, but hearing that actually makes me glad as I've a whole shelf of his books waiting for me.
Sadly, combining them wouldn't work. It would've been cool, though. Implausible in the older world, but cool.
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Decisions, decisions. Ugh.
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ikr?
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