[♨]

This morning, I was browsing some entertainment news sites.  I visited one that I don't visit too often.  I visit it maybe once every couple weeks or so.  I don't visit it on any kind of schedule, but just more or less when I happen to think about it.

This site has movie news and, when I visited it, I clicked on a few headlines related to a few familiar movies or their sequels.

Then, I clicked on one just because the movie title was unusual, and it sparked my curiosity.

So, then I read the movie's logline.

And, there it is...  The plot of the novel I'm working on.

Mind you, this isn't a generic kind of plot, but rather something a little more unique.  It's not 100% the same as mine and the end result will doubtlessly be different than my novel but, still, to the undiscerning eye, it may look like I copied the idea from the movie.

Filming begins in a few months.  I guess I better hurry up and finish my novel so it can be available before the movie comes out.  Maybe that way, the undiscerning eyes will think the movie copied off of me.  LOL.  (Then again, my novel will probably only sell a half dozen copies, but at least those six people won't think I copied the movie!)

 

[NathanWrann]

If the movie gets more publicity than your novel the undiscerning eye will believe that you copied the movie no matter when your novel comes out. Chances are there's probably already a novel, short story, movie or song with the same plot anyway.

 

[CEMartin2]

Deja Vu! I had this same thing happen last night. Apparently there's a new alternate history series coming out called Utopia in the UK. I was digging in my files for old ideas to work on this year and had almost decided to do an alternate history piece I came up with in the 90s called Utopia PD.

Both projects involve a murder mystery leading to the discovery of a plot.

From there I vastly diverge from the UK series.

But still... DANG. Nowhere near starting mine. Was going to be my summer write. Guess I'd have to steer clear now.

 

[Soothesayer]

Just write the damn thing and be done with it. Then ship. There will always be some lyric or story that some slimy lawyer thinks he owns. None of us writers are 100% original.

 

[RM Prioleau]

LOL since when did Hollywood produce any 'original' movies?

 

[valeriec80]

Man... have I experienced this. I found a book that looked like mine and had all kinds of creepy similarities.

It's the collective consciousness, I'm telling you.

I blogged about the creepy similarities here: http://www.vjchambers.com/blogging/all-right-this-is-just-creepy/