How do you avoid copying in your stories?

A chef would not limit themselves to a single ingredient. Similarly, a good storyteller is always looking for inspiration from many shores. Reading widely and critically is important to ensure you don't copy. I also try to *write* widely, in multiple genres, from a business how-to book and business biography to fantasy fiction and thrillers. Co-authoring books helps both sides engage in a conversation that ensures originality. However, I would like to challenge the premise of this article... Why *should* we avoid copying in stories? As long as we give due credit, a good story begs to be re-told. Stories are incredibly viral. So let's discover good stories together and share them widely for a positive impact!

Have you ever had to write a piece or give a talk and not known where to start? As a business storyteller, you shouldn’t have to suffer from “writer’s block”. Because you already have a wealth of experiences that make for powerful stories – and therefore a powerful, yet subtle, highlight to any conversation or presentation. Enter: your own Story Bank! When it comes to your next meeting or talk, you won’t wonder what to say. You’ll just open your story repository and pick the right story to illustrate your point. Boom. That’s why I call stories conversational capital. Ensure you use a note-taking app like Google Keep or Microsoft OneNote that: 1. synchronises across platforms so you can jot down ideas on the go 2. is searchable by key word

I utilize this a lot. As I am making up silly bedtime stories with my grandchildren, I will record our story. I encourage them to use their imagination and add to the silliness as we (make up) tell the story together. It makes it authentic and fun in real time as well as creating great memories. It provides me immediate feedback that their age group finds fun and interesting as well as helping them to use their own imagination. I can then play it back later and refine a new story to write. There is no worry of copying, gives me raw material and keeps me in tune to the genre I am writing for.

Avoiding copying in your stories requires a combination of conscious effort and creative techniques. To start, immerse yourself in diverse sources of inspiration, including books, movies, art, and real-life experiences. This can help you develop a unique perspective. When borrowing inspiration, make sure to add your personal touch. Modify characters, settings, or plot points to suit your narrative and voice. Regularly review your work to identify unintentional similarities and tweak them to be distinct. Ultimately, maintaining a mindset of continuous improvement and honing your storytelling skills will naturally steer you away from copying, allowing your authentic voice and vision to shine through.

When I published my first novel at age 17, it took six years... and 10.6 rewrites. This taught me the importance of receiving and incorporating feedback. However, not all critiques are equal. Who is giving you feedback? Are they from the demographic you want to reach? Just because someone had already published a novel, they may not always have given the most useful advice, if, say, their genre was literary women's fiction while I was trying to write fantasy. Also, it's quite common for people to correctly identify a problem, but recommend the wrong fix. So instead of blindly following their advice, see if you can fix the problem *your* way to be true to your own voice and aims.