What Makes A Write (un)Original?

Discussion and Opinion.

Since the beginning of writing, we've been given various ideas on which we base our writes. Love, heartbreaks, romance, erotica, children, horror, serial killings, humour, and a lot more others. 

What makes a writing style unique is not what you have as an idea, but on the way how you present it. There have been numerous of us writing romantic stuff but only few make it accountable to the reader. The idea itself is stale or unoriginal but should we stop writing romance? Should be that we present new ways to portray it. 

Same goes for any serial killings as the main factor in a novel. We've seen those countless times in movies/novels but that doesn't lessen its charms, rather it's the writer's skills which adds creativity to it (that is if the writer has creativity).

So, the end point: none of the ideas we write on are original but neither are they unoriginal. 

Be creative. Originality stems itself. 

Author's Note

This is probably an opening for a debate. Feel free to come up with a counterargument. I would love to hear them. And... don't take it personally ;)

Reviews

[BBP]

Yumna, this was not original! :) hahahahahaha

So true, its like saying that the love of your life really isn't special because people have already fallen in love.

That the spaghetti at a diner is the same as a little old lady making it in Italy.

Everything can have a unique twist, just like people all have unique taste.

Without all of that our world be a boring f*****g place!!!!!!!!!!

[matrixmark]

Funny but True.

Mark.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

I thought so that you would say that 😂😂
Well it's a garbled mixture of conversations and comments between me, Mark and you lol so of course it's not 'original' 😛😂

And yes! I totally agree. Interesting point! Let's stop falling in love because it's so unoriginal hahaha

Thank you, Bev, for adding your thoughts here! I appreciate it 😊

[BBP]

You knew I would!!!!! hahahahaha

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Yeah I think I know at least you hahah 😛😂

[alanwgraham]

Hi Yumma. Creativity in writing I think is more of a gift than something that can be taught. Of course you can learn the grammar etc but the creative spark is that extra that can make the writing special. My own opinion is that it has A LOT TO DO WITH HOW YOUR HEAD WORKS, HOW YOUR BRAIN IS WIRED UP. I'm not inspired to write by these 'writing prompts' but just being open to what is going on around me and often links between things pop into my head.
It is all a bit of a mystery! In my case I became much more creative after experiencing a manic episode whch seemed to rewire or open up the connections in my head. I wouldn't recommend it however!
Cheers,
Alan

[An owl on the moon]

Ah, Yumna, it's wonderful to see you writing on the actual process of words, of composition, of weaving thoughts together in a creative, moving way, even though there is nothing new under the sun. I watch a lot of cooking shows, and it is very fun to see how one can take similar spices, breads, meats, and vegetables and blend them so that they flavor the world in a unique way. In my mind, good writing is a feast, something that should be savored and enjoyed. And may I say that it is always a joy to sit at your table... everything on the menu is delectable. :)

[Dr. YumnaKay]

That's an excellent example! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts here, Craig. And the same goes for you as well :-)

[An owl on the moon]

Ah, thank YOU for keeping the menu so very diverse and delectable... :)

[Richard🖌]

I love it when such meaningful things are brought to the fore, Yumna … you're of the mindset that is most apt to pose something of deep perspective.
We're very fortunate to serve on the same site with you.
If "truth" be known, everything we know came from some source outside of ourselves, from something or someone who came before us, and every thought, feeling, emotion is influenced by a learned reaction we’ve picked up by witnessing others do it from the day we came into this existence, or in whatever existence each of were born into and conditioned by.
This is true, even if we’re unaware of it (unconscious of it), and amazingly, we each still retain a certain individuality.
For instance, let’s say Yumna and Julie were twins, raised in the same home, wore the same identical clothes, followed the same rules, received the same formal education, and spent every waking hour together witnessing and being conditioned by the same outside influences, when the word "love" was mentioned, Yumna would form one image, idea, fantasy, feeling , emotion, dream, etc; and Julie her own versions, thereof, each determined by whatever composes their individuality, just as if they were both placed in front of an oak tree, with identical easels, canvases, and paints, and asked to paint that tree, each would paint their own tree, according to their own perspectives, and that which appears on the two canvases would be the tree as they individually see it … not as if through the same eyes.
In actuality, even though they paint an oak, there are endless varieties and shapes of oaks, and if they were to paint an oak every day, each would be different … possibly, even if they were copying the same oak, as their perspectives, emotions, what they feel about the oak, and as humans, their mental states would vary considerably, even from moment to moment, and surely from day to day, from month to month, and year to year.
Poetry is the same: If we write about love, a tree, murder, humor, of the endless arrays of possibilities, and even if we are influenced by this artist or that artist, each poem would will always be the version of the individual, the moment, the present emotions, feelings, thoughts … on and on.
So, unless one were to plagiarize another’s poem, theirs will always be original, and the more original and unique (according to the individual composing it; plus; the individual reading it), the more mind’s-eye catching it is likely to be, admired, enjoyed, amazed by, or otherwise … all according to the individual’s own unavoidable individuality/originality.
Every "moment" is original, nothing stays the same, everything is in a state of flux and change. Poetry, life, thinking, feeling, literally everything, and much of the change and difference is due to endless individualities.
We are never static, poetry is never static (even on the page it is different according to who is reading it and to how constant they are), nothing is static, or unoriginal, not even this which I’ve written, unless it is a photograph, a set set of rules, or a plagiarism, and even then it is perceived differently by each individual, even if they were today to say they hate plagiarism, it would be their own version, feeling, thought as discerned by their originality/individualism.
Still, we often tend to copy style, form (with its rules), and mannerisms from others … but are we not all humans, with shared physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual characteristics … yet, each unavoidably original, and everything we produce, as-well?
This is a bit long, because it is about psychological, philosophical, emotional, and mental awakening, and these sort of awakenings seldom occur instantly … LOL!
Someone may say, "Hell, I know all that already!" And, they would be correct, because nothing can be touched in anyone that does not already exist in them to be touched … this is how awareness occurs, new and original awarenesses, that are not really original at all, except (perhaps) in their newly grasped perceiving.
True unoriginality is not likely.
Okay, wake-up everyone … ha-hahhhhhhh! 😜

[Dr. YumnaKay]

I deeply thank you for sharing your thoughts which go by my own. Indeed, we are our own masters of how we portray something in our words.

[Richard🖌]

Sharing is a how we teach and learn, in whatever way(s) we go about it.
You are deeply welcome, Yumna! : )

[barleygirl]

I often comment, when I'm reviewing, on whether a piece is original. It's an important concept to me. I so agree with what you're saying here . . . to me, details are what make one love story different from another. When you write in generalities, then a love story sounds like every other love story. I think it's very helpful to offer tips on a website like this. Your presentation is not judgmental or harsh, but offered with good intentions & good examples.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

For me as well. We can not count ourselves as the judgemental ones, but like everyone else, we hold our opinions.
To me, creativity is above anything else, be it in simple words or the fancy ones..
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for agreeing, BG.

[keith]

fancy words do not a good piece of written word make
substance ... honest expression ... uniqueness, that's what makes one piece shine over another

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Ahem, I would say if fancy words add on to the uniqueness of a write, then it's worth it..
Thank you. I appreciate your thoughts.

[keith]

you have a point but a narrowly directed point
if your writings are intended to be exclusively for those with higher comprehension ... fancy word it up as you like
on the other hand, many of the great writers, recent and of years past wrote for the masses ...
ee cummings, james joyce, cormac mc carthy, jose saramago, william faulkner, gertrude stein
kerouac, cassedy, hemmingway, vonnegot, etc, etc, etc ...

who are we to decide what is good and what isn't?

[Dr. YumnaKay]

To each their own. We are the ones to decide what is good or isn't as readers, as was this essay written as. Not as a writer but as a reader you can objectively view everything you read.

[Andrew Leister-Frazier]

No, I disagree, you can have an idea for a character that is unique and compelling. It is more about what you choose to write about than how you choose to express it. The idea matters a great deal.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Sure you can, but the idea itself is originated somewhere else too.
I respect your opinion. Thank you for giving a new light to my thought process.

[Andrew Leister-Frazier]

Yeah what I mean by the idea. Is if you have a novel idea for a character, like Sherlock Holmes, someone who can notice so much and deduce and know things. Or an idea for a plot twist like in the Sixth Sense, or an idea of telling a story backwards as in Momento. All these ideas make compelling stories.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Well that's why they're termed as classics. What I wrote was for the new writers like me. We start small and take it towards a bigger level.. I agree with your points though.

[Jibey]

Solomon declare that there is nothing new under the sun... we build on what has gone before... but the key is to draw on our own experience and observation... which gives integrity to our words...

Beware the Bollywood formula

[Dr. YumnaKay]

True indeed. Thank you for your insight here, Jibey 😊
And lol bollywood sometimes churns up good movies too, you know 😉😉😂

[Jibey]

I weep at the thought :-)

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Hahahaha there are 😉😉

[Ken Simm.]

After the Rennaissance all art became mannered. It had all been done before. Perhaps that is happening now. What was needed then was a new genius ( and I mean that in the plural sense) to realise that you needed to know the rules before you could break them.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

A new genius is a good idea but probably we're afraid to try..
Thank you for your insight here, Ken. I appreciate it.

[Jes' Pi]

Very nice...
I agree with everything you're saying.

Creativity is very hard to find those days because people usually say:
"Wow, this person is very amazing! I am gonna be exactly like him/her!"
"I wish I could be like him/her.."
"I will follow every step of him/her!"
People should try to be original and don't be afraid to show themselves to the world.
At least, everyone is special in their own way, but society tries to make clones of "perfect" people.
People should be more encouraged to show their own magic.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

True indeed. Thank you for your insight here, Atashusi and for agreeing. I appreciate it 😊

[J Manuel]

Excellent topic on originality and writing through the human experience; humanity has a tendency to repeat itself through the ages, I guess it’s due to mental, physical and emotional DNA. In this sense, originally will never exist, therefore, creativity is nothing but stories scooped up from the cauldron of life, all with different seasonings, a little of this, a little of that, again excellent topic for this forum.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you for agreeing and adding your thoughts here. Truly appreciate it 😊

[J Manuel]

your Welcome