Is originality dead?

[Deleted member 1244]

"Originality in plot" are words used by people that have not read enough, have not seen enough, have not seen the world beyond the horizon.

Any writer worth their salt, know this kind of originality is not dead, it's an illusion that never existed, and was a lie on the get go.

To enjoy originality in theme and plot is the privilege of children and the ignorant, fooled in to thinking the same tired concepts that's been told since the beginning of time is some how new.

Same song different singer,
Or same shit different asshole.

 

[HungrySheep]

"Originality in plot" are words used by people that have not read enough, have not seen enough, have not seen the world beyond the horizon.

Any writer worth their salt, know this kind of originality is not dead, it's an illusion that never existed, and was a lie on the get go.

To enjoy originality in theme and plot is the privilege of children and the ignorant, fooled in to thinking the same tired concepts that's been told since the beginning of time is some how new.

Same song different singer,
Or same shit different asshole.

My story is about ten penguins—three of which are actually aliens in suits—who fly around the ocean in a living refrigerator trying to unleash the ultimate gargleploozle of cookie crunch bananaball in order to take over the lithophasic plane of arachnosaurs, a tripod-esque species of floppy disk interdimensional chefs who cook the finest salmon parcels. Find me an old concept/idea like this.

 

[Deleted member 1244]

My story is about ten penguins—three of which are actually aliens in suits—who fly around the ocean in a living refrigerator trying to unleash the ultimate gargleploozle of cookie crunch bananaball in order to take over the lithophasic plane of arachnosaurs, a tripod-esque species of floppy disk interdimensional chefs who cook the finest salmon parcels. Find me an old concept/idea like this.

Just going by your simple description it sounds like a road movie with extra steps, after recognizing what are superfluous and superficial macguffins, what remain is just another "quest", like Jason and the argonauts, or journey to the west.

There is nothing wrong with using and reusing old plot, my opinion is that thinking an old plot is new, magical and unique is the trap, chasing after "original plot" like its a silver bullet, lottery ticket is a waste of time.

Learning to dress up, and tell old plots so it's 'of the times', entertaining, 'speaks to the audience' and culturally relevant is the skill that is important.

But this is just me being a grump old scribbler. Feel free to ignore.

I also thinks the writers like to share opinions, but I don't belive writers are people that like to or should listen to others people's opinions.

They need to build what they think the "writers craft" is on there own terms.

'I tell you what I think is right, but also tell you not to listen to it, and make up your own mind.'

That's the "writer's hypocrisy" I think.

 

[GlassRose]

Name a color no one has ever seen before that doesn't derive from the combinations of the primary colors.

Infrared, Ultraviolet, Radio, Gamma, Microwave, X-ray. And whatever the f the mantis shrimp is seeing.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

[RinDes]

If talking about movies, yes.

If talking about novels/WN. Yes and no.

Because like in a half old novel with a movie director chinese MC that i once saw :

This sentence in the novel, made me understand why they no longer did good movies and/or try to do high quality ones. If we ignore corruption and etc.

Also hollywood is now dead. Because not sure if you know or not. But now the higher-ups or the directors, are basically doing politics with all this crappy woke-iness.
EVEN if a director doesn't want to, he is basically forced to.
BECAUSE : "networking".
If the director arrived at high enough position to have his movies on cinemas, that means during his growth, he VERY LIKELY used or needed connections, money, promises, etc of others.
Hence, there are lot of his/her "friends/connections" in support of "strong-women/people in color".
Which result, that if he/she is not trying to follow their views, the "network" of acquaintance will disappear. And most likely lose his job.

-------------------------------------

PS : Did you look at HALO tv show ? I didn't, but on youtube, heard its utter garbage, because "John" (people not wanting to call him masterchief) somehow had sex with a human spy traitor for the covenants, in her jail. AND scream a lot during fights.
In interview, the supposed director, explained : I didnt play the games, i read the lore books and was surprised of the immense world of HALO and wanted to show it in the show.
EVEN THE UTTER FAIL of the show (for the fans), director wasnt fired or punished, and still gone doing another work.

Also the sygma actor of TV show THE WITCHER, man that HAVE PLAYED ALL GAMES and LIKE the charact, somehow was fired for latest season.
The dude was the sole reason the show didnt go to flames as he kept trying to make others follow the "original material".
And despite being fired halfway, publicity was done to say "He is in it" as a last attempt to keep spectators on the show.
Also i heard the "female mages" in TV-show, are fat and/or dark women. DESPITE in game-lore explained that thx to magic, they made themselves more beautiful, closer to perfection, "why the f not?" kind of oblivious to do.

These Witcher 'He's Still Geralt' Billboards Are Just Embarrassing For Netflix

Netflix's new billboards proclaiming that 'He's Still Geralt' are just embarassing.

www.forbes.com

---------------
PS PS :

You've answered very well, and provided solid backup. I applaud you for that, and you are quite right, but seeing it all bunch together like that, really shows how f***ed up entertainment has become. And that is heartbreaking... but every now and then, a little gem can still surface, and give us all a bit of hope.

The Kenneth Branagh Poirot movies are a great example: he managed to bring something different, while retaining the heart of the original, refreshing but done with a tremendous amount of respect for the source material. I love Agatha Christie's books, and I've enjoyed the many live adaptations created over the years, and although varying in style, they all have that one thing in common: respect. Not just for the original, but for the fans, and also self-respect for those creating the new content.

 

[Alfir]

I don't know. For me, originality is being new, or the state of newness. Inventions for example are genuinely original especially if it comes to the first article. I can say the same in writing. An original work is about being new, but what then about the theme, plot, pre-existing template, coincidences, and the algorithms that work behind it? Depending on the reader, an original might be a cop-out, and a cop-out might be an original. For example, I personally loved Baby Driver, despite others saying it is a one-man show version of Fast and the Furious.
In my biased self-entitled opinion, I believe original content is all about being sincere. As long as it can connect to an audience and resonate with them, it can be considered an original in its own right just revolving around that audience's perspective.

 

[Tsuru]

You've answered very well, and provided solid backup. I applaud you for that, and you are quite right, but seeing it all bunch together like that, really shows how f***ed up entertainment has become. And that is heartbreaking... but every now and then, a little gem can still surface, and give us all a bit of hope.

The Kenneth Branagh Poirot movies are a great example: he managed to bring something different, while retaining the heart of the original, refreshing but done with a tremendous amount of respect for the source material. I love Agatha Christie's books, and I've enjoyed the many live adaptations created over the years, and although varying in style, they all have that one thing in common: respect. Not just for the original, but for the fans, and also self-respect for those creating the new content.

Ty for your reply

You just did one high quality reply too
the kind that i call "i would give you 100+ thumbs up if i could" in my list
----
Yeah, sometimes there are some gems
Cited the beauty/beast as good bc there was a YT video thumbnail with a title explaining about the successes vs failures of disney live actions
It had like 18/20 on beauty-beasts but others like 4/20 or a cross maybe, I forgot.
Sadly couldn't remember what was the title and lazy to find it back, especially with how much of a pain to find it back it is, and youtube algorythm gonna remember it.
---
As for lot of opinions i gave, they are mine but also partially some words there and there that others said, fitting my view too. Words that made me go "FCK YEAH that is right !" so easy to remember.
---
Poirot ?
Heck never read any of them but quite fan of it.
Mostly bc when a chinese WN with a MC be a writer, its kinda a MUST HAVE book they do. Showing how hquality it is, if a transmigrator copy it.
And even though they don't write them in full detail, they spoil/nutshell them in very detailed way + inputting views from author AND opinions the author heard from fans. Hence being like a #short-video version of the book, if you know what i mean with my analogy >_o

Liking too the famous most popular one with the orient express, where "the killercough is quite UNEXPECTED hehe"
that can give quite a thought provoking moment about the conclusion and seeing Poirot in quite a bigger light
Also one sentence sometimes i seen by chinese WNs i like, is that Poirot focus more on the "psychology" and Holmes is about "details/facts/clues"
= Hence they can't be truly compared, as they both got pros/cons
---
Why they didnt butcher it ?
They are crazy wokes but not crazy to the point of blackening poirot. Just kidding (half kidding) XD
It would be like Blackening Superman. They won't do right ?.......RIGHT ?
---
[Respect for the fans]
WELP, you are a lucky man

 

[CrimsonGenius]

Ty for your reply

You just did one high quality reply too
the kind that i call "i would give you 100+ thumbs up if i could" in my list
----
Yeah, sometimes there are some gems
Cited the beauty/beast as good bc there was a YT video thumbnail with a title explaining about the successes vs failures of disney live actions
It had like 18/20 on beauty-beasts but others like 4/20 or a cross maybe, I forgot.
Sadly couldn't remember what was the title and lazy to find it back, especially with how much of a pain to find it back it is, and youtube algorythm gonna remember it.
---
As for lot of opinions i gave, they are mine but also partially some words there and there that others said, fitting my view too. Words that made me go "FCK YEAH that is right !" so easy to remember.
---
Poirot ?
Heck never read any of them but quite fan of it.
Mostly bc when a chinese WN with a MC be a writer, its kinda a MUST HAVE book they do. Showing how hquality it is, if a transmigrator copy it.
And even though they don't write them in full detail, they spoil/nutshell them in very detailed way + inputting views from author AND opinions the author heard from fans. Hence being like a #short-video version of the book, if you know what i mean with my analogy >_o

Liking too the famous most popular one with the orient express, where "the killercough is quite UNEXPECTED hehe"
that can give quite a thought provoking moment about the conclusion and seeing Poirot in quite a bigger light
Also one sentence sometimes i seen by chinese WNs i like, is that Poirot focus more on the "psychology" and Holmes is about "details/facts/clues"
= Hence they can't be truly compared, as they both got pros/cons
---
Why they didnt butcher it ?
They are crazy wokes but not crazy to the point of blackening poirot. Just kidding (half kidding) XD
It would be like Blackening Superman. They won't do right ?.......RIGHT ?
---
[Respect for the fans]
WELP, you are a lucky man

There is already a black superman in the DC multiverse. If they are smart they do that.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Infrared, Ultraviolet, Radio, Gamma, Microwave, X-ray. And whatever the f the mantis shrimp is seeing.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

I said name a color. All of these aren't noticable by human eyes, so it's considered colorless. In other word, no color. Even if you use some special equipments to detect them, you would most definitely see them in colors derived from the primary colors. Nice try, though~

 

[HungrySheep]

Just going by your simple description it sounds like a road movie with extra steps, after recognizing what are superfluous and superficial macguffins, what remain is just another "quest", like Jason and the argonauts, or journey to the west.

There is nothing wrong with using and reusing old plot, my opinion is that thinking an old plot is new, magical and unique is the trap, chasing after "original plot" like its a silver bullet, lottery ticket is a waste of time.

Learning to dress up, and tell old plots so it's 'of the times', entertaining, 'speaks to the audience' and culturally relevant is the skill that is important.

But this is just me being a grump old scribbler. Feel free to ignore.

I also thinks the writers like to share opinions, but I don't belive writers are people that like to or should listen to others people's opinions.

They need to build what they think the "writers craft" is on there own terms.

'I tell you what I think is right, but also tell you not to listen to it, and make up your own mind.'

That's the "writer's hypocrisy" I think.

Good answer, because I honestly had no idea what the heck I was writing either. I'm impressed you managed to make sense of it

 

[GlassRose]

I said name a color. All of these aren't noticable by human eyes, so it's considered colorless. In other word, no color. Even if you use some special equipments to detect them, you would most definitely see them in colors derived from the primary colors. Nice try, though~

Just because we can't see them doesn't mean they aren't colors. Colorblind people exist, but the colors they are blind to still exist. And again, other animals can see colors beyond what we can, such as my prior example of the mantis shrimp. Humans can see 3 colors, they can see 12, and those are undeniably colors, even if we can't see them.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Just because we can't see them doesn't mean they aren't colors. Colorblind people exist, but the colors they are blind to still exist. And again, other animals can see colors beyond what we can, such as my prior example of the mantis shrimp. Humans can see 3 colors, they can see 12, and those are undeniably colors, even if we can't see them.

Alright, then. To complete my intended metaphor, seems you have think beyond what a human mind is capable of to come up with truly original ideas. Work just as well~

 

[Tsuru]

There is already a black superman in the DC multiverse. If they are smart they do that.

Oh then its fine XD

 

[Deleted member 68927]

Dead, zombified and shot in the head by a girl that wears a pink tutu.
What does it even matter?

 

[EldritchPotato]

In a way yes, everything that can ever be written has been written.

The Library of Bable has every combination of words possible. Thus anything anyone writes ever already exists here.

Hope it helps you sleep well at night to know no matter how creative you are it's already been done ;)

 

[Ai-chan]

More like they should stop recycling the same characters over and over again as if nobody there has a brain. Existing premises are being made worse by woke politics. What's the point of abiding by writer's strike when the writers on strike aren't worth a damn?