I'm starting to write a book and its a fantasy book not like lord of the rings, but it has elves dwarves nut thats with a lot of fantasy books. I created a race like hobbits, not hobbits, but like them. for example they're small and have curly hair. Do you think people will say i steal ideas? Also lets say i choose to have 4 of this hobbit like race like lotr or choose to have a demon appear if i go into mines. or have a town dedicated to horses. Do you think people will think im stealing ideas or copying lotr?
2007-12-19 14:41:14 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Originality in Fantasy is very diffivult to maintain.People will at once start comparing what ever you write or do. Just try to write it well and then leave to people. COmparisons will be there, whatever you do or so. Hary Potter was a runaway best seller, but still charged with issuslike that. Lord of Rings are very powerful books. They have evolved like the landmarks in this genre, so comparisons with that rise like steam from boiling water. No matter what you do!!
TW K
2007-12-20 03:44:31 · answer #1 · answered by TW K 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Persiphone_hellecat makes an excellent point.
I remember reading The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks, which was just after LOTR was published in the USA, and he had elves, dwarfs, and trolls.
I immediately felt like it was a rip-off of LOTR, even though after reading it I could see that the background and nature of these races was original and fresh.
Brooks' book was still a success, and he went on to publish many sequels in the Shannara series (I read two sequels, and enjoyed them).
Part of the problem was that his book came so soon after LOTR. That's why all these kids writing vampire stories are never going to get published, no matter how good they are.
You might consider putting this one in a drawer for a few years while you work on something else. Or, just finish it as a writing exercise, and maybe try publishing much later.
If you are serious about writing, study the craft. There are a lot of very helpful how-to books, and you can always take classes in creative writing.
Also, persiphone has given a lot of very good advice that is available in her starred answers. Check it out.
Cheers,
James
2007-12-20 18:46:50 · answer #2 · answered by james p 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Heck, Lord of The Rings doesn't even have that many original ideas.
I think the fact that you already know your ideas are derivitive of others means you should look at your book and decide if it is original enough to be interesting as you're writing it now. Maybe you need to rethink some of the races and some of the situations.
I've written a lot of things and later found out that someone had used the idea before, but if I don't think it is original to start with, I'll seldom use it.
The only time I would say to go ahead with an idea you know to be derivitive or common, is if you believe you can do it better then was done before.
I agree that Persiphone gives a lot of good advice - now, if she would just stop showing a lack of respect to self-publishing.....
2007-12-20 20:40:00 · answer #3 · answered by Rich 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you have in the story that will determine whether or not you're ripping off LOTRs.
If the storyline has nothing *on* LOTR, then you're perfectly able to use whatever you wish to create your own fantasy races.
But ideas can't be ideas can't be copyrighted, only the material in the book. But having simply the word 'hobbit' by itself isn't a trademarked word nor is it copyrighted.
It's just a word.
Just like warp drive or hyperspace. Or 'star' and 'trek'.
None of these words are copyrighted or universally protected under law, because they are a common use words.
2007-12-20 01:38:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO matter what you do, people are going to say you stole the ideas. Even if you choose a town dedicated to horses, that is right out of Gulliver's Travels. Yahoo took it's name from Book 4 of Swift's book. What you have to do is just do your best to make it as original as possible and see how it goes. You shouldn't be concerned with whether or not your friends think it's stolen, worry about what publishers will think. If it comes too close, it will make them very nervous and they will reject you.
----
They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.
Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.
Pax - C
2007-12-19 23:20:18 · answer #5 · answered by Persiphone_Hellecat 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yeah you could do all those things, but they certainly would not come off as very original. If you know what I mean. They might even be considered plagerism. You're fine with elves and dwarves, even a hobbit-like creature, but when you start using important plot lines and settings it calls your intergrity anc creativity as a writer into question. At least, if I read book with those things in it I would totally think the author ripped it all off from Tolkien.
2007-12-19 22:59:52 · answer #6 · answered by Kelsey 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Just call it "King of the Circles." Call the little people "Bobbits." You'll fool everyeone.
2007-12-19 23:32:39 · answer #7 · answered by John T 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No you shouldn't.
2007-12-20 15:44:25 · answer #8 · answered by Twilight Luver!!! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋