Vent: Overheard a guy at the coffee shop say 'every story has already been written'

He was telling his friend that original ideas are dead, and it just made me want to chuck my latte. I think that's a lazy excuse for not digging deep enough into a character's specific, weird reality. What's the most specific, 'unoriginal' prompt you've turned into something fresh?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy43920d ago

That "digging deep" part is key. The last truly new story was probably the first person to ever tell one.

bettyhunt20d agoMost Upvoted

Ever read a book that felt like it was just remixing old stuff but you still loved it? Troy439 has a point about stories being recycled. Makes you wonder what the first story even was, right?

the_mary20d ago

Honestly used to agree with that coffee shop guy. Then I read a book about a lighthouse keeper's daughter who collects glass bottles. It's just a coming of age story, but the way she describes the sea and the loneliness felt completely new. The old bones are there, but the specific heart of it is what matters. That book changed my mind.