Have you ever slaved over your WIP, edited it, loved it, hated it, edited it some more and loved it again only to read a blurb for an upcoming release that is almost IDENTICAL?

 

This happened to me just after I contracted DEADLY MISTAKES. I read a blurb for an upcoming book and it was so similar I did a double take and tried to figure out if I knew this person and if she STOLE my book. (I have sense blocked out whomever it was so don’t even ask.)

 

And once when having a plot session with the Buds, we started on one gal’s premise. I sat up straight in my seat, glanced around to see if it was a joke on me. We had plotted much the same thing for me the year before. It got to where we joked about the similarities by the end of the session.

 

Of course neither had pilfered my prose or pinched my plot. And tell any writer this and they will in turn say, “There is no such thing as an original story.”

 

Yes, yes, I know this. It has ALL been done. The trick is to put in your unique spin. What we call “your voice”. You can give ten writers the same outline with detailed notes and wind up with ten wholly different stories thanks to their very own voice.

 

I once read two New York Times best selling authors’ books (oddly enough back to back w/o deliberately doing so). The books had the EXACT same story line. The hero and heroine’s past relationships were the same. The jobs they both had were similar yet different factions of the government. Hell, even the heroines had the same first name though spelled differently. And lest you think, “well, that can happen” – it was Raine. Not that common a name – right Raine!

 

But though they were so similar, the stories were so very different. The tension came in different spots. The pacing was focused in different areas and once I got into my reader brain and not the writer/critiquer brain I was surprised to find I enjoyed them both!

 

Again, it’s all about how you spin it!

 

Speaking of a wonderful spin on a totally rocking story line and a great book (if I may say so myself)…

 

Don’t forget – DEADLY MISTAKES releases in print in ONE WEEK!!!

 

Leave a comment and you can win box two in the Dirty Girl collection described in my previous post. But Wait…. There’s more… you name will go into  drawing for a signed author’s copy of my first EVER print release.

 

KIMW won last week – check the “about Chica” page for my e-mail addy and send me your snail mail to receive your winnings =)