The friend of mine whose post I’m reblogging has recently dealt with the fetid, insulting, frustrating, and infuriating miasma of plagiarism, a subject also near and dear to my own livid heart.
There is no excuse for thieving someone else’s work without AT LEAST crediting them. Stealing another writer’s ‘brain-baby’ is low, lazy, and an insult to the entire writing profession.
Sadly, there *are* many levels of plagiarism ranging from outright theft all the way down to a writer having read someone else’s story at some point and having that story’s plots or themes get stuck in their own head.
That is one of several reasons I refuse to read almost anyone else’s stories about Godric while I’m in the writing mode. I want my own ideas taking up space on my virtual paper, not someone else’s, so the precious few Godric stories I’m currently following are ones written by my close friends, and only because their Godrics are crafted with different personalities and back-stories than mine own are. (Also their writing styles are totally different from mine – also a plus!)
It is my responsibility as a writer to keep other people’s relevant ideas from seeping into my brain because it is ENTIRELY up to me what I choose to allow into my mind in the first place. I don’t want trite smut, sensational abuse fics, or… other Godric stories running around loose in there either defiling my brain, causing my brain unnecessary worry and angst, or potentially – unintentionally – corrupting my own original Godric story ideas. This is my responsibility and I accept it gladly.
Decent writing requires that a writer possess certain strong traits: honesty, creativity, adherence to certain standards, and originality. Stealing from another writer for your own benefit violates all those ideals.
