by Ane Mulligan  @AneMulligan

I read an article on literary theft, and in it, the author said, “Don’t steal … reinvent.” Then, on Nov 9, 2018, Marcia Moston posted here on The Write Conversation, “Steal Like an Artist.” Marcia’s excellent post was focused on learningfrom others. This one is from a different perspective.

Since all of us get inspired by stories, characters, and the worlds they live in, let’s tap into those gems – make them ours. The value in literary theft is knowing what to steal and then how to do it. Here are a few tips I’ve picked from the pockets of the best:

Character Careers:

Unless you write suspense where your character has to be a member of law enforcement, try to find an unusual career for your character. It might even open up some good plot points and enhance the conflict.

 I write women’s fiction and romance. I’ve used several normal occupations, and I’m trying to vary those from the typical to something different…say for instance, a coral doctor. Stay with me here. Someone has to study the health of the ocean’s coral; it’s endangered, or at least against the law to harvest it. But it hasn’t always been. So who decided that? And would that “doctor” be an oceanographer? An ichthyologist? A veterinarian or a geologist?

Anyway, since there’s no copyright on character careers, go ahead and borrow it or one from another writer. Just add your own twist to it, and while you’re at it, start a file for any others you happen to read or hear about.

Character Names:

Keep a file on names you hear or read that you find unusual or particularly different. Have you ever had a co-worker whose name intrigued you? I have a friend whose name is Glenice. It’s a combination of her parents’ names. Combining names or parts of names is a super way to come up with something different. I met a girl named Gennessee. I loved it and used it in a novel, changing the spelling slightly. If you choose to use an iconic name like Hannibal Lecter, I’d suggest a reinvention in spelling. (NOTE: some iconic names are copyrighted, so don’t think about using Mickey Mouse.)

Setting:

We’ve all had places capture our imaginations. I have several on my bucket list that I’ve read about in novels. The romance of a setting draws your readers into your story. The location becomes a character. I have to visit the Florida Cays after reading about them in two of my favorite authors’ books.

But how do you capture the essence of the setting if you’ve never been there?

1. If you are able, take a research trip.
2. Google Earth has great value to writers. You can get on the street level and “walk” through the town or countryside.
3. Absorb it from another author’s book, then reinvent your take on it to suit your story.
4. I’m not a fan of travel guides; they don’t give us the real flavor or a place. But if you call the Chamber of Commerce or visitors bureau, or even a local church in the area, you can often get somebody to open up and tell you what you need to know. I’ve been dished the scoop by more than one accommodating, chatty employee.

When you find a setting that speaks to you, borrow it … unless it’s a fictional location. Reinvent that setting by combining one location with another and to create your own fictional one. That’s what I did for my Chapel Springs series. I used two towns and made them into one.

Character Quirks:

I once read a book with a character who counted the spots on her ceiling instead of sheep every night. I borrowed it and reinvented it to a woman who counts spoons in everyone’s flatware drawer. Watch people, both friends and strangers. Take their quirks and expand them to work for your

I compiled a long list of quirks, habits, and flaws by an Internet search, then I culled it to ones that would work in a story. Use your discretion when choosing; you don’t want to make your reader cringe.

Villains:

We’ve all read villains we love to hate. If you’re stuck for villainous traits, find an iconic one and reinvent him/her with some new twists. Take the matron in the movie Annie, played by Carol Burnett. She seems a cleverly close reinvention of Cruella De Vil. 

The point I’m making is this: authors have been stealing and reinventing for eons. You can’t take another author’s words. You can’t steal their characters. But you can take ideas and reinvent them for your own work. But don’t forget the word REINVENT. If you don’t, you’ll be nothing more than a copycat at best and a plagiarist at worst.

Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw PETER PAN on stage, she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. And so, by night, she’s CEO of a community theatre company and by day, a bestselling, award-winning novelist. She lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, The Write Conversation, and Blue Ridge Conference Blog.