But You’re Gonna Steal My Idea!

Ah, if only we had a penny, cent or whatever your minimal currency is where you are, for every time a new writer said, “But if I show you my story you’ll steal my idea!”

As if established writers have nothing to think about in their own imaginations. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have had anything written since the last time a new writer came along.

This is tough love overview on why another writer wouldn’t think of stealing your story. Some may find it slightly offensive – it’s not meant to be. If you do, then consider it part of the dragon scales you’ll need to grow in the business.

The Logic of a New Writer

It’s an odd logic set in our brains as new writers. I mean, Amazon has made gazillions on selling books and other products. There’s a reason why there are huge publishing enterprises, bookstores, book shops, online platforms, editors, copy editors, proofreaders, developmental editors, and the like. The rise of the eBook and Kindle show how much is produced. There are bestsellers lists, movie adaptations, plays, and so on.

Oh, you thought that was there just for little old you?

No, sorry. It's to help them deal with the avalanche of genres, plots, subgenres, ideas, and imagination output that’s out there. It's also why they have a slush pile. Other writers don’t want your ideas or storylines – they can’t keep up with their own.

But there are some unscrupulous profiteers out there. You can’t call them writers – they are knock-off merchants and that’s a very different thing. These are people who see an idea – any idea – and think about how they can rip it off to sell it. They don’t want to cook, draw, design, or write like you.

They don’t want to do the hard work. They don’t even impersonate – which would be more noble and a least flattering. No, they steal your entire product and pass it off as their own. But here's the thing: they’re more likely to steal the work of an established writer than your new offerings.

Oh, you thought that was there just for little old you?

So sharing your story with an established writer is unlikely to have them ending up stealing your stuff. Why? Because experienced writers are more skilled than new writers. We’ve been there too, worrying about nothing. We’ve learned about all the elements of writing and are a long way from and then she said and then he said, and the dog growled, and the cat meowed and … and huff puff…

What Experienced Writers Do

Experienced writers discard stories. They slash and burn. So they’re unlikely to steal something that’s less developed than a piece they’ve discarded.

Originality is key. 

We’ve learned about chapter endings, character development, POV, suspense, dialogue, conflict, and how to apply them. It wasn’t easy. So we know that if we’re making those mistakes, new writers are going to be to. They’ll have to go through that stage – just like most of us – of throwing a hissy fit when someone doesn’t like our writing. But we think everyone who thinks it’s great have amazing taste.

Here's a test. If you’re under any doubt – ask a writer to come up with a short story about five things they can see around them. They’ll do it. Easily. Once they’re in flow state, you won’t be able to stop them. However, someone who steals won’t be able to do it without a struggle. They’ll be looking at you. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. But it’s a pretty good indication based on my own experience. 

Originality is key. Kermit the Frog told Horace the Hippopotamus that it's easy to jump. Horace tried it and landed on an important historical landmark, crushing it. The Tanzanian government is suing him. Horace writes a letter to Kermit. What does it say?

You have 5 minutes.

If you’re a new writer and you can come up with a story around that, then you are in the company of other writers and will have no time to worry about who wants to steal your multitude of stories.

So stop worrying. We were where you are and in a minute there's going to be another one coming along.