by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I continue to have a lot of existential angst over the idea that someone somewhere is going to steal a march on me. I worry that I’ll wake up at some point in the near future to the news that a movie, TV show or novel has been announced that has a premise close enough to what mine has that, lulz, I’m going to have to think up a new novel.
I only worry about this because I’ve had a really good scifi novel idea in my mind for some time and I’ve only just discovered that there is a whole series of scifi books devoted to a premise very similar to what I came up with. The only thing that connects the two is the premise. Everything else is different. Completely different.
But because everyone is a moron who wouldn’t look past the premise, I just don’t know if I feel like expending any more energy on the scifi concept because the moment I explain it to an agent they will say, “Oh, you mean, it’s just like…” Ugh. That’s just life.
I have two other scifi concepts that I can work on. But the idea that I spent so much energy on something that is just like something else really rattles my cage.
My other fear is the outline I gave a manuscript consultant is now in the hands of someone with the means, motive and opportunity to really fuck me over. But, I just don’t know. The more I think about fleshed out outline, the more I realize how bad it was. So, yes, someone with more talent than me could use it as a stepping off point, but all they would have is the general premise.
My interpretation of that premise is at this point so different than what was in that outline, but it’s possible that people would notice they were similar, but not so similar that there wouldn’t be room enough for both projects. Not that I wouldn’t be enraged if someone fucked me over by using that outline.
Jesus Christ.
Anyway. Once more unto the breach.
