It's weird how the need for originality clings to fiction and art in a way it doesn't to other things. People rarely complain about a house being unoriginal. Nobody goes to a pizzeria in Rome and complains about the menu being unoriginal.
Sure, you occasionally encounter a restaurant that's doing really crazy and exciting things with pizza toppings, and sometimes you'll see a house that is entirely unique....but that doesn't stop the 'normal' pizzas from being delicious, or the 'normal' house from being an excellent shelter and home. While risky experimentation has its place, you don't tend to see criticism when it is absent.
Yet with stories, originality is often presented as the MOST important thing.
As you say, Suw, it's less about the idea and more about the execution. The story isn't where the originality tends to come: it's the telling of the story where the magic happens.
Yes, you're absolutely right. I think it's a gatekeeping thing. It's easier for agents/publishers to say, "Oh, this isn't original enough", rather than "I don't like it" or "Actually, this just isn't ready yet."
I definitely got that feeling from the guy who rejected Tag. He had this whole thing about how you can't show the menopause on screen because it's too difficult, which felt much more like his ageism and sexism showing than a legitimate objection. So, absent the willingness to explain why the script wasn't ready (and it wasn't, so that would have been fair comment), he went with the hackneyed "Oh, this isn't original enough" because that felt easier than being honest.
It's like the creative equivalent of "cultural fit" in hiring.
Oh, I forgot to say in my comment - Tag sounds amazing! I can also well imagine you encountering a brick wall with the traditional (male, old) gatekeepers.
Thanks! And yes, I think it's very much not what the trad TV producers want to see. I've got one more script competition I'm going to submit it to, and then that'll be it until I have time to finish the novelisation. I think it might be more attractive to publishers, but if not, then I will go the self-pub route because I think it could resonate with a certain audience.
This is SuCH a fantastic read and has really helped me. Craft and Character will see me through - it’s not the story, it’s how you tell it, eh?
I’ve been struggling with my work, knowing that my character is not coming through loud and clear enough. And reading this has confirmed to me I’m on the right lines in terms of where my doubts are. 💫
It is hard to translate character from what's in our head onto the page. I know it's an area I struggle with, as I tend to be very plot-driven in my writing. But focusing on your craft and on character development will help.
Thanks, Matt! I'll find a way to get Tag out there somewhere – if a traditional publisher doesn't want it, I'll self-publish. It's on hold for the moment whilst I work on a paid commission, though. And yeah, someone like Michelle Yeoh would be amazing, though she'd have to practice her Welsh accent!
I am so here for more middle aged women kicking ass. I've recently become a fan of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (I know), and I realised that the main reason I enjoy it is not the drama, which always feels ridiculous and producer-led, but the fact that there are almost no other representations of women in their 40s and 50s just having a good time on television. Like, they go and do fun things, and enjoy doing said fun things. Stories about older women that aren't about how shit and hard life is when you're over 35 are needed!
Yes!! The whole trope of the battle-hardened middle-aged woman is just so tiring. I don't want every woman over 35 being portrayed as the harried mother, or the lonely single, or struggling with menopause and the female mid-life crisis. How about middle-aged women just kicking arse and taking names becuase they want to?
It's weird how the need for originality clings to fiction and art in a way it doesn't to other things. People rarely complain about a house being unoriginal. Nobody goes to a pizzeria in Rome and complains about the menu being unoriginal.
Sure, you occasionally encounter a restaurant that's doing really crazy and exciting things with pizza toppings, and sometimes you'll see a house that is entirely unique....but that doesn't stop the 'normal' pizzas from being delicious, or the 'normal' house from being an excellent shelter and home. While risky experimentation has its place, you don't tend to see criticism when it is absent.
Yet with stories, originality is often presented as the MOST important thing.
As you say, Suw, it's less about the idea and more about the execution. The story isn't where the originality tends to come: it's the telling of the story where the magic happens.
Yes, you're absolutely right. I think it's a gatekeeping thing. It's easier for agents/publishers to say, "Oh, this isn't original enough", rather than "I don't like it" or "Actually, this just isn't ready yet."
I definitely got that feeling from the guy who rejected Tag. He had this whole thing about how you can't show the menopause on screen because it's too difficult, which felt much more like his ageism and sexism showing than a legitimate objection. So, absent the willingness to explain why the script wasn't ready (and it wasn't, so that would have been fair comment), he went with the hackneyed "Oh, this isn't original enough" because that felt easier than being honest.
It's like the creative equivalent of "cultural fit" in hiring.
Oh, I forgot to say in my comment - Tag sounds amazing! I can also well imagine you encountering a brick wall with the traditional (male, old) gatekeepers.
Thanks! And yes, I think it's very much not what the trad TV producers want to see. I've got one more script competition I'm going to submit it to, and then that'll be it until I have time to finish the novelisation. I think it might be more attractive to publishers, but if not, then I will go the self-pub route because I think it could resonate with a certain audience.
Thank You, I needed this!
I'm so glad it helped!
This is SuCH a fantastic read and has really helped me. Craft and Character will see me through - it’s not the story, it’s how you tell it, eh?
I’ve been struggling with my work, knowing that my character is not coming through loud and clear enough. And reading this has confirmed to me I’m on the right lines in terms of where my doubts are. 💫
It is hard to translate character from what's in our head onto the page. I know it's an area I struggle with, as I tend to be very plot-driven in my writing. But focusing on your craft and on character development will help.
Hard agree. I embrace my basic bitchness. You only get to be original by committing to your bit.
I would love to see Tag. Michelle Yeoh is 61 and kicked ass in Everything Everywhere.
Thanks, Matt! I'll find a way to get Tag out there somewhere – if a traditional publisher doesn't want it, I'll self-publish. It's on hold for the moment whilst I work on a paid commission, though. And yeah, someone like Michelle Yeoh would be amazing, though she'd have to practice her Welsh accent!
I am so here for more middle aged women kicking ass. I've recently become a fan of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (I know), and I realised that the main reason I enjoy it is not the drama, which always feels ridiculous and producer-led, but the fact that there are almost no other representations of women in their 40s and 50s just having a good time on television. Like, they go and do fun things, and enjoy doing said fun things. Stories about older women that aren't about how shit and hard life is when you're over 35 are needed!
Yes!! The whole trope of the battle-hardened middle-aged woman is just so tiring. I don't want every woman over 35 being portrayed as the harried mother, or the lonely single, or struggling with menopause and the female mid-life crisis. How about middle-aged women just kicking arse and taking names becuase they want to?