Writers: What do you think when other writers give away their ideas?

Question

I answered a question from someone looking for ideas but didn't want others to steal her ideas for a plot she had come up with. When I called her out on it, another writer chimed in and said she'd give the asker some of her ideas.

Now, as a writer I refuse to give anyone any of my ideas, my work. I've spent years developing my craft and have worked hard to be where I am today. I am by no means an expert nor am I famous or even a known writer outside my small circle. Regardless, I value my work and will not freely give any part of it away to someone who is incapable of coming up with their own ideas.

In my opinion a writer who gives away their ideas to those who cannot come up with their own is simply a fool. It tells me you do not value or respect your work and possibly don't even value writing. If you are so eager to give away your ideas to those to lazy to do it themselves what do you think it says about you?

What are your thoughts? Would you so willingly give away ideas you've worked hard to create?

Answer 1

Well, I'm not going to give away ideas I'm working on! However, I have had ideas that I have briefly tried and abandoned (you know, a story that just didn't feel right in my hands), in which case I will pass it on to my neighbor, fellow writer, and critique partner Shelby. She has done the same for me. If I have an idea I want to use, then of course I'm not going to go around telling people on Yahoo Answers - or anywhere, for that matter. But leaving random ideas lying in my head when someone else could be using them seems wasteful... (But, I admit, usually give them to people I know closely and not out randomly on the internet.)



You make a good point, though. This is just my opinion. :)

Answer 2

Hmm ...



Would I give away an idea that I had spent hours working hard to create? Of course not. That complex little piece of work with a solid plot and complex characters (or lots of scribbled out notes and little drawings, which is what my notebooks seem to be filled with, along with a few grand ideas,) is mine. All mine.



On the other hand ...



I view those who come here and ask for plot ideas as little more than an extension of the creative writing classes attended as an adolescent, where the teacher would write one sentence on the board and each member of the class would then have to come up with an original short story based on that one sentence. No two stories were exactly alike - just as no two people think alike. Based on my own experiences, as writers (or perhaps aspiring writers is a better term,) become more confident with their work and find a creative process that suits them personally, they use these exercises less and less.



If someone asks for a plot idea, I personally have no problem with giving them something small to start off with - i.e. "As I looked up at the sky, I noticed that the clouds had become dark ...". What I do not do is give them anything that has a middle, end or a fully developed characters.

Answer 3

Those that give away their ideas more than likely, did not spend a lot of time thinking about them, and did not "work hard to create them." I have given writers story ideas here and there, but they are just ideas, and ones that I *know* I will never use. I would never share ideas that are precious to me, obviously. I keep them safely tucked away.



Maybe they're not lazy, maybe they just aren't very creative. Or probably a mixture of the two, but heck, if I can inspire someone a little bit, why not?



If it's an entire story they want you to create, then that's stupid, but if it's just something to get them going, I don't see the problem, especially if they have a plot and just need an opinion.

Answer 4

At what point did anyone on that question give their ideas away? No one created that idea but the asker and she was asking for help to get inspired again. She didn't say "I want to write a love story- Any ideas?". Itold her to make sure her characters were developed and gave her a link to a wiki page about the topic she was writing about. Daxter (sorry if that's not what you go by) simply told her she liked the idea. Neither I nor daxter gave any of OUR ideas away, so you might want to go complain about someone else or the entire section while you're at it.





As for the general question, if anyone is looking for story ideas that they won't come up with themselves, then they won't finish it anyway. I've never handed my ideas over to someone else, but I have made suggestions to make someone's story better, just like everyone in this section has.

Answer 5

It depends. Earlier today I talked about an initial idea I had about a witch in a modern day witch trial. Why did I give that up?



Simply because I don't really plan on building on it. At least not anytime soon. Chances are there are already stories like this. If I do write it, it'll prolly be different from the ones that are out there. I haven't built on it, so in my mind, I'm not giving anything away.



However, if I were to talk extensively about my current project...no way. It's my baby, and no one can have it! I'm going to publish this, and no one can beat me to it!



I looked at the thread you were talking about. I agree, she should prolly come up with her own ideas. But an idea for a plot can be simple. A kidnapping. A cheating boyfriend. A carcrash. It's not something that's dangerous. It's only plots that you build and make for yourself that is sacred.



It looked like she was just looking for more ideas, ones that she wasn't able to come up with on her own. There's nothing wrong with that. At least she's done the work to come up with a story on her own. If she wanted something from scratch I would have told her myself to go f*** off.

Answer 6

My thoughts on the "can anybody give me ideas?" issue is this:

If an author is prepared to give away an idea, they probably don't like the idea that much, it isn't an idea they feel like they have the time/energy/desire to write about, or its just some random thing they came up with off the top of their head. So basically, if an author is giving away an idea, it's *probably* not a good idea/



In addition, it is almost always easier to write about an idea you came up with yourself.



So basically, I don't think it reflects badly on the author giving away their ideas, because they usually aren't giving away the good ideas/ But at the same time, I would never give away an idea because I don't think its helpful to the person who is asking for the idea.

Answer 7

Wait, are you talking about me?



I don't really care. I mean, I think it's called helping someone out. Then again, I would probably care less if someone stole my current story idea and got it published and made money off of it. Heck, I would probably go out and buy a copy. Lol.



The way you put it makes us sound like slobs and idiots for helping people. It's one thing if someone needs help once or twice, but if someone is constantly asking for help, then yes, they are just lazy. But I see no harm done when someone isn't planning on getting published. You know?



EDIT: That is a good point, but I don't know... I still feel the same about it. Probably because I ask for help all the time.

Answer 8

One. The minute i'm getting an exceptionally super theory, i'm getting on it. All my suggestions are in simple terms sturdy till I do something with them. If i think of i've got have been given an concept this is super, i do no longer record it away, I start up it at cutting-edge. i hit upon I advance uninterested in suggestions if i'm no longer making use of them. good now i think of I extremely have one, and it quite is the only i'm engaged on now. My different suggestions are in simple terms sturdy. I plan to revisit one to verify if i will make it super, and the different 4 and in simple terms random brainstorms that i'm in all hazard no longer likely to do something with. BQ: i don't be attentive to. i like to desire the only i'm engaged on may well be a advertisement fulfillment. i think of the sequence I in simple terms finished in all hazard using fact the main fulfillment, regardless of the shown fact that it quite is much less complicated to experience that way using fact it quite is finished. BQ2: 5. yet 3 of them i'm enhancing, and one is sitting on the back burner till June. (So i assume that one technically does not count extensive form). The fourth i'm writing. i do no longer opt for to quite write better than one novel at a time. Then they compete for my interest, and one consistently wins.

Answer 9

I totally agree with you. They are clearly not developed writers with no imaginations. I spend months thinking about something in my head before even considering it as a story. If you really have to ask how to write, you're not ready to be writing anything worthy. It's insulting to actual writers for such amateurs to be titling themselves as authors. Of course I'm not famous but my ideas are sacred to me. Until they are published, no one else will know them.

Answer 10

Their decision, not mine. I'm not going to get worked up by some random person on the internet giving someone a plot idea.

Answer 11

I have always enjoyed "growing people."

I don't feel like I'm giving away "my ideas;" I feel I am sharing my bounty.

My "ideas," are offered in the way of story "prompts," hopefully, to start the asker's creative juices flowing.

It says I am a mentor, a coach, an adviser, a consultant (all of which I do professionally; sometimes pro bono).

If all that is being "a fool," then so be it.



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