I work in Hollywood and you'd be surprised how often this happens. It has happened to me once, which was a bummer for sure, but I too got over it. Ultimately I believe there are an infinite number of good ideas out there. But there's a new project I'm working that I 100% know someone else will do if I don't, so I am especially motivated to get that one done and out.
A honest and insightful post about a phenomenon I assume occurs more often than we realise in the creative world. My version? I am dead set convinced (not really but I also love to lean in to the drama 😆) that the creators of Squid Game overheard me telling my husband a few years before the show came out that I wanted to write a book about a post-apocalyptic reality game show where contestants had to battle it out and engage in increasingly violent and disturbing acts for the chance to win $50 million dollars. Crazy, right?! 😂😂
OMGGGG!! That’s so crazy!!! It really is a super interesting phenomena and truly does happen quite a bit. But it just goes to show that ideas will float around until they find creatives to land on! I still think you should write the book 😍😍😍
Haha they well and truly beat me to it! And from what I’ve heard they did a remarkable job (I’m too scared to watch it myself 🫣😂). You’re absolutely right - the world is full of ideas and the good ones will come to light one way or another! And there’s no shortage of creative inspiration.
Maybe I should! I assumed it was a lost cause haha, but I can find some unique spin on it. As you so rightly pointed out, even similar ideas can be told in completely different ways depending on the writer’s angle and voice 😊
Mesa, you’re absolutely right about ideas not belonging to any one individual. Your response is so generous and classy: Write more, don’t stew about someone getting out ahead of you. It’s the zeitgeist, or something. Thank you for sharing this.🙏💕
You described this experience so well & I appreciate your candid reaction. I would no doubt have done the same if it happened to me. But yes it’s true. Your voice and way of telling a story is uniquely yours. I am glad you are now newly energized by the experience.
Do you know what is so weird about this?? A friend of mine and I had almost the exact same subject line of our emails yesterday!! The subject itself was very different so I was not triggered at all, but still, what is happening???
Ugh! I’ve had that icky feeling when I️ see “my idea” on someone else’s feed/post/etc. It’s so frustrating, but it is also proof of how connected we are as humans.
I've totally had this happen before Mesa and the immediate reaction of my imposter syndrome mind was "oooooohhh noooo people will think I've copied someone else's original idea!!" 😱 And then in slower time my more logical brain reminded me that there aren't really that many original ideas out there in the world (we're human after all), but there are unique voices (and experiences unique to us) and we all get to write in our own voice on whatever we're called to share about. ✨ Then I felt better. 😅 Glad you gained insight from this experience that you were able to share with us! 💖 PS - Love the image of your idea stepping out on you! 🤣
"It should be noted - I am sometimes prone to overreacting."
2) I haven't experienced this as a writer but back in my entrepreneurial days I found myself pretty devastated when I realized there were a few basketball trainers building online training programs like the one I'd hoped to build. This idea wasn't revolutionary but my scarcity mindset left me thinking there wouldn't be room for my idea when everyone else jumped on the trend.
Oooh thank you my friend for sharing with me. But this “scarcity mindset “… that’s exactly how I felt yesterday morning!! You summed it up perfectly with those two words ♥️♥️
Yes! Has happened to me. Ideas are maybe like viruses? Read about cafe life (Le Chat Noir) in Paris, British pubs, good old boys in Texas—all help poetry & fiction to come alive and spread. Writers are idea factories…
I just wrote about being inspired by other posts/writers! Sometimes we piggyback on an idea, sometimes your story triggers something in my mind. It’s not plagiarism. There’s no prize for thinking of it first, writing it first. I see similiar titles and leeds alk the time across Substack. Stories appeal best of readers can relate. How many commenters have told you there same story in a nutshell? I learn a lot about writing better… with humor, rhythm, poetry, dialog…I am not stealing from anyone. I have asked a few times if I could borrow a quote. That’s common courtesy. Please forgive me if I stepped on anyone’s toes… Mea culpa.
Oh gosh nothing of what you listed was anything I was thinking about.. definitely wasn’t thinking of plagiarism at all.. I was really just thinking about how the exact thing I’m writing (that is in a locked account and is not public information) was also written about by another writer totally unrelated to anything I’ve ever shared. I don’t think she was stealing anything from me at all. I don’t think anyone has ever stolen anything from me to be honest.
I just thought it was weird and my body had a gut reaction of like oh man I missed the boat and didn’t get to write the idea in enough time. So, in an effort to make fun of myself for being this way and owning a ridiculous human moment.. I wrote about the experience…
I know that my idea is not original and that most ideas aren’t, it was just a bizarre feeling though to see what you’re thinking and writing about out in the wild in an unlikely place.
I do sound kinda defensive don’t I! I was responding to everyone who felt like you… but I did not totally get the feeling, phenomenon you’ve just clarified! Yes, I’ve had that feeling of missing the boat… I get it now, dear Mesa! The Amazon being researched and written about took me in the wrong direction…that’s a huge topic with so many ways to present it! Thank you for setting me straight! Can’t believe I threw shade at such an amazing writer! 🙄🤪🤦🏻♀️ Love you! 🥰
Okay Mesa, it's truth telling time. You always have a way of getting me to confess my sins, and they are many. This particular sin had to do with a grief coach I'm working with. This is my second widow's group with her, so she knows my story well and follows me on IG. Her account is well known in the grief community, particularly among widows (she is also a widow). She made a reel on IG about sex after partner loss, saying it's a big conversation among widows but NOBODY is talking about it. So I'm like, "Wait a minute, that's what I've been talking and writing about for 2 years!" I was just pissed because I'm always shadow banned for the sin of showing my body, so it's really hard to grow my account, meanwhile, hers is 5x bigger than mine. I feel silly even typing that, but I worked so hard on IG only to be censored. I just let it go, but it still stings a little that I'm so open and vulnerable about my experience and someone I trust and respect acted like she had invented the wheel.
Oh my friend, I feel that sting with you! And I’m sorry that she’s building herself up off of your very public ideas. That’s such a hard thing. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
I agree that ideas may float around and it's so frustrating when you spend time working on a piece to discover that another person has the same idea. Your post has motivated me to make writing a much higher priority than I have been and finish one of my manuscripts ~ the holiday story probably.
I work in Hollywood and you'd be surprised how often this happens. It has happened to me once, which was a bummer for sure, but I too got over it. Ultimately I believe there are an infinite number of good ideas out there. But there's a new project I'm working that I 100% know someone else will do if I don't, so I am especially motivated to get that one done and out.
That’s kind of how I felt about my idea too, but I’m beginning to realize that this is not the case 🤣 takes the pressure off a little bit!
A honest and insightful post about a phenomenon I assume occurs more often than we realise in the creative world. My version? I am dead set convinced (not really but I also love to lean in to the drama 😆) that the creators of Squid Game overheard me telling my husband a few years before the show came out that I wanted to write a book about a post-apocalyptic reality game show where contestants had to battle it out and engage in increasingly violent and disturbing acts for the chance to win $50 million dollars. Crazy, right?! 😂😂
OMGGGG!! That’s so crazy!!! It really is a super interesting phenomena and truly does happen quite a bit. But it just goes to show that ideas will float around until they find creatives to land on! I still think you should write the book 😍😍😍
Haha they well and truly beat me to it! And from what I’ve heard they did a remarkable job (I’m too scared to watch it myself 🫣😂). You’re absolutely right - the world is full of ideas and the good ones will come to light one way or another! And there’s no shortage of creative inspiration.
Maybe I should! I assumed it was a lost cause haha, but I can find some unique spin on it. As you so rightly pointed out, even similar ideas can be told in completely different ways depending on the writer’s angle and voice 😊
Mesa, you’re absolutely right about ideas not belonging to any one individual. Your response is so generous and classy: Write more, don’t stew about someone getting out ahead of you. It’s the zeitgeist, or something. Thank you for sharing this.🙏💕
Appreciate you, Mary! ♥️♥️♥️
Back at you, Mesa!❤️
You described this experience so well & I appreciate your candid reaction. I would no doubt have done the same if it happened to me. But yes it’s true. Your voice and way of telling a story is uniquely yours. I am glad you are now newly energized by the experience.
Thanks, Amy 😍😍
Do you know what is so weird about this?? A friend of mine and I had almost the exact same subject line of our emails yesterday!! The subject itself was very different so I was not triggered at all, but still, what is happening???
Something in the ether!!
Ugh! I’ve had that icky feeling when I️ see “my idea” on someone else’s feed/post/etc. It’s so frustrating, but it is also proof of how connected we are as humans.
So true!!
This exact thing happened to me a couple of months ago. I had a title, and a sub title, and I'd planned out the book, and started work on it.
Suddenly, I became aware of a book which had been released in a *slightly* different space, with the exact subtitle, and the exact same premise.
I just quit. This post has made me think, maybe I should go back, shift to one side, and reconsider.
Thank you for that!
Do it, Jackie!! Pull it back out and remember that it’s your voice that matters and ultimately makes the story!! 😍😍😍
I've totally had this happen before Mesa and the immediate reaction of my imposter syndrome mind was "oooooohhh noooo people will think I've copied someone else's original idea!!" 😱 And then in slower time my more logical brain reminded me that there aren't really that many original ideas out there in the world (we're human after all), but there are unique voices (and experiences unique to us) and we all get to write in our own voice on whatever we're called to share about. ✨ Then I felt better. 😅 Glad you gained insight from this experience that you were able to share with us! 💖 PS - Love the image of your idea stepping out on you! 🤣
Thank you for sharing with me! I feel so much less alone ♥️♥️ and isn’t a fun image of the idea slinking off 🤣🤣🤣
Two things:
1) I REALLY appreciate this short line 😂
"It should be noted - I am sometimes prone to overreacting."
2) I haven't experienced this as a writer but back in my entrepreneurial days I found myself pretty devastated when I realized there were a few basketball trainers building online training programs like the one I'd hoped to build. This idea wasn't revolutionary but my scarcity mindset left me thinking there wouldn't be room for my idea when everyone else jumped on the trend.
Oooh thank you my friend for sharing with me. But this “scarcity mindset “… that’s exactly how I felt yesterday morning!! You summed it up perfectly with those two words ♥️♥️
Yes! Has happened to me. Ideas are maybe like viruses? Read about cafe life (Le Chat Noir) in Paris, British pubs, good old boys in Texas—all help poetry & fiction to come alive and spread. Writers are idea factories…
We absolutely are idea factories!!
I just wrote about being inspired by other posts/writers! Sometimes we piggyback on an idea, sometimes your story triggers something in my mind. It’s not plagiarism. There’s no prize for thinking of it first, writing it first. I see similiar titles and leeds alk the time across Substack. Stories appeal best of readers can relate. How many commenters have told you there same story in a nutshell? I learn a lot about writing better… with humor, rhythm, poetry, dialog…I am not stealing from anyone. I have asked a few times if I could borrow a quote. That’s common courtesy. Please forgive me if I stepped on anyone’s toes… Mea culpa.
Oh gosh nothing of what you listed was anything I was thinking about.. definitely wasn’t thinking of plagiarism at all.. I was really just thinking about how the exact thing I’m writing (that is in a locked account and is not public information) was also written about by another writer totally unrelated to anything I’ve ever shared. I don’t think she was stealing anything from me at all. I don’t think anyone has ever stolen anything from me to be honest.
I just thought it was weird and my body had a gut reaction of like oh man I missed the boat and didn’t get to write the idea in enough time. So, in an effort to make fun of myself for being this way and owning a ridiculous human moment.. I wrote about the experience…
I know that my idea is not original and that most ideas aren’t, it was just a bizarre feeling though to see what you’re thinking and writing about out in the wild in an unlikely place.
I do sound kinda defensive don’t I! I was responding to everyone who felt like you… but I did not totally get the feeling, phenomenon you’ve just clarified! Yes, I’ve had that feeling of missing the boat… I get it now, dear Mesa! The Amazon being researched and written about took me in the wrong direction…that’s a huge topic with so many ways to present it! Thank you for setting me straight! Can’t believe I threw shade at such an amazing writer! 🙄🤪🤦🏻♀️ Love you! 🥰
I was worried for a moment, I didn’t want my piece to come across as accusatory to anyone 🤦🏻♀️ Glad we got this cleared up 🙃 Big love to you, Joan!
Okay Mesa, it's truth telling time. You always have a way of getting me to confess my sins, and they are many. This particular sin had to do with a grief coach I'm working with. This is my second widow's group with her, so she knows my story well and follows me on IG. Her account is well known in the grief community, particularly among widows (she is also a widow). She made a reel on IG about sex after partner loss, saying it's a big conversation among widows but NOBODY is talking about it. So I'm like, "Wait a minute, that's what I've been talking and writing about for 2 years!" I was just pissed because I'm always shadow banned for the sin of showing my body, so it's really hard to grow my account, meanwhile, hers is 5x bigger than mine. I feel silly even typing that, but I worked so hard on IG only to be censored. I just let it go, but it still stings a little that I'm so open and vulnerable about my experience and someone I trust and respect acted like she had invented the wheel.
Oh my friend, I feel that sting with you! And I’m sorry that she’s building herself up off of your very public ideas. That’s such a hard thing. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
As you know, yes this happened to me. Enjoyed how you turned the experience into more art.
Thank you friend!!
I agree that ideas may float around and it's so frustrating when you spend time working on a piece to discover that another person has the same idea. Your post has motivated me to make writing a much higher priority than I have been and finish one of my manuscripts ~ the holiday story probably.
Hooray!! So glad it sparked a creative boost!!