I Said What You Said: Individuality in Peril

It's been a long while now - probably well over a decade - that I've been in writing circles online, first as a reader, and then as a writer.  And in all that time, one thing pops up again and again: this idea of originality. It's been well-established by many people online that originality isn't a real thing; everything is a derivative or something else in some form or other. That's why we have cliches, and tropes, and all of that good stuff. And a lot of it is good stuff; they're popular plot devices because people enjoy them so much. Well - the majority of the cliches and tropes, anyway. Times change, tastes change. But regardless: originality in peril isn't what this blog post is about.

The buzz-word today is individuality. Now, as humans, we tend to do the whole monkey-see-monkey-do thing a lot. When something works, then everyone seems to jump on it. Next thing you know, you've got about a hundred Twilights by other names, or magical school stories featuring chosen ones, or dystopias that must be ended by teen heroines. And it's not necessarily a bad thing; if people enjoy it, and they want more of it, then why not give them more? There's a reason that some genres have high successes in highly formulaic storylines - mystery, romance, YA fantasies - and that reason is because people enjoy it. Naturally, they end up wanting more of it. And there's only so much one writer can give them at a time. Suddenly, the idea of hundreds - nay, thousands - of the same kind of story from other writers sounds pretty good.

But if you're looking to be an individual voice in a sea of sameness, then writing the same thing everyone else is writing is perhaps not the best way to go about it. Unfortunately, it seems to me that a lot of writers do fall into this trap. 

Now, to be fair, when you're young and early in your writing craft, I think one of the best things you can do is write versions of stories that others have written and that you have enjoyed. It's a great way to learn about plot devices, to emulate writing styles and approaches to storytelling that you admire, to learn about character development and arcs, and so on. But it really is just more of the same stuff. 

At some point, you want to divest yourself from that sameness that has become so comfortable. In other words: Time to take off those training wheels, friend. 

How do we do this? How do we become writers whose works reflect an individual identity that nobody else's work projects?

Well, here are a few tips to get you on the right track.

Tip 1: Examine Your Beliefs, Thoughts, Biases

In other words, look at your own biases, your own beliefs, your own thoughts on a range of different topics. And consider them carefully, too. Do you only believe X because everyone around you believes X? Or because the shows that you watch and enjoy tell you you need to believe X? Or because the news says people who believe X are unjust or dangerous? Or because X is a new idea, and you've been taught to turn your nose up at everything "old"? 

Or is there a connection you have - a logical reason or attachment that supports those beliefs, biases, and thoughts in a way that you, personally, can accept and support wholeheartedly? 

Be very careful with this, because the truth of the matter is, we're all exposed to the same media, all the time. All. The. Time. We're probably more alike than we are different, and that's not always a great thing. With the way the media explosion has gone global, and the way that all cultures seem to be slowly merging into one, it's to be expected that thoughts and beliefs and biases will also begin to converge. 

You might even have felt this friction in your own society or community. Consider why that is, and where you stand.  

Tip 2: What matters to you?

I'm a strong believer that stories should mean something. They should stand for something. They should send readers a message, usually one of importance about an issue that's relevant to the readers. 

There's a lot of buzz out there about a lot of different topics. I'm sure we all have thoughts on a range of issue, but try to choose just one or two to get started with - one or two issues that we are dealing with locally or globally - and say what you have to say about them through your fiction writing. 

Of course, to do this, you have to do your own research. You have to understand that issue inside and out, and in some cases, you can really only understand it if you're exposed to it first-hand. These are those situations where people tell you to stick to writing what you know, because in these cases, the alternative could mean getting things way out of context or understanding them completely wrong, and further disseminating that error to others, so that they hold that false belief and understanding, too.

Tip 3: Avoid Gratuity

We talk about gratuitous violence in video game storytelling and how it's unnecessary, and while there are times and places where the depiction of violence serves a purpose, there's something to be said about that. 

When you're writing about an issue you believe in deeply, avoid the gratuitous elements that don't need to be a part of it. You'll find that each issue comes with a range of causes and effects - rippling far out beyond what you might see at first. There's more than enough for the whole book, and focusing on these elements will only make your story, and your individual style and voice, shine through all the more brightly. 

All that other noise - the gratuitous violence, sex, and whatever else - it's just there to distract, and it's just more of the same. If your reader wants that, they can find it in thousands and thousands of other books and stories. That isn't individuality; it's sensual appeal to please readers, and you don't need it - your story holds water on its own. Believe in it. Believe in what you have to say, and believe that it matters, and that readers will take you seriously, that they will read and listen and consider your words without having to be entertained by the meaningless distractions, which might, in the end, do more harm than good in the clear conveying of your story's message.

Tip 4: Explore Format and Style

You've got style. No, really - you do. We all do. There's a way of speaking, a way of sharing information and knowledge, a way of trying to convince people, that is different between individuals. How I go about a thing isn't how you'll go about a thing. And the mannerisms that I'll have won't be the mannerisms that you have. 

Embrace your own style in your storytelling, and with is, explore the different ways in which you can format your story to best get your message across in the style that best suits you. Maybe you do your best work in chat-type formats using highly informal language between husband and wife to discuss pervasive issues in our socioeconomic climate. Maybe it's writing in highly disjointed POVs that present running monologue which reveals the deep-set biases and thoughts that all humans have despite what they may show on the outside. Or maybe it's something totally different.

Explore. And enjoy the exploration; it's not a chore. It's a foray into a new and different art style. Be flexible, malleable, adaptable to the needs of your style and approach to storytelling, and be open to new ideas, even when you think they may not work for your way of writing. You might be surprised to find that they do. Or you might be right. Either way, there's only one way to find out. 

👤 

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Also, I have a horror writing course. I'm currently looking for course evaluators to help me revise and improve it for its annual review.