(no subject)

[spankerella]

Well, today started out ok... then it just want crashing downhill into this horrible fiery mess of a train wreck.

I honestly feel sick. Like I am going to throw up. For real. My face is all hot, and I'm shakey because I'm so upset. Another author sorta kinda accused me of plagiarism. You all know how I feel about that. I would NEVER. I was accused on two counts. I checked out the first one. It looks bad. I honestly didn't remember the plot twist in one of her fics that I'd used for the basis of mine. I'd read that part in her fic about 3 months ago and have read many other things since then. It really wasn't that big of a leap to me, the situation, the specifics, but I can see how it looks bad. VERY bad. Also, I really don't think I'm going the same way with it, but it embarrasses me all the same that it happened. I added a note crediting her with the plot. I've apologised, but you know how some people can be about things sometimes... especially when upset. I should know... I'm one of those people. I have this nagging sense of dread that this person won't believe me when I say what happened was not intentional.

And I'm a bit horrified by the second accusation... because it's not me. I never wrote the pairing talked about in this other time. It just goes right back to that 'ahh, so that's what you think'. I have to wonder why she thought that was me too. Why was that connection so easily made?

I sorta feel like I wanna cry about a little. I know, what f*cking baby, right? But I'm just so upset. I don't even want to go to work tonight. I haven't gotten dressed at all for trying to deal with this, and I have to leave the house in 25 minutes now.

eta: Apparently, the second one WAS me, but it's not what you think. I had someone come back from the dead in the same way. The fic was different, with different pairings, different plot points, and everything, and it's even a non-issue now as my fic is not posted anywhere... save the archives of a yahoo group which I am now considering deleting those posts. I'd forgotten it was even still there until this. Also, i had credited that part to her in the ANs.

The thing of this part of it is... this author proved it by showing me part of a review that someone posted on my fic where they mention the similarity. Now, this is a review that had lots of other things in it that REALLY upset me at the time. That is perhaps why I don't remember that part of it. It was a review I felt was truthful, but overly harsh. I don't know how I feel about this other author having it.

Though I was believed when I said none of it had been done with intent. That relieves me a bit. But the shock of this hasn't worn off yet. I still don't feel well... and now I am officially late to work.

Comments

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that's horrible. It's entirely possible to come up with the same thing separately, but it's hard if not impossible to prove, especially if you did read the something similar. :( Hopefully the author will be understanding of that.

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

It has been resolved... with her. I still kinda feel upset about the whole thing though.

It's entirely possible to come up with the same thing separately, but it's hard if not impossible to prove, especially if you did read the something similar.

I think that's what had me so upset. I know I didn't do it, I know I wasn't think of her fic when I started mine, but like you said, it's impossible to prove.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Well, anyone who takes the time to know you at all, even from just your author's notes, will know you don't need to use other people's ideas. Apart from that, there's nothing you can do by stressing, so you might as well grab some of that heavenly sounding pineapple/coconut ice cream and forget about it.

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

Can't!

I have to go to work. That's the worst part. I know I'm going to be in a mood all night. Maybe they'll let me leave early. Yeah right. Who am I kidding?

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Well, hopefully work will go smoothly and be jackass-free for one evening.

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

You must have thrown me some luck. I was working with people who were not scheduled tonight. One of whom happens to be excellent at cajoling people from the terrible moods with his antics.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Yay! Always good to know karma's worked to make someone's life deservedly better.

[camperx.livejournal.com]

I know it sucks, but she's right. Those of us that know you even a little bit realize that you'd sooner eat rancid slugs than knowingly steal someone else's ideas. I'm sure you either came up with it independent of the other author, or it was just something subconscious. It was bound to happen eventually, though. I mean, there are only so many ways you can shuffle the deck in fanfic - it's a product of using existing characters and storylines.

I remember thinking that I had a really unique idea a while back with LoF, only to find that someone started writing a fic using an almost identical "hook" not 2 weeks later. I was more than a bit crestfallen when I ran across it.

Oh, well. It just goes to show that even when you're foing your damndest to be original, there's always goig to be someone else dreaming up a similar idea.

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I don't know. I still feel... not right. I think I'm really starting to look forward to the days when I'll be too busy with my original work to write fanfic. Fic is just becaoming not as fun for me as it used to be. If it's not one thing... it's something else.

[kiramarie.livejournal.com]

Oh my. *hugs* I know how you feel about plagiarism, so to be accused, must be like a kick in the proverbial pants. I hope it all will work out for you in the end. The problem sometimes with fanfiction is that authors read so much of it, sometimes authors cannot remember if they read it or if it was an original idea. Lord knows how many times I've read something with a plot twist that was the same or something that reminds of another fic. But that's how I believe shipping and other parts of the fan universe becomes fannon-an idea is adopted and is spun out of control. Lord knows how many times I've read a fic and said, "oh they've read echo's work" or the term "cranky-pants" comes across in an author's wording. So anyways, I hope it all works out for you. I know you pride yourself on being original. And please don't upset yourself too much about this. Find some Alan Rickman movies, veg out, and forget about life for a bit. I promise you'll feel better. Maybe some Robin Hood---my favorite Rickman role. So snarky. :)

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

This is the worst part... I can't! I have to go to work! More than ever, I despise Catwoman now and the three prints we're getting of it. No Alan Rickman therapy for me. Nooooooo, I have to go look at Halle Berry in her non-pants.

[kiramarie.livejournal.com]

Ugh. May I second your disgust in the Catwoman movie...I have no desire to see it, but yet I have a feeling I'll be dragged to see it. Save me now. Well I hope work goes quickly for you, and then you can have your Rickman therapy. :)

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

From the parts I watched earlier, Catwoman should be avoided at all costs. I'm about to bubble bath myself them watch Sense and Sensibilty while I curl up with the ice cream I got on the way home.

[kiramarie.livejournal.com]

Ice cream and Sense and Sensibility. Sounds like a good night. Damn, now I'm hungry for ice cream-though it's now 7:15 a.m.-I wonder what kind of looks I would get if I walked in to work eating it? Hmm. Anywho, I hope you are all de-stressed now.

A pox on all their houses!!

[magsyb.livejournal.com]

Boo for the bad feelings, but hopefullly my first manip pic will help cheer you up. ;)



It's all your fault, you turned me into a fan...wait, I shouldn't be blaming you, I should be thanking you.. How to do that? Would you like more pics? ;)

Re: A pox on all their houses!!

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

It's lovely. I always like presents. Especially Willow/Snape presents. I don't have anywhere really to put them anymore, since I closed the gallery at GC. But I always like looking.

In fact, some sweet weirdo mailed me a screencap of Gary Oldman's butt earlier with 'bite here' with an arrow pointing at the butt cheek. Naked man ass always cheers me. So does W/Snape.

Thank you.

[devildoll.livejournal.com]

Oh boy. That's awful. I'm so sorry.

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's not so bad as I thought. The situation has been cleared up. I worked with the crazy loony crew tonight instead of the asshatting toerags I thought I was scheduled with. I have bubble bath and ice cream now. Sense and Sensibility is n the VCR... Colonel Brandon and his sexy voice are waiting. Plus, people are sending me half naked pics of Gary Oldman, so I'm good.

Nothing like a little man ass to cheer a girl right up.

Booger

[australian-imp.livejournal.com]

I'm glad its been cleared up. And I must commend you on your choice of pick-me-up video. Janae Austen is always gauranteed to cheer me up and Alan Rickman is brilliant in it.
Ciao

Re: Booger

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

Jane Austen movies usually do the trick. Too bad my weekend away fell through. *sigh* Oh well.

Re: Booger

[australian-imp.livejournal.com]

I suppose disappointment is just something we have to live with. I wish it wasn't so. Hope your weekend wasn't too bad.
Ciao

[rosefyre.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I hope you feel better, hon!

And this is why most authors refuse to read fanfic...it's totally possible to forget where you got an idea from, and use it, and never even know, until you're accused of plagiarism.

*sigh*

Even though things have cleared up, I hope you feel better.

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

I'm good. It was all just a big thing that really wasn't. I was worried and upset for practically no reason. I should have known when I explained myself, it wasn't as bad as it seemed. I do have patterns when I write, certain things and quirks I use over and over in fics. I just used a combination of things that had been used before.

I think I may have to stop reading fanfic though. I don't read a whole-whole lot as it is, but I may just stop all together. I don't want something like this to happen again. I'll just stick to a few authors that there's no way I'd ever be able to NOT read their stuff.

[rosefyre.livejournal.com]

*nods* I understand what you mean. And yeah, you have patterns, but who cares? They're good patterns!

I could never stop reading fic. I just couldn't. But that's me, not you, and if you think that not reading fanfic will be what's best, then that's your call. As long as you still read mine when I post snippets! ;-)

[angelic-raye.livejournal.com]

Echo,

Haven't these people ever heard the saying, there is only one real story just many different ways of telling it. Plenty of authors come up with the same sort of ideas yet they aren't accused of being plagarism. I think that these people are just out to be sensationalists, or perhaps desperate to upset someone more talented/successful than they are. They are probably hoping that you will release their names and give them the publicity they feel that they deserve.

Ignore them. Fine, so a single plot point is the same as yours - it's not the whole story, and you didn't intentionally copy it (if you even did)...Are they going to try and tell you that every single thing they have written is unique to them? Also, so a character came back to life in the same way? Hmm...how many writers can honestly say that they haven't used something they have seen on TV or in a movie?

Raye

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I have certain things within fics that I use over and over. I just used a combination that had been done before. I wasn't thinking of the other fic, I didn't do it on purpose, but I still felt shitty about it, you know? I have too much crap running through my head all the time. Something of this manner was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm too scattered to keep track of it all some days.

But the situation has been handled... and civilly... because it was an honest oversight on my part.

Revelations abound

[jennie-wls.livejournal.com]

OK, someone's probably going to smack me for saying this, but here I go... Maybe this is a sign that you should step back from fanfiction & focus more on your original work. That's your goal isn't it? To become a professional writer? You can only do so much with fanfiction & you've been writing fic for a LONG time. As much as I'd miss you're quirky HP fics, I'd love to be able to go to the local book store & buy a book you've written. 8]

Re: Revelations abound

[spankerella.livejournal.com]

No one's going to smack you, and the day when I shelf my fic-writing may come sooner than people think. I'm closer to having that goal actualized than anyone knows... because there will be a point in the future when I will work on MY stuff because that's what I'll be getting paid for.