Author Mindset: Originality is overrated.

Are you worried about whether your story ideas are original enough?

Do you wrack your brain trying to come up with unique plot twists that’ll blow readers away?

Are you constantly concerned that the tropes you’re using in your novel are actually cliché and overused without you realizing?

Does finding out one small aspect of your book matches another already-published book make you feel like you should just quit writing? (”My book takes place on Mars, too. Does that mean it’s a ripoff of The Martian?”)

Then, writer, you’re probably putting too much stock into originality.

Originality in your novel doesn’t matter as much as you think.

Want me to prove it to you? Answer true or false to the following statements:

1. I have a favorite movie/book/TV show/other media that I can consume more than once without getting bored.

2. Some of the media I like, I actually like it even more after rereading/rewatching/replaying it.

3. I search for media that’s similar to the media I already like. (For example, if you like vampire stories, you look up vampire books, movies, TV shows, etc.)

4. I have favorite tropes, and I get excited when I see those tropes in new-to-me media.

5. I have a comfort author/creator whose works I keep going back to because they feel familiar.

6. I have a primary genre of media I consume much more often than other genres.

I’m guessing you probably answered true to the majority of these. Most people are the same way.

Being original is not as important as being familiar with a few original tweaks.

Remember, many readers will choose your book because it has things in it that they already know they like.

Your book is likely in their favorite genre. It might have their favorite tropes in it. It might even have a similar plot structure to their favorite type of story. Readers want the same thing again, but just a bit different this time. (I mean, how many Sherlock Holmes stories were written? More than 50, y’all.)

In fact, one of the reasons we have genres at all is so people who are looking for similar stories can more easily find them!

If originality was really the most important thing, then there would only be one vampire book. There would only be one hero’s journey. There would only be one chosen one. And who wants that?

So here’s some things to keep in mind about originality, writer:

• If you love a trope/story structure/character archetype/etc., somebody else likely does, too. Put it in your story.

• Your book might be the first place a reader ever encounters a trope/story structure/character archetype/etc. You could kindle a whole new obsession for them. Put it in your story!

• Readers are looking for a new path in familiar surroundings. They want to feel safety and excitement at the same time. Give that to them in your story!

And as for the readers who complain that something is too derivative, overdone, or boring?

Well, lots of people grow out of things over time.

But just as many people stay hungry for the same stuff forever. (Have I ever gotten tired of chocolate? I have not, and I can’t imagine I ever will.)

And plenty of people are discovering those things for the first time. Those hungry readers are who you’re writing for, so write for them, and for you, too!

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I hope this post made you feel better about originality, author. Share it with an author friend who’s struggling with the same thing!

This blog post is an expanded version of an email that originally appeared in the Story Sanctum, the Edits by Toni email list. **Want content like this directly in your inbox twice a month? Enter the Sanctum for pep talks, writing and revision tips, and fun anecdotes (that always tie back to writing, promise).