Tracing a Story

Have you ever started a story and realised that you were rewriting something else? I'm sure you've heard that euphemism that there are only 7 stories. If that's the case, how are there so many books?

I'm here to say that there's nothing wrong with writing a story that has already been written. Most of the story is window dressing. There are so many Hero's Journeys out there bedecked with wands and dragons and light sabers, but they are essentially the same story.

If I have an idea for a story that is, at its core, a rewrite of Hamlet, am I stealing Shakespeare's story or am I writing a story that has a similar outline?

And that's what I mean by 'tracing'. The basic outline of two stories can be the same while producing two very different and equally valid stories.

For a tongue-in-cheek example, click here!

I'll be posting my latest "story that didn't make it" tomorrow. I came 11th in my group but only the top 10 go through to the next round.