Have you ever sat on a novel idea too long and now it became stale because someone else wrote it?

[VanVeleca]

A few years back, when Isekai was still considered a "new" kind of genre in the western anime fandom, I came up with an idea for a comfy isekai story. Back then there weren't many of those, a ton of isekai were action heavy and about a human protagonist attaining fame and glory in a fantasy world.

My specific idea was about a old man reincarnating as a goblin and having to work his way up quickly before his life span as a goblin ends. It depends on the specific story, but often I've found goblins described like insects, the specific kind that doesn't live for very long. His one and only goal in this new world would be not to die as he was terrified of death in his previous life, having to go through it again would be a nightmare. Thing is goblins are weak as shit, so I came up with ways for him to "raise" his skills without battling by using other game inspired mechanics...mini games!

I couldn't completely decide which one I wanted, but I chose two options for how this could go. 1. The goblin MC becomes a slime rancher and would raise/feed slimes to become a specific type that could be used as medicine, food or even as weapons for other warriors. Or 2. The goblin MC is reborn into a fantasy novel inspired world where gambling reigns supreme and everyone is a master cheater who does wacky stuff to get away without getting caught.

They would have to through trials and tribulations until attaining a vampire potion to become immortal!

It seemed like a good idea...whichever way I go...Then however, after a few years, a ton of stories basically just like what I described appeared.

Farming/ranching isekai is basically a genre of it's own now, it's not unusual for the MC to be a type of monster either. Gambling/gacha is practically a staple of korean isekai novels now. Finally, the ultimate goal: pretty much every villainess isekai is just about the MC not wanting to die and just living a comfortable life.

I sat on the idea too long! Now if I made it, it would seem like a random hodge podge of popular isekai tropes mixed together because it would reel in potential easy/early popularity! FUCK! I'D BE A HACK!

Oh well, I've since then come up with something else anyhow, something a bit more original...that I won't disclose because I don't want this idea to become randomly popular either :P

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Nope.

 

[Our_Lady_in_Twilight]

My ideas tend to cannibalise each other - I've basically got 3 ideas atm spread over half a dozen story concepts.

 

[RightThereInTheTitle]

This is my standard response to anyone who thinks "I can't do that, someone else did it already":

 

[DireBadger]

Thank you for that comic. it's perfect.

Right up until you start adding in the 'Chinese fanfiction porn' writers, who make a third cake out of feces.

 

[Turtels_Malone]

No idea is original.

 

[Impurepyxia]

Honestly do it anyways, even if it has the exact same premise, someone’s take on an idea is always valid.

The worse you can get out of it is writing experience lmfao

 

[Eldoria]

My ideas are born from subversive tropes. So I tend to avoid mainstream fiction, even if it means becoming unpopular. For example, my characters tend to be unromantic, but rather have warm, familial relationships. Because I dislike clichéd romantic fantasy.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Not exactly but when I was younger I would get ideas that I would start writing, only to find someone else had just published something so close to it that I'd be accused of plagiarism if I finished. Hasn't happened for years though.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

No one on Earth can write your novel. *^^* But what folks can do is take some or much of your concept and run with it.
But this isn't plagiarism and nor can you really do anything about it.

I've had so many novel concepts over the years, and yes, I've seen them appear as books, and then blockbuster movies, but...meh, it feels good knowing I can imagine something that would catch so much fire. *^^*

 

[DireBadger]

Sometimes people have the same concepts, but they are always inferior. My lack of success is due to poor marketing, not poor writing.

I tell myself that every morning. It helps, and it's true, so there's that :)

 

[KUWABARA]

This is my standard response to anyone who thinks "I can't do that, someone else did it already":
View attachment 41625

The sequel they never tell you about...

Personally, so far I haven't come across another person writing the same kind of story I'm doing.

 

[ArborealWood]

Thank you for that comic. it's perfect.

Right up until you start adding in the 'Chinese fanfiction porn' writers, who make a third cake out of feces.

As someone who have read tons of them and especially MTL to the point I could even understand pavement he ain't lying.

To spot a Chinese fanfic MC is easy.

1.call every chick he sees jade beauty, porcelains like skin,jade finger JADE EVERYTHING

2.if reincarnated ofc he gotta look like sephiroth with flowing white hair and red eyes

3.if he got a system or a bloodline in certain fanfic it's gotta be something like "the heavenly four thousand headed void dragons of infinite cycle of samsara and reincarnation+plus some bs void or chaos stuff

5.If it's harem the mc bouta be dumber than Japanese one or just horny as hell.

6.plot armour so stupid they always ended up being saved and awakening some bs power or bloodlines

7.even in fanfic they can't run away from patriotism and calling Americans capitalistic pig oh yeah also every fanfic of Chinese one gotta have some lines like "you don't know the immensity of heaven and earth!" Or "how dare you disrespect our young master!"

8.its gotta be harem 99% of Chinese fanfic is harem even if said mc is a literally Godzilla mc.

9.anger issues I don't get it but most Chinese fanfic character have so much anger issues plot armor needs to save him


(Of course there's good one but there ain't much since most of them seems to be self insert of people who wanna smash either Black Widow or Any character)

 

[DireBadger]

I never really understood it...those things should be plot drivers, not plot armor. And the rage seems to almost be a trope. Living in China must really suck.

 

[Sylver]

Something similar.

On the website Chyoa, I noticed hardly any Monster Girl story content so I got to work on what I thought was a golden opportunity to stand out from the crowd and develop my work/following.

But halfway through my story, more Monster Girl content emerged. A lot more, and frankly most of them focused completely on smut and kink fetishes. My story is described as porn with a plot, they just use the plot portion to focus on more porn opportunities. Harems, Isekais, Heroes that lay with evil beings one smut scene at a time to convert them into good guys somehow XD

And before I knew it, my story was lost on the sauce. I wasn't special anymore, people weren't showing up to read my content. Views fell out, comments became scarce, and the followers went for those Monster Girl Smut Stories. I lost my drive, it felt like a punch to the gut for me. And mind you I wasn't having the best success either, but I had good views and likes. But them? Pfft, they surpasses me in a months work compared to my half a year of content, and the divide only grew further from there. I couldn't compete, couldn't even try.

I finished my story branch, but I lost altogether. What once had 5 digit numbered views dwindled down to one comment thanking me for the story by the final chapter. Maybe it's selfish of me to think this way but I didn't see any of this Monster Girl stuff until I started mine, and now my story is like page 7 of the results of Monster Girl content there. Felt like I started a Marathon for everyone but was easily left behind.

So I came here, start again. Try to make a name for my work on a different site. It's not as strong as it was on chyoa, I get that. But well, it's a start at least. I finally achieved the 1k likes so that's a feat!

 

[DireBadger]

I think the covid panic artificially inflated the number of readers for a few years. After people got sick of the panic, they went back to their usual habits of not reading.