On Stolen Ideas

Hello everyone!

If you're new to my website or my social media pages, you might notice I post summaries of my projects a lot.

Why? I like to share my ideas, and it helps me stay committed to the project.

But I've noticed lately in the writing community online that there's been a lot of talk about people stealing ideas from others. In the last pitch contest, one writer brazenly commented on another's Tweet and said they're going to steal that idea.

Yes, really. It's despicable.

Some writers are even scared to post summaries, mood boards, and snippets of their projects now because of this person.

Am I? Not even a little bit.

One, it's very hard to get published. I've done it and I have an agent, and it's still difficult, even for me. If you're going to steal my idea, well, good luck to you. It won't be easy - writing it OR publishing it.

Two, I have an agent now and I've been published. I have a better chance than some idea thief to get my project published and seen. Also, I have proof that it was my idea first.

Third, that just looks bad on the idea thief. One day, their bad karma will catch up to them. Trust me. It's poor sportsmanship to blatantly steal someone else's idea and brag about it. I could never do it or live with the guilt.

Writers are our friends, co-workers, and people who truly understand us. So treat them well. Writers need readers and support to be successful. You don't want to burn bridges or treat people like garbage. Word gets around!

Lastly, no one can write like I can. The same goes for me and other writers. Why would I want an idea that chose another writer? I have hundreds of my own I need to write. So you can steal my idea, but you can't steal my pacing, writing style, or character development. That's unique to each writer - and what makes idea theft so hard.

So if you want to share snippers of your work online, don't be afraid. Ignorant people will always be out there, lurking in the shadows to try to bring others down, but your work is important and deserves to be shared.

Write on, brave writer. And best of luck.

Thanks for reading!

Dana