I am not a happy camper

[piplover]

I am not happy. I just went to Stories of Arda and someone has posted a story there called Give and Apple. I know that sometimes we find a story idea very similar to our own, but this person ripped mine off!
They took a childhood ryhme and they changed the ending to something dark and glooming, giving the proper version first and then the bad version. For any of you who have read Counting, Pippin did the same.
I can't help but feel as though this person stole my idea. The story is not like mine, but the timing of it and the fact that they took my idea pisses me off. There is absolutley nothing I can do about it, and the story does not resmemble mine in any other way, but I am being an unreasonable bitch right now and it ticks me off.

Comments

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's coincidence or not, but a quick check showed that that author has been writing for a while, and if she has a habit of "borrowing" ideas it would probably be common knowledge by now. And if she did get inspired by the way you adapted a nursery rhyme, well, imitation is still flattery, and you posted first.

Since I sit down every day and "rip off" characters that Tolkien thought of first, I try to keep my definition of plagiarism very narrow indeed when it comes to fanfic. It's easier on my stomach, if nothing else. Getting angry at other people very seldom hurts them, I've found, but it makes my life miserable.

[piplover.livejournal.com]

I know, I know. It just shocked me was all, and it pissed me off, probably for no reason. I probably just need to up my meds or something.
The stories really have nothing in common. It was just the premise that got me. Oh well.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

I had a similar experience not long ago, and I was rather put out about it. Even if we sort of plagiat Tolkien`s work, we still write and feel strongly about what we write. Hopefully she just loved your story and felt like doing something similar, and there´s nothing to do about that.

Re: I hope you will pardon the intrusion

[agent-tweed.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind a complete stranger posting here but I tend to tread around friends of friends of "friends lists" on LJ when I have insominia and this post caught my attention.

I just wanted to put your mind to ease about the issue of plagerism or idea theft unless you had posted your story (and a very good story indeed) any place before June 10. At that date "Give an Apple" was already written and sitting in the review queue at HASA. The author it seems had made the choice not to post any place until she had gotten a decision from the reviewers, making it a truly blind review.

Again, pardon my intrusion and thank you for a very touching story on SOA.

Agent Tweed aka Blue Iris