Join Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. I share writing tips, insights, and resources to help you do one thing: become a better writer. -- fabiocerpelloni.com/private/
Thank you for exploring this idea with us! It is fascinating to think about, for sure. I've had a writers block for years, and realising that I don't *have* to be original while I'm creating something, is liberating! The thing is, that, talking about writing, everything has already been done. Every basic plot idea/archetypes, are already there. But - and your example of breaking up with someone is perfect to explain it, we are *all* original, by just being ourselves. (unless we copy paste someone else's work of course)
At the end of the 19th century, someone said, "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Wrong. Very wrong :) Human creativity and originality are infinite. And, as you say, the closer we stay to our true selves, the more original we can be. Thanks for your contribution, I'm glad my unscripted ramble was somehow helpful :)
@@fabiocerpelloni That's why I said "archetypes" - structures, plot ideas... but our own input and experiences is what makes it original :) Also, I do love unscripted rambles - they are wonderful!
@@the-fei-system Yes, yes, I got what you said🤗 My channel is nothing but a collection of unscripted rambles and low-prep interviews. So you're in the right place hahah!
Absolutely a thought-provoking video, Fabio! I was the shyest person on the world, but the mere act of putting stuff online made me more creative and original as well! That's why I started a podcast.
I thought this was going to be more bad writing apologia. Like all those TH-cam videos declaring that "show don't tell" is a "lie" or a "myth" or some other kind of deception. I'm sorry to say that at some points it comes pretty close. I think this is mostly - as it is with most things that cause mental blocks - a miscommunication. Originality and creativity are _pretty much_ the same thing. What you're getting stuck on is the idea that you need to be *wholly* original. "Absolutes" effortlessly ruin everything. I can't stress enough that you should disregard them. Frankly anything completely original threatens to be obtuse to the point of incoherence. Because you're ostensibly talking about something that has no point of reference. You'd be surprised how few steps you have to take to for people to be impressed with your originality. I once heard a screenwriter talking about setup, and payoff. A man holding a gun, calls his wife and says he's going to be home late from work, she's buying chocolates because it's Valentine's Day, after some pressing he says he forgot to buy her a present. He hangs up, sticks the gun in a drawer, and waits for her to come home. When she shows up he surprises her, shows her the gun and smiles. His wife loves guns. She gives him a box of chocolates, and after wolfing some down, he dies, because she poisoned them. The gun was the gift and the chocolates were the weapon. Most people I tell that to are completely blown away, and he only uses it as a teaching example. It doesn't take that many steps to get there.
@@fabiocerpelloni It's hard to say, because ironically, just because the idea is simple doesn't mean it required very little thought on the part of the author. I think it's about elegance, but elegance isn't automatically effortless. On the contrary. I like to, and I'd like to think that I come up with ideas that are just as interesting and elegant. Sometimes ideas just come to you, other times you have to sit down and think really hard. I don't know if this'll make sense, but I told somebody my writing philosophy is "not necessarily". If you think about how that applies to the example scene... Is the gun a murder weapon?: not necessarily. Is the scene about someone trying to kill their significant other?: not necessarily. But if it is, is that murderer the person the audience expects?: not necessarily... Another way to look at this "take few steps but make sure they're deep enough to leave footprints" idea: Shakespeare didn't reinvent the English language. But he did write in his own poetic style, and he supposedly invented quite a few words. All while writing plays that were mostly rewrites of other plays. People shold strive to be original, they just shouldn't be fraid of being unoriginal.
Join Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. I share writing tips, insights, and resources to help you do one thing: become a better writer. -- fabiocerpelloni.com/private/
Thank you so much for sharing, very helpful. 💝
I just love that the two things are separate things! Creativity and originality..
It’s a great fact about freedom and creativity
Thank you for exploring this idea with us! It is fascinating to think about, for sure. I've had a writers block for years, and realising that I don't *have* to be original while I'm creating something, is liberating!
The thing is, that, talking about writing, everything has already been done. Every basic plot idea/archetypes, are already there. But - and your example of breaking up with someone is perfect to explain it, we are *all* original, by just being ourselves. (unless we copy paste someone else's work of course)
At the end of the 19th century, someone said, "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Wrong. Very wrong :) Human creativity and originality are infinite. And, as you say, the closer we stay to our true selves, the more original we can be. Thanks for your contribution, I'm glad my unscripted ramble was somehow helpful :)
@@fabiocerpelloni That's why I said "archetypes" - structures, plot ideas... but our own input and experiences is what makes it original :) Also, I do love unscripted rambles - they are wonderful!
@@the-fei-system Yes, yes, I got what you said🤗 My channel is nothing but a collection of unscripted rambles and low-prep interviews. So you're in the right place hahah!
@@fabiocerpelloni ☺I'll check it out!
Absolutely a thought-provoking video, Fabio! I was the shyest person on the world, but the mere act of putting stuff online made me more creative and original as well!
That's why I started a podcast.
Wow! Did you do it in the end? You're killing it! 👏👏👏 What's the name of your show?
@@fabiocerpelloni Wellness Within Words. I need to improve a lot, but I'm in!
I thought this was going to be more bad writing apologia. Like all those TH-cam videos declaring that "show don't tell" is a "lie" or a "myth" or some other kind of deception. I'm sorry to say that at some points it comes pretty close. I think this is mostly - as it is with most things that cause mental blocks - a miscommunication. Originality and creativity are _pretty much_ the same thing. What you're getting stuck on is the idea that you need to be *wholly* original. "Absolutes" effortlessly ruin everything. I can't stress enough that you should disregard them. Frankly anything completely original threatens to be obtuse to the point of incoherence. Because you're ostensibly talking about something that has no point of reference. You'd be surprised how few steps you have to take to for people to be impressed with your originality.
I once heard a screenwriter talking about setup, and payoff. A man holding a gun, calls his wife and says he's going to be home late from work, she's buying chocolates because it's Valentine's Day, after some pressing he says he forgot to buy her a present. He hangs up, sticks the gun in a drawer, and waits for her to come home. When she shows up he surprises her, shows her the gun and smiles. His wife loves guns. She gives him a box of chocolates, and after wolfing some down, he dies, because she poisoned them. The gun was the gift and the chocolates were the weapon.
Most people I tell that to are completely blown away, and he only uses it as a teaching example. It doesn't take that many steps to get there.
Beautiful example. Would you then say that the harder we try to be original, the more we walk away from originality?
@@fabiocerpelloni It's hard to say, because ironically, just because the idea is simple doesn't mean it required very little thought on the part of the author. I think it's about elegance, but elegance isn't automatically effortless. On the contrary.
I like to, and I'd like to think that I come up with ideas that are just as interesting and elegant. Sometimes ideas just come to you, other times you have to sit down and think really hard. I don't know if this'll make sense, but I told somebody my writing philosophy is "not necessarily". If you think about how that applies to the example scene... Is the gun a murder weapon?: not necessarily. Is the scene about someone trying to kill their significant other?: not necessarily. But if it is, is that murderer the person the audience expects?: not necessarily...
Another way to look at this "take few steps but make sure they're deep enough to leave footprints" idea: Shakespeare didn't reinvent the English language. But he did write in his own poetic style, and he supposedly invented quite a few words. All while writing plays that were mostly rewrites of other plays. People shold strive to be original, they just shouldn't be fraid of being unoriginal.
@@futurestoryteller Thanks so much for these thoughtful comments. They made me think.