HOW TO RECREATE THE CREATED

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James Cameron directed Avatar. We know that. Everyone in the world knows that. That’s my one dramatic statement for the day. But a lot of people know it. What did he do right to make so many people watch it?

A lot of things. But he upped the cinematography by eons! That’s my second dramatic statement. They’re adding up. I know. Now I’ve heard people bash Avatar by saying, “Wait! Isn’t this just the plot of Pocahontas?” And, of course, there are a lot of other questions that are similar to the one described.

But, I’d venture to speak on his behalf. They spent so much money on the movie, why would you take a chance at an unknown plot that people may not like and risk losing millions of dollars simply because people didn’t like it. Keep the plot simple and rev-up the CGI. That’s where he succeeded.

OK. So what am I saying? It’s perfectly legal and accepted to STEAL someone else’s plot. Obviously, you would want to rework it for your characters, but there’s a reason that the romance genre tops the markets in book sells. Everyone knows what’s going to happen. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl get mad. Boy and girl make up. Sounds like dialogue from Tarzan. Why? Because it’s primitive, and it’s baser.

We are allowed to look at someone’s plot line and recreate it. It happens all the time in books and movies. There are very few plots that are unique. Every now and then one comes along, but just about every movie or book that we’ve seen or read has a plot that’s similar to another.

Take a look at some common books, especially if you’re a debut writer, and look at what plots work. Insert your characters into this plot and recreate the story for yourself.

I know this seems sketchy, but genres are created by common plot lines. Paranormal Romance was created because someone liked the Paranormal and the Romance genres. They clapped their hands and out came this new trendy ordeal.

I’m reading through another saga (not the one mentioned a few days ago), and the story is <em>eerily</em> similar to Lord of the Rings. Guess what? The author has written 13 books, a television show has been made, and this author has sold over 25 million copies worldwide.

Recreate. Then, once we’ve “become successful,” we can create.

Please share your thoughts! Thanks!