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cr47t

Question on ethical writing

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It's been a very long time since I've come to NCM/YCM for advice, but I think this merits it. It's not so much about storytelling craft so much as an ethical concern of mine, and over the years I've come to trust you guys here from the old YCM guard (before the site split in two).

SHORT VERSION: I'm wondering about inspiration and borrowing of specifics in structural material from other works - is that plagiarism, or otherwise unacceptably derivative for a genre work?

LONG VERSION:
I have a concept in my head of two factions in opposition, with a character or two each to represent, and two (or more?) characters outside those factions (the protagonist and a third "antagonist"/team; both come from afar.) I like the way the setup does not judge between, nor caricaturizes, the two 'factions' (a industrial settlement and the natural world around it) and the way it comments on some topics of importance to me (environmentalism, war and overcoming differences, etc.) One problem: these things have already been done by another work I admire, which is where I got the idea for the character dynamics. (This work is not written-word, mine is.)

I intend to make use of a different kind of setting for my work, without much forestry: something that feels more 'otherworldly' but still recognizable/imaginable as a place on Earth. (What it will be, I'm not sure; I was considering Icelandic features, but I haven't decided yet.) I also intend to make the characters themselves different from their counterparts in the other work, but I have trouble seeing how the relations between them can be different without upsetting the balance.

Consulting a loved one on the issue, they noted that while West Side Story borrowed from Romeo & Juliet character dynamics and some commentary throughlines, it also lifted plot too, and yet it's been accepted as a legitimate work. This does not put me at ease, especially since I'm in general having trouble bringing my own structure-level spin to the combination of this character/faction setup, the way that setup intertwines with commentary, and the commentary itself. (Also R&J has had many pastiches and revisits in other works that are accepted as legitimate: for my source text, I can't think of any other example of media that does what it does.)I do intend to make a plot that is not resembelant of the other work, just don't know what it is yet.

Although I believe in what the original work had to say and I want to send that understanding further, I am worried about the ethics of my situation, which brings me to my question:

Is this plagiarism, or copying in spirit, or otherwise an unacceptable level of derivative for genre(-esque) fiction? If so, what can I do to make it fresher, more of me and less of a correlation - or do I have to basically start over? If I'm 'in the clear' or in a 'grey area', how so?

Edited by cr47t
changed the thread name so it can fit on the home page summary ("latest post")

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"Is that plagiarism"

Short answer: No

Long answer: No I don't think so (though I don't know the specific work nor what would be specifically "copied")

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