As writers how many times have you 
asked yourself this question?
This scene has already been thought of. 
These characters already exist.
This book has already been written. 
Well, I have a couple questions for you.
Has it already been thought of, 
do those characters already exist,
and has that book really been written before? 
Or do you just think they do?
It's episode number three of 
Writing Prompts with ODM Podcast.
I'm Octavia D. Mason, 
giving the best practical writing tips to beginner writers,
helping them shift from novice to published author,
and today, I'm telling you how to think 
beyond what's already been done.
Before we get to that next episode, 
don't forget to like and subscribe
and hit that notification bell for 
more content just like this
and while you're at it, grab a pen and a notebook.
And also I have big news for you guys!
I have two new free writing resources dedicated to new writers who need help creating characters!
So, if you need help creating realistic characters, 
or if you need help creating characteristics or adjectives
to develop that character, this is for you. 
And if you hadn't noticed it's all about characters...
characters, characters, characters,
So, if you're a new writer and you need help with that head on over to my website at octaviadmason.com.
Or in the description box below, check out the link, and it'll send you directly to that website.
Let's get to this episode!
As writers, we think about many things. We think about characters how they speak...how they dress,
what are they supposed to be, what are they supposed to look like, and what their personalities are.
And we also think about world-building... what setting is my book going to be in, what future is it going to be set in—
is it going to be in the past or 
is it going to be in the future?
And you then begin to think about 
how do I describe this setting?
Is it a dystopian setting, is it a utopian setting, and how do I get my readers to imagine and view
what I'm creating and what I'm trying to describe.
And sometimes our thinking can be taken too far because not only do we think about the settings
and our characters and how they look and 
how to describe everything,
we then begin to question what we're writing.
And then we ask and say things like this:
'I think my character is a little bit similar—kind of—to another person's character.
I think my plot sounds like someone else's plot.
Oh my gosh, these words have been 
written before...I think, maybe.
My character looks too much like that other author's character. I just need to scrap the whole thing
and re-do whatever I am writing because this has already been done. Someone has already done it.
Someone has already written it. Someone has already made this character that I'm creating right now'.
This ineffective wondering and questioning can leave an author in a very precarious spot called writer's block,
which can be a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with the piece of writing.
Or it can be difficulty in coming 
up with an original piece.
Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't double-check your work to make sure that someone else literally
has not written it before. 
But what i'm saying is don't question your beautifully
well-written words, because you think 
it's already been done,
you think that you're not creating 
something original or new.
And if the idea has been done, 
this isn't the end of the world.
And I mean by already done, I mean not plagiarized, because that is a no-no!
By already done, I'm referring to...
let's say an example would be Marissa Meyers. 
She has written several books that are based on
old fairy tales—if you're familiar with the 
Grimms Brothers' fairy tales.
She has written books, and she has 
reimagined them to something new.
So Cinder—her book called Cinder is based
 on the old fairy tale Cinderella.
Now that idea of cinderella has been rewritten and reimagined numerous times.
And Marissa Meyers has literally taken something 
that has already been done,
but she has put her own original and 
unique twist to that reimagining.
And when Marissa Meyers put her own original
twist to her work, 
she thought beyond what was already done.
She surpassed what has already been done, and I'm telling you, fairy tales have been reimagined
and re-written in various ways for years, 
but she put her unique and original twist
on something that's already been done. 
And that's the key to surpassing writer's block.
You have to believe that when you put 
your unique twist on something,
when you write something new and creative and original to you that it hasn't already been done,
even if it's like what Marissa Meyers did 
by reimagining an old fairy tale.
And again, I don't say reimagining by saying
plagiarize, because plagiarizing is literally taking someone else's word and calling them yours.
But reimagining is putting a twist on something for example, like the fairy tales.
Meyers created a character called Cinder 
who had the same storyline as cinderella,
but she created a whole new character with some of the same qualities.
And that is what I mean by reimagining.
But when you put in your own twist, 
your own words into your words,
then you have to believe that you're not creating something that has already been done before,
but you're creating something that is unique to you 
as an author and writer
Which leads us to our third writing prompt.
Write a different opening to the 
last movie or tv episode you watched.
Now, this is more than just writing something different than what you last saw on a tv or a movie.
This is having the belief that you can write 
something different, and not only that
but you can write something unique to you.
And really, that is why so many people have 
writer's block and are stuck in writer's block
because they don't believe that they have something different to say than what's already been written.
They don't believe that they can create something new.
But I'm telling you that it is possible and that 
in order to surpass Writer's block,
you have to get out of your own head and know
and believe in yourself that you can 
create something unique.
And when your words are true to you as an author 
that is when you can push past writer's block,
and when you can go beyond 
what you think has already been done.
Hey, lovely people!
I hope you enjoyed episode number three of Writing Prompts with ODM Podcast.
In the comments, post a little snippet 
of your answer to this writing prompt.
I would love to read them and 
love to see what you guys put in.
Hey, if you love this episode, be sure to check out episode number one and two,
and don't forget to give this video a thumbs up!
If you want more content just like this, check out all my
other videos on practical writing tips 
for beginner writers,
be sure to subscribe, and hit that 
notification bell for more content just like this.
I'm Octavia D. Mason, 
giving the best practical writing tips to beginner writers.
See you next week!
Peace!
