This is exactly what I don't need to see at this point in my life. I want to share my work but quotes like this only add more stress to my already decrepit idea of my future. But what do I know? Sure, I'll go ahead and share more of my writing. Then people who are better connected than I am will happily copy me and will not give me credit. I've always held originality to be one of the most important details of any artistic endeavor. Of course there's the idea of intertextuality, but that should have its place. Intertextuality is different from blatantly stealing fresh ideas from other people. And in this world, where it feels like everything's been done before (so there's no need to try and create new boundaries and ideas), if you're going to MAKE IT as an artist you need to be ruthless, survival of the fittest, crush anyone and everyone you can and make it to the top of the heap.
As for me? "Sorry buddy, you were too trusting, it's dog eat dog out here. Too bad you don't have an agent or any connections. Too bad you thought that exposing your work to the public would actually amount to something positive. Life isn't fair. Go do something else. Forget about your talents, dreams, ambitions and efforts. We need to live too."
I think you're a bit too paranoid, or you think too much of making money out of our ideas... Of course, that would be ideal, but think about it the other way too. If someone ever steals an idea of yours, it means that it's worthy of stealing, and if that person even makes money out of it, then you know you're valuable. At least you know. I guess being copied with no credit is a risk, but you just need to take risks, in writing, in life, in everything.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't going to reply to this, but I feel like I have to - not for the sake of being negative, but in the interest of debate.
ReplyDeleteI'm neither paranoid nor hungry for money, I'm being realistic. Intellectual property theft is blatantly wrong, yet happens constantly. People have, on separate occasions, mentioned that 'they're going to steal that' when I revealed some of my personal work.
I already know my work is valuable because it's important to me and I use my time and intellect to mould it. If someone else steals my hard work, passes it off as their own, and makes money off it, I wouldn't rejoice and say to myself "Well, at least it was worthy of being stolen. At least it was made. If only I released it to the public, oh well..."
And as far as risks, people should take calculated risks, not foolish ones. I have far too much material right now for it to all be copyrighted. I don't have an agent or a publishing house. So I'm fair game for intellectual property theft. People will be people; if there's a chance to steal anything seemingly valuable with no consequences, they'll do it. Even though I'm an abhorred 'young writer' and you think I need to be educated (as far as the language in your comment suggests), I know the level of protection that my work needs.