Not really. If anyone ever out-and-out stole my very words, I could prove they're mine and take legal action. As for the ideas--well, if you gave any ten of us on this thread the same idea, we'd end up with ten very different novels. Which isn't to say I wouldn't be bummed if someone beat me to market with one of my more gimmicky high-concept ideas (say the baseball time travel or the Peninsular War werewolf story), because then I'd seem like an imitator following a trend rather than an author following her muse. But I still don't worry about it, except to spur myself to write faster, dammit.

erika, something to pass on to your mom:

Someone accused Daphne du Maurier of plagarism, for Rebecca. They'd written a novel several years earlier, sold about three hundred copies, very similar premise - the author sued.

The story goes that du Maurier's solicitor asked the jury, "This woman wrote a book called (whatever it was). She claims her idea was stolen. Can anyone on this jury quote the opening line of this woman's book?"

The sound of crickets. He nodded.

"Thank you. Now - can anyone here quote the opening line of my client's book?"

And a dozen voices, in unison, piped up with some version of "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again."

du Maurier won. There are, so it's said, seven possible plots. It's what you do with them, and how you do them, that matters.

OMG

HARPER LEE IS GOING TO BE IN MY BUILDING NEXT WEEK!

t faints dead away

This is true.And I really need other eyes to look at it, even as a Creative Genius.(fluffs hair) I almost did blurt that, compared to my naked body, giving up my words ain't no thing. Thought better of it.OMG, Aimee, that is very cool.

OMG, Aimee, that is very cool.

I am SO EXCITED!!!

You should totally show her this.

Life has been so crazy the past few months, that I'd taken a sort-of sabbatical from my columns for WriteMovies and Got Poetry. No more, both are back. Hope you enjoy!

On GotPoetry: Lost in Worcester: As we gear up for NPS in Albuquerque, a few last thoughts on iWPS

On WriteMovies: What I Learned From Punk Rock: The dark side of the good old days

Victor, that punk memoir - yepyepyep. We really need to spend about nine hours hanging out and swapping some of these stories. Ah, the Clash in South London in 1979, with about ten other bands, playing the free, huge Rock Against Racism shows, to nail the National Front...

Oh, yeah. That's a show I wish I'd have seen. I think I need to get back to SF for a spell, and this time not be on a whirlwind tour.

I think I need to get back to SF for a spell, and this time not be on a whirlwind tour.

Seconded.