Can we really trust fellow participants in our writing groups not to steal our ideas?
Writer, and creator of Crooked Fang, Carrie Clevenger has some sad and scary news. A character she created seems to have been “borrowed” by a former writing companion. A close variation of that character is now the title of that writing companion’s book!
Go to her site Mindspeak and speak your mind.
UPDATE:
The perpetrator has been unmasked at Christina Vincent’s site Naps in the Library. Read all about her unforgivable behavior here.
UPDATE (3.18.11):
I've gone ahead and disabled the links for this post. This is done to respect the wishes of Carrie Clevenger. She has dealt with the issue and would like to return to doing what we all share in common here...writing.
Thanks for coming to a writer's aid. No further comments to this post are required.
It is sad that things like this happen, i don't think it is very common though is it?
ReplyDeleteI spotted plagiarism once and sent an email to the publisher, never heard back though...
This is unfortunately too close to what happened to me last year. *sigh* People, get your own ideas/characters!
ReplyDeleteThank you for getting the word out there. It's been a horrible day. The major burn is this is not a stranger but whom I considered a friend.
ReplyDeleteMy friend didn't have the same courtesy as I did: http://napsinthelibrary.com/2011/03/16/unforgivable-behavior/
ReplyDeleteYou're a good man Charlie Brown. I mean Angel Zapata, crying "NO!" when it's so deservedly so.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I shall check our Carrie's link at Christina's. And spread the word.
~ Absolutely*Kate
And the Angel shall out. Another fine public service announement Angel. It's hard enough creating your own universe without some wannabe stealing it...
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Angel. It's just so wrong!
ReplyDeleteOn a forum I was a member of briefly, a fellow-poet said he thought about taking the idea from one of my pieces under discussion and writing his own, superior work and subbing it to publications.
ReplyDeleteSo, no, you can't necessarily trust that other writers won't steal your idea, or at least think seriously about doing so.
What ticks me off is Pia has no shame. And she is calling "people" paranoid on twitter. Something needs to be done. I am appalled,disgusted, and pissed and don't even know what to say.
ReplyDeleteJodes -- I started a web*fire rally for retweets:
ReplyDeleteHEY! WRITERS RALLY! Gather round the web*fire RT with fast feathers. Carrie Clevenger's work scammed by a scum! Pass on.
Outrage by writing community could put shame into no-shame. Otherwise, you saying you're pissed could just generate another CNN reporter - now THAT would work!
Jodes and Angel - so glad your strong voices speak such right bright truths. ~ Absolutely*Kate