Hi Julie, I’m sorry this happened. I once had a similar experience with a humor piece about cat sitting (of all things) and it felt bad. I tried to think about that stuff. Elizabeth Gilbert touched on in Big Magic about ideas just floating around out there hoping someone grabs them and how sometimes more than one person latches onto them. But I totally agree: different voices, different perspectives, always worth pursuing it! Can’t wait to read whatever you write next!
Oh, I love that! I think about it so often too and I try to explain it to people and they look at me like I have two heads! 🤣 I keep meaning to reread the book! This is my sign!
It's funny because I almost mentioned the Big Magic thing when I was writing this (I had it in the first draft), but then I was not remembering it super well and needed to look up the details to confirm, and ran out of time and took it out. In any event, I should re-read it too!
Maybe we can do a one-time book club discussion! I had a copy on my nightstand forever and then gave it to a friend. Maybe audio is the way to go this time!
I've been driving my car at 88mph at night on the M5 with a notebook and pencil on the passenger seat. I'm taking credit for all the ideas generated as a result of my travels.
I’ve seen it happen here on Substack. I figure we read so many pieces that we might internalize a story and later come up with a similar idea completely forgetting we had read something similar. It’s the human version of AI. 🤷♀️
Yeah, it didn't read AI-written at all, and I doubt this writer would be using AI. My piece was truly fairly obscure and several years ago, so not something an LLM would be able to spit out, I think!
I have seen some (likely) AI-written stuff on Substack though and have seen some chatter about it, although I think certain types of nonfiction pieces are more prone to this? But that's whole other problem to sort out. Sigh.
I do think the internalizing and not realizing it can happen and also people are influenced by other writers (myself included). I have also thought of ideas before and then realized I already wrote something similar a few years ago, which is just middle-aged brain, I guess?
I’ve heard this happens in the music industry (not with AI). An artist hears something as a younger person and loves it, internalizes it, then unknowingly quasi-reproduces it years later from their subconscious.
I’m pretty new to humour writing and I’ve already experienced this. It’s such a strange phenomenon! The worst is when you had a great idea but never got a chance to execute it and then someone else does it 🤣 I like the idea of writing what only you can write. A few ideas like that have come from essays I’ve written that provide a good premise for something quite specific.
It is really strange, especially when the idea has not even left your brain (or Notes app). I do think you can still find ways to do the idea sometimes, but also get that that doesn't always work! Of course, coming up with ideas that only you can write can also be hard, but it can be good when it happens.
You make me feel better about life and writing. Thank you.
Thank you! That is good to hear :)
Hi Julie, I’m sorry this happened. I once had a similar experience with a humor piece about cat sitting (of all things) and it felt bad. I tried to think about that stuff. Elizabeth Gilbert touched on in Big Magic about ideas just floating around out there hoping someone grabs them and how sometimes more than one person latches onto them. But I totally agree: different voices, different perspectives, always worth pursuing it! Can’t wait to read whatever you write next!
Yep I think it just happens and I liked her perspective on it in Big Magic too :)
Oh my goodness I think about the story in big magic at least every other day!
Oh, I love that! I think about it so often too and I try to explain it to people and they look at me like I have two heads! 🤣 I keep meaning to reread the book! This is my sign!
It's funny because I almost mentioned the Big Magic thing when I was writing this (I had it in the first draft), but then I was not remembering it super well and needed to look up the details to confirm, and ran out of time and took it out. In any event, I should re-read it too!
Maybe we can do a one-time book club discussion! I had a copy on my nightstand forever and then gave it to a friend. Maybe audio is the way to go this time!
I've been driving my car at 88mph at night on the M5 with a notebook and pencil on the passenger seat. I'm taking credit for all the ideas generated as a result of my travels.
That seems fair!
I appreciate your attitude about learning from others' similar posts. It sounds like you have a very objective way of looking at things.
It has definitely taken me a little while to get there!
I think about this too. I’ve decided if I have an idea I’m just not going to google to see if someone else did it before me. We deserve to try!
That definitely makes sense! And there are lots of different ways to tell the same basic idea :)
But did you check that other piece against AI? 😉
I’ve seen it happen here on Substack. I figure we read so many pieces that we might internalize a story and later come up with a similar idea completely forgetting we had read something similar. It’s the human version of AI. 🤷♀️
Yeah, it didn't read AI-written at all, and I doubt this writer would be using AI. My piece was truly fairly obscure and several years ago, so not something an LLM would be able to spit out, I think!
I have seen some (likely) AI-written stuff on Substack though and have seen some chatter about it, although I think certain types of nonfiction pieces are more prone to this? But that's whole other problem to sort out. Sigh.
I do think the internalizing and not realizing it can happen and also people are influenced by other writers (myself included). I have also thought of ideas before and then realized I already wrote something similar a few years ago, which is just middle-aged brain, I guess?
I’ve heard this happens in the music industry (not with AI). An artist hears something as a younger person and loves it, internalizes it, then unknowingly quasi-reproduces it years later from their subconscious.
I could see that happening!
Was it Shakespeare who said— there’s nothing new under the sun?
I’m pretty new to humour writing and I’ve already experienced this. It’s such a strange phenomenon! The worst is when you had a great idea but never got a chance to execute it and then someone else does it 🤣 I like the idea of writing what only you can write. A few ideas like that have come from essays I’ve written that provide a good premise for something quite specific.
It is really strange, especially when the idea has not even left your brain (or Notes app). I do think you can still find ways to do the idea sometimes, but also get that that doesn't always work! Of course, coming up with ideas that only you can write can also be hard, but it can be good when it happens.