Just write it (before someone else writes it)

I’m not saying anyone took my ideas, because they didn’t. They just had the same ideas that I had.

I won’t go too far into how I invented the constantly variable transmission, but after dropping a sugar cone on the floor and watching it roll around a few times, there it was. I was working the counter at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour, so they'd have probably taken my patent, anyway.

Anyhow, someone else invented it first, so I’m not going to sweat it.

The thing is that sometimes your ideas are really good, but if you keep them to yourself, someone else does it and you don't.

Worse, they might do it poorly. Even more [sic] worse, they might make millions. It's most worse if you know them. Rich bastards.

Take Cowboys & Aliens for example.

Not that I know them. I don't, but what a stupid movie. A lost opportunity to be awesome.

I don’t know the origin of the movie idea, nor the dates involved, but for decades, I have had a whole ‘cowboys and aliens’ story outlined on my computer that is NOT stupid. Maybe one day I’ll write it as a book (although I won’t because no one buys those kind of books).

Age of Adeline…

My daughter and I went to see Age of Adeline on Monday. It was a good movie, sort of. I’ll probably rant on Age of Adeline's lost opportunity to be awesome (or at least cuter) later, but I’m ranting about something else right now.

The thing is that Adeline is stuck at age 29, and has been for 100 years. She has to pickup and move every 10, each time getting a new identity, new home, new job. That’s the freakin’ story I’m writing right now. Crap.

The previews…

Sometimes the previews show me more about how much writing I’m not doing than getting me excited about what’s 'coming soon.'

The previews during this movie made me sit up straight, once again. There was one of my characters (or so it seemed), starring in her own tv series. It’s not the same, but it’s close. Crap.

Oh look at this next preview; another idea of mine has its own movie. Crap again.

None of this is plagiarism or theft; they just had the same or similar ideas.

The point is that if you have ideas that you love, hurry up and write them. If you don’t, the odds are good that someone else will, then it’s you copying them, even though you didn’t.

Even though yours was first.

Even though theirs sucks yours would have been much better!

Yeah, their ideas aren’t the same. They might not even be as good as yours will be (or would have been).

Your story or idea might be much better, but now you have to deal with all new doubts. …and aren’t the doubts you already have about your work enough without having to create all new doubts.

If you love your idea, don’t just write it down, write it!