Most Writers Will Never Have an Original Idea

The good news? Original ideas are hugely overrated

So you want to share your thoughts with the world through writing.

But you’re running into a problem. Every time you come up with an idea, all you can do is think about how it’s probably already been written. No doubt it’s already been written by someone way more talented than you, too. And that, to you, means that idea is no longer worth writing about.

This huge miscalculation is problematic because it stops you from writing. Your potentially awesome story idea stays in your draft folder, collecting dust, just because you think you’re not the first to write about it.

I’m here to tell you that original story ideas are overrated. You don’t need them to succeed, and in fact, there’s no such thing as an original story idea.

Here’s how you can take your overused, unoriginal idea and turn it into a fresh perspective that readers will find valuable using a method I call “hourglass:” start broad, narrow down, then broaden out again.

Come Up With an Unoriginal Idea

Seriously, the more unoriginal here the better. Want to write about heartbreak? Go for it. Pondering how smoking is bad for you? A perfect option. Can’t stop thinking about how “Avatar” was the best/worst/longest movie of all time? Now’s your chance.

Why do you want a deeply unoriginal story idea? Because it means it’s popular and it means there’s an existing audience for it. Lots of people care about or have experienced all of the ideas I mentioned above.

Dig Deep to Find Your Personal Perspective

This is the critical point. This is what makes your story stand out. This is what will make your readers understand why they should listen to you, of all people, about this.

This is how you make your story unique. Not original, but unique.

Even though everyone has written about relationships, nobody has written about your relationship. Nobody else has your thoughts, opinions, or lived experience. Nobody else can write what’s in your mind, other than you.

Even if someone has read 100 blog posts about heartbreak, they haven’t read yours. Yours is unique.

Why do you care about this unoriginal story idea? Why does it matter to you? What about it is important for your life?

The answers to those questions are what will turn your unoriginal draft into a unique perspective.

Add a Universal Takeaway

This is the part where you add value to your story. You have a topic you can guarantee many people will be interested in, you narrowed your scope on the topic to explain why you care, and now you’re going to explain what they should do about it.

Consider what you learned from your experience, memory, or lesson. What stands out? What’s the single takeaway message you would tell your past self if you could?

While a story doesn’t need to be original, the best stories are always valuable for the reader. They provide a skill, a shift in perspective, a moment of entertainment.

In Conclusion

I can’t stress it enough: A story does not need to be original in order to be valuable.

Think about your favorite song. Even if you think of the most specific song, like a country heartbreak ballad that takes place on the dusty roads of Minnesota, you can guarantee there are five more just like it. Does that make those songs worthless or bad? No. Because their value is not in being original.

Their value lies in being unique. The people who listen to those songs find personal meaning in them, no matter if there are 10 others just like them on the surface.

Simply by taking your unoriginal idea, describing a personal experience, and writing your specific takeaway, you can create a valuable story that will resonate with your readers, no matter what it’s about.

Stop looking for originality, because it doesn’t exist. Instead, try to find what makes your voice unique. And write about it.