What is originality? Two things for certain:
1. A concept that is hard to define.
2. A concept that will incense writers/artists into trying to define it.
How many have you heard this story: A common person finds out he/she is exceptional and changes the world for the better. I just described Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Insurgent, The Matrix, even Jesus. From a writing perspective, we have all heard that “every story has been told before” but does that mean that we should simply copy other stories and tweak them a bit? I don’t think so. To gain artistic functionality from that statement, I believe we should explore its technicalities.

We all share similarities as humans. Our brains are similar, our needs are similar, and our physical limitations (e.g: inability to fly or breathe underwater) are similar. So when writing, in order to reach a wide audience, we need to make our writing relatable, by playing on our similarities. There are CORE TRUTHS that we all instinctively respond to. No brainer, right? That’s why so many stories share similar structures or basic themes. By weaving structure and theme into our stories, we pay respect to our audience by making the story relatable/resonant, and they pay respect to us as writers by reading/purchasing our material.

So where does breaking new ground and originality fit in? There are two ways that I can think of. The first is to weave core truths around a relevant setting. By relevant I mean timely and applicable. In my lifetime, I have seen blurring lines between government and big business, the viralization of information and production through the internet, and a growing awareness that moral absolutism won’t yield results; that to be successful somebody needs to be able to perceive minutiae and rapidly adjust to it, applying specificity and not just sweeping ideals that make for a good soundbite. Using timely themes to illustrate core truths will give your story extra relevance, extra punch.

The second way is to stretch the general public’s acceptable range for style and format. I’ll explain: Who from the Middle Ages would be able to comprehend and be entertained by the slow motion, the closeups, the extreme camera angles of today’s movies? I’d say not many. When early movies were shown of a train heading towards the camera the audience was deeply frightened, believing they were going to get hit by it. However, as time progressed, filmmakers threw in innovation after innovation, stretching the boundaries of style, creating the stylized movies we have today. The caveat is that if stretching style is the only concern of the artist, then the work becomes an incomprehensible, ego-stroking mess that only serves as a soapbox for the artist to say “Look how brave I am. This is ART!” When originality takes the form of pushing format and style, it must serve the work’s themes and core truths, otherwise it becomes a masturbatory, self-indulgent mess.

A bit strong I realize, but I tend to be that way in my contemplations. What do you guys define originality as? Anyways, thanks for listening to my ramblings. I wish you all inspired drafting and insightful editing!