Young Writers Society

Okay, so I've not watched MLP but apparently there's a huge thing between the sun and moon princesses an blar blar blar.

I've recently written out a story I've been meaning to write for quite some time now that just so coincidentally matches almost identically to the plot line to MLP.

I have a group of characters living in a tribal community that is lead by a loose monarchy. The leader has three sons (an older brother and a set of twins) who have been respectively dubbed the living patrons of Day, Night, and Twilight. These themes also tie into the prosperity of the tribe.

The chief grows old and the eldest (who personifies the Twilight-- a.k.a dusk and dawn) is deemed too mentally unstable to take the place of his father; the throne falls to his brothers Night and Day. Night is the calm and reserved but brooding brother and Day is the extravagant social butterfly who is all about having fun. The tribe has been going through rough times and, alongside his father, Night has been leading the tribe and nursing it back to health so to speak. However, when the danger of famine and war has passed the tribe falls into the habit of loving the loud living-party that is Day. They love him because he is pretty much the image of a good time and wealth and good hunt.

Night becomes jealous and turns to his younger friend Vahtise who was raised by the Soothsayer and has been known to speak to the dead and ward off bad spirits... or so they say. Vahtise is also friends with Day so he tries to reming Night of all the wonderful things he can do and that if he were not around then the tribe would fall to tumulus Dawn/Dusk or the rowdy and irresponsible Day; without him there would be no prosperity.

And yet Night is continuously ignored and overlooked.

As they grow older Night continues to strive for the love and acceptance of his tribe, continuously falling short in Day's shadow. When Dawn/Dusk comes of age he decides to return home hidden in the dark night of the full moon so that he may take the throne that is now mostly in the charge of Night. Dawn tries to kill Day but Night comes to his rescue. Dawn warns Night of Day's popularity which night takes to heart.

Vahtise tries to remind Night that both he and Day are equals and that neither is better than the other. But when Dawn returns he does so in the middle of the day, where the stronger Night would be asleep. Dawn steals Night and takes him away while Day cowers and hides in fear.

Dawn convinces the already sensitive Night that Day is going to take away the throne he's worked hard for: no one needs the night. The only reason Night is in line for leader was because Day didn't want it and Night was only eager to fill his place.

Now here is where it gets slightly plagiaristic:

In a fit of jealousy Night marches back home and threatens to kill Day while Dawn watches on (hoping Night would kill Day so he could be killed for treason and Dawn would become the only heir left). Night can't kill his brother so he raises his hand to the sun and scorches it as all the light drains from the sky and into his palm: the Earth will be cast in eternal night so Day will be no longer and Night can keep his place at the head of the tribe.

Naturally the tribe is pissed and their father, who is still active chief, bans Night and makes Day the next in line for the throne. Dawn is furious and Night is exiled for his treason.

Eventually with Vahtise's help Day and Night are able to reconcile and kill the evil Dawn. Together they take the responsibility of Chief as they learn that they cannot be without the other. Lots of cute brotherly love and junk ensue.

But you see my problem? It's almost clean-cut My Little Pony stuff and I hadn't realized it until I consulted my brony friend and he agreed that 80% of the full plot was in the show.

My question for the great and almighty forum is this:

What do you do when you find yourself rehashing an idea that is already existent? I guess I could remove the parts from the show, but that would mean rewriting the entire concept of a story I've fallen in love with. I don't want to do that! D: Have you happened to find yourself in that situation and what did you do to get out?

Even if you have suggestions I'll take those too but I don't want to be taking more ideas that aren't mine

Step 1: Remain calm.

Step 2: Take a deep breath.

Step 3: Brace yourself for something earth-shattering.

All right, now you're ready.

There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.
~Mark Twain

In case you haven't heard before, writers borrow from each other. It's natural. It happens all the time. Check out what Orson Scott Card had to say about the Harry Potter series for a pretty prominent example.

So don't get too concerned. It's okay. "There's nothing new under the sun."

Make sure your characters are different.

Plots, as dragon said, all end up looking the same. However, characters are very different because people are very different. If they end up behaving exactly the same way, then you've got issues.

Making the characters different could also mean your plot takes a wildly different turn than MLP, which helps break it apart. You also have the supporting characters, world, and other little things you can control.

Basically, put as much development and your own personal spin on it as you possibly can. Little things like that will help set your work apart.

I agree. Even if plots are similar, it is inevitable to put twists in both the visible plot, and the feel of the book simply because of the difference in writers. If you really put your own feel to the characters and what they take out of their experiences I think it will be beneficial.