What makes a comic story original?

[neonmeres]

Hi there everyone! I wanted to talk about this this for a while so I I thought it would be nice to have others opinions on the matter.

In your eyes what makes a comic story original?

Do you believe original stories and universe can still be a created in this over saturated industry?

[KSlinger]

I've read the same stories dozens of times here and there, and I'll keep on reading them so long as everyone doing them their own unique way.

[zetina]

A story will be original when the person/people creating it have a lot of things to say and a lot of unique experiences. Though, even a tried-and-done story can be fresh in different hands. Nothing is ever truly 100% original, imo, but transformative of everything the author has seen/read/etc. So old clichés can be transformed in an original way.

This viewpoint kind of makes every story ever original though. At the end of the day, it's actually a pretty relative concept. Well, most things are, I guess.. But my point is, there are people born every day who read a certain type of story for the first time eventually. The really original stuff would be a lucky "chemical reaction" or a result of accumulated experience after consuming a ton of media...

Maybe. idk.

[UndefinableCreature]

The way you tell it.

You may tell a simple story that seems cliche but everyone interprets it differently, that itself would be originality. What it means to you and the reader.

[jmhenry]

In your eyes what makes a comic story original?

Simply, if I hadn't seen it told before, it's original to me. Even new spins on old stories can be original, imo.

Do you believe original stories and universe can still be a created in this over saturated industry?

Yes, and they'll keep being created. The only hurdle to get over, really, is getting the average reader to give the new thing a shot.

[shazzbaa]

I don't think originality is that important. The most important thing in a story is the the reader can relate and connect. They can't connect to a story that feels like a generic re-hashing of something they've read before, but they also can't connect to a completely unique idea that has never been done before if nobody in the story acts like a human.

So, I guess what makes something original is, it's non-generic; it's not the default setting. If you imagine a basic fantasy setting you automatically populate it with a certain kind of elf, a certain kind of dwarf, and a specific style of medieval architecture. Those are the default settings. If you imagine a grandma, there's a default character that pops into your head. You breathe life into those defaults by making specific choices; change the fantasy races into something other than elf & dwarf, and people will proclaim how original your fantasy story is, just because you made a specific choice instead of going with the default. Even something as simple as picking a specific fantasy era ("the 1500s" or "Italy in the Middle Ages" or) makes your setting feel more intentional and real.

I think a lot of the stories that don't feel original are those that seem to be populated by the idea of a type of character rather than a real person, that seem to take place in the concept of a setting rather than a real place. So I think, to be original, instead of focusing on coming up with something that's never been done before, you focus on breaking out of the defaults -- not "how do I make this grandma character different from every other grandma character" but "how do I make this grandma character feel real?"

[Kamikaze]

Take a gander through the works of Joseph Campbell or even dig into the history of the worlds oldest stories and you'll find that every story has been told. There is no originality in creating a story anymore, the tropes and methods, everything has already been told and retold again and again since the dawn of time.

I feel like a lot of people focus way too much on "originality" when, in my opinion, that's the wrong word to be using.
Original means,"present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest." So basically, you're saying your story should be the new definitive 'origin'...just take a moment to sink that in. I'm not saying it can't be done, because it has - Mary Shelley invented an entirely new genre with Frankenstein. She was teenager when she did that, and published it (though under a male pseudonym until it became a best seller).

Instead of focusing on how to make a brand new original genre shaking story, focus on making something really unique. Draw inspiration from some of your favorite stories, be they fiction or history. Even some of the best films and books that everyone loves get their unique feel from borrowing from other sources. Take GRRM's Game of Thrones. He's borrowed heavily from pulp fantasy, mythology and world history (specifically The War of the Roses).

If you're looking for good ways to create unique work, look no farther than your own interests and pull them together to form something different. It can be a bit daunting - just remember Everything's a Remix.

Check out this little movie that talks about remixing everything from music, story and art!

[VermillionWorks]

To kind of go with what @Kamikaze and @shazzbaa said, I think people worry about trying to defying tropes a little too much. There's nothing wrong with having that in mind to an extent, but at the end of the day it should mainly be about writing a story you'd want to read, not just going in to make the most original, cliche-smashing story ever told. I think, if you enjoy the story you're making enough, chances are you're more likely to put in some unique themes without realizing it. (No, I'm not saying this is guaranteed, just saying it helps to love what you're doing, it'll show in the work.)

When you go into a story with say, the intention of making a female lead that is strong and not a doormat, chances are she'll end up dull because you're only focusing on what she shouldn't be. You'd be better off just writing interesting characters and then flipping the genders if need be.

[AnnaLandin]

Originality isn't the main issue - as long as you aren't straight up ripping off a pre-existing story and just doing cosmetic tricks to cover it up.

The main issue is telling it well. Even something as old and tired as the farmboy who is secretly the heir to the throne (the oldest trick in the book of high fantasy clichés) can be interesting if it's done well. If you manage to make your farmboy-prince someone who is interesting, and who has depth, and who is a person rather than a collection of stock traits.

The same goes for worldbuilding and plots and conflicts. So your farmboy-prince is threatened by some evil force who for some reason doesn't want him on the throne, so he has to fight it. These are all stock plot-devices, and if you present them as such, of course it's going to be boring - so take those stock things and do something with them! Maybe the evil force that doesn't want him on the throne isn't literally evil - what if they're just an opposing force? Like instead of it being a moustache-twirling servant of an evil god, or a prophecy foretelling the end of tyranny or whatever - maybe it's an advisor to the previous monarch (your farmboy-prince's dead dad), and that advisor is convinced your farmboy-prince would be a terrible ruler, because, well, his dad was kind of a terrible person who did a lot of damage to the kingdom's economy.

That's just one tweak, and we've already got a more interesting story - even if we're starting out with the same basic building blocks.

Think of it like this - a really great chef can make an amazing meal out of the most humble ingredients. A bad chef can't make a good meal even if they have the best ingredients in the world.

Also, to add to @Kamikaze's point about GRRM borrowing from real world history for GoT - seriously, if you're doing any kind of high fantasy and/or political plot, do yourself a favour and read up on history. You will not BELIEVE what people have been getting up to in the real world.

Like, don't even get me started on that one time a crossdressing possibly trans* Syrian 14 year-old who was convinced he was the literal incarnation of a mystical sun god ended up ruling the Roman Empire for 4 years. Which is a thing that really happened, in the real world.

*) I write "possibly trans", as the whole trans-identity was not a concept that had been invented at the time, and also the historical record isn't always reliable, and that bit might well have been made up.

[eagle1]

To put it bluntly, most people don't want something original. They want something new, which is not the same thing. They read within a genre they like, and want something new within that.

Some people read broadly within that chosen genre, while others are laser focused.

Take it this way: Some people read speculative fiction, some read fantasy, some read urban fantasy, some read paranormal romance, some just want to read something like Anita Blake.

What you are trying to do is not invent a new wheel, nor re-invent the old one, but sell them the old wheel with new lettering, some pretty chrome, and a good solid tread. There is nothing new in the world of writing, and there hasn't been for decades. Yet people still read, since you have the ability to give them something new that they haven't read before, and present it in a way that makes them glad they picked your output.

Study your genre, figure out the over used parts of it, and the parts that still work, and create something new that is going to make you and your readers eager for the next page.

Eagle
(Original? Try for different)

[mg78]

after the greek poem Odyssey, everything its quite most the same. what make the difference look like a million [coin value] question...
imho:
1) stay fresh: if the comic world trend at the moment is "super-nazi-unicorns" (it's just an example) would be nice to avoid to create a comic about a "super-communist-donkey". i mean, ok, sometime we have to celebrate what we like... but celebration dont stay in the "way of originality".
2) be clever: dont push too much to be alternative (none could understan), but dont stay too much classic (everyone would say "it's the same ****). show the story in the right time, use characters to say something bright, set at the max the hype to show the right thing.
3) knowledge is power: learn, study and learn again something different. the worst story come from ugly people who dont do a fuck in their life. if u know, the ideas came! stay active, dont fossilize in yourself or in to something. watch, read, meet, speak, listen, do. then take as many note as u can. it help XD

[scythe]

I remember reading that George Lucas had some very wacky, zany ideas for Star Wars, like Han Solo was supposed to be a frog or something, but boy am I glad someone managed to reign him in. I don't really care about originality. I just want a story to satisfy me.

[kambreapratt]

I agree with what a lot of other have already said. It's all been done. Make your characters your own and make them real and relate able.

I know aspects of my story have been done, but they haven't been done with my characters or my touch. I just focus on telling a story that excites me and is my spin on whatever trope, world, genre, etc.

[demthorshie]

Hahaha I always get to these sort of topics late and I end up repeating what others have said xD xD! Anyway, like a few others have mentioned above, so long as the content which includes the characters and dialogue, meaning you haven't outright copied your content from another story, that constitutes originality in my book. It's almost impossible to be completely 'originally' in the sense that your story has never been told before. Even if your story was inspired by an already existing one, make it your own. Tell it and portray it to the best of your own personal abilities!

And whoever said a completely original story is always a good one? There is a such thing as having an original story that's also a horribly bad story at the same time! xD xD

[neonmeres]

You are spot on this one! The experience of originality varies among reader and is relative.
Younger generation of readers might not have heard of a certain type of story before so when they read it will be original to them.
Experienced comic readers are the hardest to impress when it comes to originality since they have read so many comics. Fortunately the difference of cultures and knowledge around the world leaves a room to surprise those who haven't given a shot to something different from what they are used to see.

Thanks for your comment!

[neonmeres]

You'r right! That one way of developing creativity. Giving your interpretation of a well known myth or tale can really make things fresh. Thanks for your comment!

[neonmeres]

Look I appreciate your comment and agree on being different from the trend but please there is no need to call creators you might no find original ugly or say they are lazy. I mean we all have our taste and process when we create a story but that does not mean we should disrespect other creators and insult them. At least that my opinion.

[neonmeres]

Hahahaha thirst time hearing about this! Thank god they stopped him. That would have been hilarious though. I mean the princess Leila would have loved a frog.

[neonmeres]

Well it doesn't always hurt to try something new even if is not well received by some readers. I mean in the end It also about finding the right audience who will receive it well!

[neonmeres]

Great information you have given here! Studying a genre and getting rid of overused parts in it can really make a difference! Why did I not think about that before!