Originality and Emulation

 George Saunders has a piece On Emulation worth reading.

I think emulation, though not formally practiced, is very much alive and well.

Almost every young writer goes through a period during which he, swept away by some established writer, steps right into that other writer’s voice (or tries to), sometimes without even realizing he’s doing it.

This is not only totally natural and unavoidable, it is, I think, necessary, even laudable.

The fact that the writer has the desire to imitate his hero indicates that he has a good ear: that is, he can discern between different voices and has shown a preference for that one voice over all others.

Melissa Donovan's Originality in Storytelling makes this point:

It’s all in the details. Star Wars is a space opera; Harry Potter is a contemporary fantasy. One takes place in a galaxy far, far away; the other takes place in London and a magic school for wizards. One story starts with its primary characters as children; the other story’s characters are young adults. One was first published as a novel; the other debuted as a blockbuster film. Many of the differences are window dressing — but these are the details that define a story, that give it tone, style, and even meaning.

I can only say Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, and Hercule Poirot and Hastings have much in common with Holmes and Watson who have much in common with M. Dupin and his narrator, who have much in common with Samuel Johnson and Boswell. If you cannot tell the difference, then call me flabbergasted.

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