Writers commonly use each other’s ideas. In fact, we kind of have to because there are a limited number of plot lines. There are a few things you can do if you want to avoid being too derivative. Combine ideas from multiple sources together. Use nonfiction or the news as inspiration rather than other stories. Get ideas from your own personal experience including your dreams. But in the end, all literature plagiarizes from the literature that came before it to some degree. Continue reading →