At Least There’s Science Behind My Fears But What Do I Do?

[Wandering Author]

I just read an article on io9 about cryptomnesia, which is the problem of confusing something you’ve read or heard in the past with something you’ve made up. Since I’ve caught myself doing this a few times, and have a good memory, I’ve always feared “plagiarising” something I read. (If it makes enough of an impression on me, I can recall things I’ve read – entire paragraphs or even pages – almost word for word, weeks and even months later.)

So I always suspected I was at greater risk of falling into this sort of trap. The very things which make the sharpest impression on me are – no surprise here – the ones closest to what I might write myself. The “I wish I’d said that” passages… Now, reading this article, I see they highlight the fact that having a good memory is no protection, and in using Helen Keller as an example, suggest her memory may have been her downfall. (I am not totally blind, and my hearing is fine – but one reason I developed such an unusually good memory is as an aid in coping with the fact I was born legally blind. Until now, I’ve always thought of it as an asset, period.)

Although I’m perfectly capable of telling my own angle on an idea I think another writer got “wrong” (something all writers do, legitimately) I have no interest in copying anyone else. What would be the point? It would be easier to just buy a copy of the original book, story, etc. But it seems the risk I’ve instinctively feared all along is real – so what do I do now? How do I keep myself from falling prey to cryptomnesia? Any suggestions? (Before anyone suggests Google searches, plagiarism detection services, etc. – I can’t afford the pay services. Other than that, unless I take the time to search for phrase after phrase throughout an entire work, how can I be sure I haven’t missed the part I “stole”? And, yes, I’m obsessive enough to get hung up on this, now that I have some evidence my fear is more than just my own worries.)

[Author]

Posts