[Lifino]

Okay, so I am working out the details of a story I've been kicking around for some time now... Unfortunately there is one sort-of big detail which could easily be seen as a direct copy of GRRM...

Between you and I, I only started reading aSoIaF last month, and this detail has been a big part of the story for over a year...

I've got a large 'wall' for lack of a better word(it is actualy a mountain range/severe vertical cliff, but a wall for all practical purposes) On the other side of which lives another society, which is at times hostile. Furthermore they don't play a major part in the story, just like the Wildlings don't start acting up until Martin's second book... The kicker is that I have plans for a kingdom whose job is to guard the 'wall' and keep the Eastern Half of the continent safe from those who live on the other side... as opposed to protecting the Southern half...

Now in all honesty, this was a new idea to me, and it has become such an important element in the plot that I can't just let it drop, but now that I've worked my way into aSoIaF I am having trouble moving forward with my own ideas... there is this nagging feeling... I'm also afraid of becoming tainted, and allowing more elements from GRRM seep into this story.

The history around my 'wall' is significantly different from The Wall and it's Wildlings though...

There is no real question here, because I know the general response to the elemental question in this post (is it okay to copy, although unintialy, the ideas of others? how do you avoid copying/ensure that you are not doing something which has already been done?) Ultimately it comes down to a judgement call on my part, and no matter what you do it's all been done before...

Just wanted to mitch and boan for a few minutes, that's all. Although a friendly, "I feel for ya, man." would be appreciated:rolleyes: :D

Silas <-attention hound

[Ladijen]

I don't really have any advice for you, so I'll say, "Hey, I feel for you, man!"

I wrote a short story quite awhile ago (I still have the long-hand draft around somewhere, as a matter of fact) and had a teacher tell me that he had read something VERY similar before...and he made sure that I understood what he was implying. My story was, indeed, extremely similar but it was (and is) original. I have no idea what one does about this.

[sci-fi_fantasy_fanatic]

I feel for you as well. I would just like to say it also sounds familiar to A Hero Born by Mike Stackpole, his ideas came out sounded differant from other books that involve a "wall". So I am sure that if you worked at it, yours would as well.

[gabador]

Well, lifino, I never had this problem, but I'm sure, that with a few minor adjustmens, you could make this into a very original story indeed.
You just need to change the name of your wall, make sure is no made of ice, and there is no nighwatch along it. Make the cultures beyond the wall not so... Wildlin-like, and the cultures on this side of the wall not so Stark-like.
And if that is done, just don't put any mammoths, or ice-demons in it, and I wouldn't notice a thing, and happily read through the thing, not thinking once: "hmmm, this resembles martin"
So keep writing it, and don't let it get you down, because Iam sure there are many-many books that resembles another, published book.
Gabador

[Celchu]

My experience with this stuff is that when people read your story with the intent of criticizing it later, then and only then will they notice it. I've had several stories where subtle things that related to other stories were picked up and gnawed on, without my ever reading the stories referred to. If you can make your Wall different enough, the casual reader will not notice or care about the smilarities. So go ahead, have fun, write! :D

[LeMort]

Don't worry about it Lifino.

Show me any work of fiction and I bet I can find another that is very similar. It's best not to let it worry you. Just write the best, most original stuff that you can.

[Shef]

As Lemort said, don't worry about it

[Runebreaker]

Really you have nothing to worry about. Quite a few stories borrow similiar traits from each other and ideas. Also Martin didnt come up with the idea of the wall protecting the good people from the bad. Quite a few people have done that as well though alternating that idea enough to make it their own.