Big boots and star cats
This weekend, a stranger said a tiny story I posted was so like a published series it ought to be a review. When someone calls ‘Snap!’ between my writing and someone else's, here’s what generally happens next:
I think, oh effity eff, did I accidentally do a plagiarism?
My inner critic, Sniffy Neg, jumps in wearing her biggest boots and gives me an absolute kicking.
My inner creative, Gonzo, pops their space hopper and vanishes.
Meanwhile, my inner sensible, Old Robot, quietly checks whether I accidentally did a plagiarism.
Eventually, we all agree I didn’t and accept the feedback as a compliment.
I start refilling Gonzo’s spacehopper with odd thoughts.
This weekend’s compliment was about Starcat, one of my favourite made-up friends, who slinks into scifaiku whenever she feels like it. Ironically, she believes herself to be unique. Of course, she is and she isn’t, like the rest of us. I haven’t read the Star Ka’ats she was compared to, but I have met space cats before, thanks to Cordwainer Smith and Robert A. Heinlein. I’ve seen the memes, sent the gifs, browsed the t-shirts.
Sniffy Neg: Ha-ha! That proves it. Our writing isn’t original. Not in the slightest. Told ya!
She’s partly right. I try to write surprises, but me and Old Robot concluded long ago it’s impossible to be truly original. We are what we read. We’re the songs we sing along to. We’re made by our times, which were made by those preceding and hoped for.
Sniffy Neg: I think you’ll find you’re made of WEIRD!
Aw, thanks, Sniffy. Guess what? That weird is how we can make a space cat our very own, along with any story or premise we invent. We must write honestly from our eccentric selves, sharing the particular and peculiar way we experience this strange world. We'll attend to that weird and nurture it, then find the words.
Gonzo: (whispers) Will we make up any words?
Whenever we like, so long as they’re true. Come on, let’s add some to your space hopper.
Note:
Starcat would like to clarify that she is not, never was, and never will be ‘my very own’. Starcat belongs to no one. However, my scifaiku belong to her.