“Everything that can be invented, has been invented.” –Charles Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Patent Office, 1899
At one of my writing groups, a fellow writer said off-handedly (during a discussion about creating mythical beasts in fantasy writing) that, “pretty much everything has been written, so you shouldn’t worry about reusing or recycling known tropes, like unicorns or dragons. Around the room, people nodded and no one refuted him. The conversation moved on to whether or not your fictional creatures should have some sort of cosmology and the topic of inventing new storylines and monsters was dropped.
I moved on as well, but something about that statement bothered me. It seemed so fatalistic, so glass-half-empty. And I wondered if it was true. Has everything already been written in one form or another? Are we just revamping tired stories with new characters, settings, and technologies? Are we resigned to creating yet another Terminator sequel instead of coming up with a fresh plot?
No.
I firmly disagree that everythinghas already been created, that every story has been told.
When Charles Duell said the above quote in 1899, he truly thought that nothing new could be invented. They had it all, right? Sophisticated transportation (horse and buggy), modes of communication (telegraph), and incredible home technology (the gas-lit lamp). Nothing new to invent, right?
Today, his statement is laughable. We’ve seen millions of new technologies and improvements since 1899.
Here’s the crux of what I’m getting at: Just because Duell couldn’t envision new technologies at the time, doesn’t mean they wouldn’t happen. His lack of vision didn’t stop Ford from inventing the model-T, Orville and Wilbur from taking the first flight, and Al Gore from inventing the internet (kidding, kidding).
In the same vein, I’m certain not every story has been told. Just because youcan’t think of anything new, doesn’t mean there is nothing new.
In short, don’t impose your limitations on me.
Thousands of people write novels every year. Sure, many of them might recycle plot lines or character themes, but some of them are truly fresh and innovative.
So, keep writing. Keep imagining. And don’t impose others’ narrow-mindedness on yourself.
Kate Bitters is the author of Ten Thousand Lines and Elmer Left.
Author: KateBitters
Kate Bitters is a Minneapolis-based author and freelance writer. She is the author of Elmer Left, Ten Thousand Lines, and He Found Me. One of her proudest/nerdiest moments was when Neil Gaiman read one of her short stories on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater.