How many have people out ther come up this wonderful and unique
story or plot point, and later found out that, while for you it's new,
elsewhere it's been done to death?

Pretty much every story I've ever written has been done before.  I wrote
"Trading Places" (my first fic, I don't recommend it unless you'd really
like a good laugh at my expense ^_~) a good 4 or 5 MONTHS before I finally
found a copy of "The More Things Change."  When I finally read TMTC, I had
to just cringe with embarassment.  My little ideas had not only been
written already, but masterfully enough to put my sorry little effort to
shame. *^_^*

Unless you've read every piece of fanfiction ever written, how can you
really know you have an original idea?  I'll never be able to say I've read
EVERYTHING, the fics come out faster than I can keep up with as it is.  The
best I can do is hope my idea hasn't been done to death, and try to do the
very best job writing it that I can.  I say, if you have a story idea you
like, and it's novel enough to YOU to keep you interested, you should write
it.  I don't regret writing "Trading Places" or any of my other "done to
death" fics.  Each of them was a learning experience for me.  So if you
like a story idea, write it.  Make it a story that you find interesting and
entertaining, and just maybe others will agree with you.  Who knows, you
might end up with something really unique!

^_^

Cindy

Fourth Disciple of Ryouga, Guardian of the Sacred Walnut Grove
Hentai Hymn Leader of the Church of the Black Rose

Yoiko's Home Page:  http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/7183