My novel's subject is making the news, but I kind of did it first. Is this an issue?

[underthecity]

Maybe you've seen this: Intel Cuts Cords with Wireless Power (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usitinternetenergychipcompanyintel;_ylt=AqWt2wcczY 3PqQ0m7oItlFHZn414)

Transmitting electricity by wireless is not a new idea. Tesla did it close to a century ago.

Intel is using magnetic fields . . . electromagnetism to transmit electricity wirelessly.

Although I realize this is not a new concept, I developed this notion over two years ago and wrote a whole novel about it. Many of you might know about what my book's about. A few have read some of it.

So, I'm trying to figure out something. When I finally finish the book and am subbing it, will it look like I've just kind of latched onto Intel's approach? Won't that make me look like some kind of copycat?

Is Intel's announcement being so similar to my book a good thing?

(I should point out: the MC invents a machine to send electricity through the air. A lot of the points made in the linked article are made in the book. However, the machine backfires and instead is able to pull ghosts out of the air, in short.)

Comments?

allen

[IceCreamEmpress]

Nope, this concept is one of the Holy Grails of electrical engineering and has been since Tesla's day. Nobody's going to tie it down to the recent Intel project.

[maestrowork]

I don't see it as a problem. You can use it as a selling point. So what if an agent or editor thought you used Intel's invention as the basis of your story? Use that to your advantage. You're not trying to win a patent here.

[Pwca]

My advice:

Don't ever let something like this block your writing or prevent you from moving forward with your project, in general. As you said, yourself, this is not a new idea. Tesla worked on the concept before, and it is still a mysterious field.

Get that novel finished off, write your proposals, and submit it, because the media hoopla may add to your advantage. You may have even written something that could be called timely.

This advice goes out generally, too:

You have to remember not to get blocked in your progress just because you read something or hear something out there that rememinds you of your project. You always have your own take, your own voice that is unique and that will set you apart. If you are anything like me, then sure, you would love to see your WIP prublished, eventually, but also, first and foremost, you are writing for yourself. You owe it to yourself to keep writing or revising. Never throw away your dreams or your work. You trash yourself when you do that.

Anyway, underthecity, when that book hits the shelves I will be interested in reading it! Good luck.

[dempsey]

Nope, this concept is one of the Holy Grails of electrical engineering and has been since Tesla's day. Nobody's going to tie it down to the recent Intel project.

Yep.

Also it makes an appearance in my novel :) Don't sweat it.

[Stormhawk]

They also did this in Southland Tales, it's not a problem.

[kopperhead]

I'm certainly no authority, but it seems to be apples and oranges to me; what Intel is doing is totally different than what you are doing, which is writing a novel. You are not anywhere near copycatting unless Intel has also written a novel. And as already mentioned, it might generate interest if readers have been exposed to the wireless electricity transmission info, which I just have, and I would read it because of that.
k

[tehuti88]

Even if your concept were copycatting what's happening in the news (and I'm not saying it is), it looks like you've put a fresh twist on it regarding the ghosts. If anything, maybe this news from Intel could even increase interest in your concept? Sort of a feeling of, "We know they're starting to transmit wireless electricity now, that's pretty cool, and OH LOOK!--ghosts!!" :D

ETA: AH! maestrowork and kopperhead said the exact same thing I said, so I guess I'm in good company. :D

[DeadlyAccurate]

Heck, I read that article not three minutes ago, and my first thought was, Hm, maybe I should put that tech in my current book. (It's not the basis for the story or anything; just another bit of futuristic technology.)

[Prawn]

I was one of your beta readers, and unless Intel is powering wireless devices with ghosts, you are in the clear!

[smoore]

I actually champion what you did. Arthur C. Clarke predicted com sats many years before we had them. That's one of the great things about sci-fi. (Actually, he probably could have patented the idea--it was really worked out.) Another case in point: Theodore Sturgeon predicted spread spectrum com in a short story long before engineers came up with it. (He didn't have the idea so well worked out, but the idea of burying a signal in something that looks like random noise was there. The curious thing is that Hedi Lemar had already actually built such a system, but Theodore didn't know about it, I guess.) Finally, the real winner: Jonathan Swift predicted the existence of the two moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, long before anyone could see them in a telescope. So I second all the comments above. You're in good company. (Mind you, I'm not critiquing your science. I'm just saying that no one really worries about what you're worrying about!)

[underthecity]

Thanks for the comments, and your feedback is what I was thinking too, a little later after I got over the initial shock of reading the Intel story. It just surprised me that I had written about doing this very thing (sending electricity wirelessly) over two years ago (when nothing recent had been reported about it in the news) and suddenly here was Intel doing it and making headlines.

My knee-jerk reaction was this: if this process were successfully implemented before my book came out then readers would look at it and say, "That's old news. What is this guy doing?"

Now, if Intel announces they have successfully finished and then say "It works, but as an interesting byproduct, real ghosts appear and are now being held in a special containment device for further research" then I'll officially need a new pair of pants and probably retire from writing altogether.

allen

[ideagirl]

Nope, this concept is one of the Holy Grails of electrical engineering and has been since Tesla's day. Nobody's going to tie it down to the recent Intel project.

Not to mention, if this is a work of fiction, who the hell cares? Generally in fiction, the technical gizmos are not the point of the story--they're interesting accessories, but they're not why you pick up the book and keep reading.

[Danthia]

If the story is good the idea doesn't matter. Love stories have been around forever, and we still read them. Fanatsy? Look at all the quest and prophecy novels. Serial killers. Private eyes. Murder in general.

Your novel is not about this one aspect. It's the story about the guy who is involved with this aspect. Make that story awesome and you can't go wrong.

[underthecity]

It's the story about the guy who is involved with this aspect. Make that story awesome and you can't go wrong.

Very true, it is about the guy. And I like to think the story is awesome, but one beta reader who has it right now seems to think so, too.

Thanks all for the comments!

allen

[jennifer75]

;)

ghosts rock.