When I began my career as a writer, I struggled to find my voice. Whenever I tried to write, I would inevitably drift into the style of another author. Sure, I'd heard that “good artists borrow; great artists steal,” but I felt like a fraud. Little did I know, I wasn't alone.
For a long time, I thought real writers were born with innate talent, some style that was just waiting to get onto the page. Turns out, that’s not true.
We find our voices by mimicking the voices of others. Great writers do not try to be original. They copy the work of the masters.
Every Artist Is a Thief
One of the challenges I recently wrestled with in writing my new book, Real Artists Don't Starve, is the all-too-familiar “imposter syndrome” that we all at some point struggle with. I felt like a fraud writing about creativity when so many smarter people had already covered that topic.
Ironically, as I was researching the habits and practices of best-selling authors, famous artists, and modern-day creatives who had succeeded in their craft, I came across a surprising realization:
It's true that great artists steal. We are all borrowing ideas from someone. As Austin Kleon wrote, “A good artist understands that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.”
When we steal like this, we end up creating a style that is all our own. And so, creative theft becomes a gift that we first receive and then give back to the world.
This kind of “stealing” is how an artist remembers for herself and her audience the greatness that has come before. It is a gift to everyone who witnesses your work. And this is something every writer can do.
3 Crafty Ways Great Artists Steal
Here are a few practical ways to find your voice by stealing other people's voices.
1. Pay attention to your peers
When she started dancing in New York, the dancer Twyla Tharp dedicated her self to studying every great dancer who was working at the time. She patterned herself after these professionals, learning what she could from them, copying their every move.
“I would literally stand behind them in class,” she said, “in copying mode, and fall right into their footsteps. Their technique, style, and timing imprinted themselves on my muscles.”
Tharp understood that honing her dance skills would begin not with an original technique but by copying what others were doing. She imitated the greats and after years of study created a style that was all her own—at least, that’s what people thought.
“That’s the power of muscle memory,” she wrote. “It gives you a path toward genuine creation through simple recreation.”
2. Copy before you create
The writer Hunter S. Thompson had a unique way of doing this. He would write out the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby by hand. Fitzgerald was his hero, and he wanted to get a feel for “what it was like to write that way.”
Thompson also admitted in an interview to stealing more words and phrases from the Bible than from any other source, because he liked the way they sounded.
The world's best writers do not wait to find their voices. They copy the work of both masters and peers. Word by word, stroke by stroke, they mimic what they admire until those techniques become habitual.
“Skill gets imprinted through action,” Twyla Tharp said.
We create by copying, and as we do, skill becomes reflex.
3. Build on what has come before
The historian Will Durant once said, “Nothing is new, except arrangement.”
The way you establish your authority in a certain field is by mastering the techniques of those who are already authorities. And what eventually emerges over time is your own style and voice.
Jim Henson, who is largely credited for revolutionizing the world of puppeteering and bringing it to TV, once said that Burr Tillstrom did more for putting puppets on television than Henson ever did.
Who was Tillstrom? Well, he was one of many influences Henson looked to when he was setting out to create his art. Like us all, he found his voice in the voices of others.
Great artists steal. That's how it works.
A Final Warning
We are all afraid of being called a copycat, and rightly so. But the world's best authors and artists understand that genius is not created in a vacuum.
They pay attention to masters and peers alike, borrowing from their work and reassembling it in ways where it's clear they've added something new.
The result is a product that is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
The difference between an artist and a copycat is that the artist builds on the work she has received and the copycat merely mimics it. Yes, we all start by doing what others have done, but those who master their crafts don’t stop there. They keep copying until the techniques become internalized.
Then and only then can you create something the world calls “original.”
Do you agree that great artists steal? Which great writers have influenced your writing? Let us know in the comments.
PRACTICE
For the next fifteen minutes, steal from your writing heroes. Pick a 1000-word piece of writing from your favorite author (about three pages from a normal-sized book) and write it out, word for word. Take notice of what it feels like to type those words in that order.
When you're done, share your experience in the comments, and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers.
I do think you’re right, but I like to call it inspiration. Certain things just resonate more than others. Focus on those, throw ’em in a creative blender (your mind), and you’ll be able to create something new.
Here’s my list of fiction writers: Quentin Tarantino, Elmore Leonard, Cormac McCarthy, J.D. Salinger, Hemingway, Andrew Vachss, Charles Bukowski, Chuck Palahniuk, Peter Craig, Lee Child, and I’m sure there are others.
For non-fiction, it’s Seth Godin, Steven Pressfield, Mike Vardy, Austin Kleon, you, Damien Farnsworth, Jon Acuff, and I’m sure there are others there too.
That’s a great list, Jim.
Great article. Thank you for sharing.
I especially notice it in music.
Thanks!
Very important point being made here…….practice!!!!!
Indeed! Good luck, Coretta.
I don’t see it as stealing I see it as inspiration in helping me to make something better. This is a really important point
Agreed. Just fun to call it “stealing.” 😉
Sort of reminds me of growing up in a household where we would sit down to learn bible verses by rote. Not because we were expected to quote them verbatim to the poor souls we met, but rather my Father hoped that by doing so, we would internalise them, maybe draw on them in other settings and make them a natural part of our expression as people.
Makes sense. Did it work?
Yes, certainly – some because it resonates with me and some because it helped form a base to layer on top of. Certain things that I identify with still pop up often “to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly” for example. Others not so much. To be fair there’s loads that may never actually ‘get used’ (for the life of me I could not recall ‘who begat who’ from the genealogies) – but then, I can’t recall what I had for breakfast a few weeks ago either but it still fed me. 🙂
I loved this article! I’ll be writing on the classic “My cousin Racheal” I read it as a youngster. I don’t pay attention to movies, first or second remake. I believe in the goodness of the book and I’m excited to write and share when it’s completed. I too dont find this as stealing because we are learning from experts, whether from this century or another. We are learning to be great writers and I’m thrilled to be doing this practice. I can’t wait to finish and share with others….
Awesome! Let us know how it goes!
I really like this article. Honestly, though, I “stole” a character from a Beatles song a long time ago for one of my stories. Reading this really encouraged me. ^^
Which one?
Maxwell Edison
I had a wonderful experience writing the words to Madeleine L’Engle’s delightful classic, “A Wrinkle In Time.” I enjoyed myself because her narration is serious yet whimsical and also because there were many moments that gave me pause. I was suddenly quite aware of comma usage in a way that I haven’t been before. There were times when I had the natural urge to put a comma in somewhere only to realize that she hadn’t put a comma where I thought it would be! It made me think that maybe I have been overusing the comma (this wouldn’t surprise me). And then there were sentences in which she used many commas and I chuckled trying to figure out whether I’ve been overusing them or not. Overall it was an experience that unexpectedly broadened my mind. I think I will try it again. Thank you!
She’s so great. I also like her series of essays on writing called “Walking on Water.”
I didn’t know she had essays on writing. I will have to check it out! Thank you for the suggestion.
Tiffany: I share your love of children’s writers and their masterful literature. Isn’t reading the classics as a child how most of us writers began to love language and stories? The text I typed is a debut book by a new writing friend. I encourage you all to pick up Leah Henderson’s “One Shadow on the Wall.”! While typing out the first 1000 words, I was transported to Senegal. I could feel the grief of a young boy who became orphaned when his father succumbed to an auto accident. Henderson’s characters are introduced in the first chapter; you hear the voices of the children and adults in this village. I became aware of how my own children’s book could mirror (and not steal) the spirit voices Henderson brings to life as the main character tries to live up to his promise to his dead father to protect his two sisters. This technique of reading a master writer’s words and typing them out is a great exercise for me and other writers. Thank you, Jeff. BTW, I am taking an online writing class for children’s writers and the instructor shared this same practice. One difference to note: don’t forget to find the best writing and what bothers you and you don’t want to imitate.
Beth, who recommends Roy Peter Clark’s “The Art of X-Ray Reading: How the Secrets of 25 Great Works of Literature Will Improve Your Writing.”
Without a doubt I believe that every writer’s love for the art begins with children’s books.
This was a good article with a lot of truth in it, but as usual, there are exceptions. I don’t roll that way. I don’t have a favorite author, probably because I don’t read that much. I know, that’s cuts against conventional wisdom for authors. I’ve been too busy writing. I get inspired and just run with it. If I am borrowing from previous works, I’m not aware of it. That’s not to say it isn’t happening on some level. I’ve read some of the great classics like “Wuthering Heights”, “Return of the Native”, “The Good Earth”, “To kill a Mocking Bird”, and others but that was several decades ago. So, I think my writing style is possibly more unique than some. That’s not so say it’s better, but it’s very much me.
It is the same with me. I don’t have a favorite author. I don’t find reading enjoyable, yet I like to write. I despise sappy novels, irrational characters, ridiculous story lines, and dimwitted plots. Reading fiction is a waste of time, as the hours pass by with nothing to show for it, especially if the book induces readers coma. “I can never put this book down till I finish it!” I like truth and reality, something that feeds my brain with knowledge. I am a visual person and prefer movies, news, and verbal communication. One of these practices stated Stephen King encourages to read, read, read and read more. I know people who are adamant readers. While I accept the challenge, force feeding me literature leaves me exhausted.
I think it’s okay to not have a favorite author. I wouldn’t agree that reading is a waste of time. If that’s true, then a lot of us will soon be out of jobs. The majority of books published and read are works of fiction. That said, you don’t have to read fiction. Sounds like self-help, narrative nonfiction, memoir, business, how-to, and advice would be good genres for you. 🙂
Everything you said is so true! I think pressing through two Master’s left me exhausted, because now I don’t read….I scan for valuable information. I think my goal will be to read a fiction book for pleasure sometime soon. My friend has a fiction book on Amazon and I haven’t even read that!
Actually, I think most borrowing happens subconsciously. That said, I agree with Stephen King when he said if you want to be a great writer, you have to read a lot and write a lot. They go hand in hand. Keep up the good work.
Sorry I’m late to the party but I think Jeff, you’re definitely onto something. As a writer we write better because we read, so it makes sense to write what we read to be inspired and great.
Thanks, Nick! You’re just in time. 😉
I know this is against what was said…but I’m not a reader…i don’t have a favorite author…but i love Stephen Kings and any movie from Jonny Depp…because of originality…I usually look at movies and if it was to predictive..i can see another way the movie could have gone…
Hi Sophie. I would start with Stephen King and also learn from movies (which I love!), borrowing ideas on storytelling to help you find your voice.
Great article. Although i would reccomend authors still search for their voices. I’m a reader as well and seeing someone write in a voice thats theirs is a good change. Maybe it’s the writer in me but I’m not sure I like starting a book and going oh this sounds like that guy. Original is possible people.
Hey Mosbie. I would disagree, kind of. Original is possible only in that we are combining multiple influences into something that looks original. It’s like a mosaic. The idea here isn’t to borrow from one person. That makes you a thief. But when you borrow from many people and re-arrange those voices into your own voice, you are now a writer. The whole idea of searching for your voice, in my experience, is a vain one that will leave you frustrated. There’s no need to do that if history’s greatest authors didn’t do it.
This is an interesting view. Thanks for the point jeff
Yes that’s what I am doing, sometimes I think , ” I am stalking them badly.
Thanks Jeff for clearing it’ s not bad, but good one.
Hah! I’m all about the stalking. 😉
I agree!
This is great content Jeff. …I steal all the time and write down anything I like from a book to my notepad…though I haven’t written any book I just started writing one about a shadow and person…the shadow posesese the same real person or whatever. ..
I’m just 14 so I’m just taking it loose right now