Discovering uncanny similarities

[Maieius]

So, after a year of developing my characters and plot, both dependant on each other, and I'm loving the Farseer trilogy, which I'm reading for the first time, just beginning the second. Then I realise, no wonder I'm loving it so much because not only does the main character slightly remind me of my own (not a huge similarity, though) but I've got a character almost identical to Burrich! It's very uncanny! He's somewhat of a father figure to my protagonist, he's a healer and has an injured leg, just like Burrich to Fitz. Not only that, but the Skill is damn similar too with how my twins communicate and there's a magic strongest in the royal line.

How often have you experienced this? What do you do if you discover a concept very similar to your own? Do you keep it as it is or try to change it? It's bound to happen, of course, but usually it's only been little things. It's strange, even though I've never read this series, I feel a little of a fraud if I don't do anything to change it but it's so set in there now and has happened by massive coincidence.

Robin Hobb, if you're reading this IM SORRY I LOVE YOU

 

[Jackie Bee]

I had this a couple of times, but only with little things - a couple of scenes I have written and later I saw something very similar in a book and in a movie.
It's up to you to see if you can change it, add some differences, or remove some similarities (like the injured leg, for example?)

 

[ratsy]

I haven't seen this yet, but I'm sure it happens. In that case though I would do something to change my character. It could be something as easy as making him a woman, or changing the injury to something else. Hobb is quiet well know, especially that series. You may be accused of borrowing her ideas with that many similarities.

 

[Maieius]

It's up to you to see if you can change it, add some differences, or remove some similarities (like the injured leg, for example?)

See, that's an important part of the plot and character. I wanted this character to have a magical quality about him and what do I give him? Couldn't do a wand or a staff, so I decided to give him a cane he's very possessive of. Why does he have this cane? It helps him walk because he has a bad leg injury. What was the injury? One so severe, it became the centre of the plot in my second novel of this series and without the cane, his leg would be completely useless. There's a lot to discover about this character and without the leg injury, it wouldn't exist.

And because of the injuries to his leg and he receives this cane, he uses it to heal others in a way nobody else can and also runs an apothecary. The backstory centred around this cane is also the reason my protagonist is sent to live with him and is how he becomes a sort of father figure to him.

Wah.

 

[Maieius]

Oh, yes, and Jhaampe is almost the same as my kingdom too - there's a part of the castle made from living wood. It's considered a great offence to walk with shoes on the wood.

I have to go now, don't I? I give up, it's definitely been written before. Bye guys!

 

[Jackie Bee]

And because of the injuries to his leg and he receives this cane, he uses it to heal others in a way nobody else can and also runs an apothecary. The backstory centred around this cane is also the reason my protagonist is sent to live with him and is how he becomes a sort of father figure to him.

Okay, it seems like his injured leg is there to stay It does sound like you might need a pretty serious rewrite to distinguish your story from the existing one. Unlucky!