On Writing

As a writer one of the things I struggle with most is reading - how do you balance what you take in and what you put out? Where is interpreting, incorporating or hinting at someone else's words, thoughts or ideas plagiarism? A 19 year old student is facing charges that her novel is too similar to one of her favorite books - did she intentionally copy or was it all just a big mistake?

I don't know what is safest when you're writing - just not to read at all? I, myself, try not to read before I write during the day. If I'm planning on writing I will not open whatever I'm reading at the time...I feel like it's too risky. I'll read after I'm done writing for the day. But is that enough? Just because I sleep for 8 hours or so, does that mean that what I read the day before can no longer affect what I write?

According to www.dictionary.com, 'plagiarism' is defined as follows:
n 1: a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work 2: the act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own [syn: plagiarization, plagiarisation, piracy]

Obviously what you write is influenced by what you read. You only ever broaden your horizons when you read, and in turn it makes you a better writer. But where is the line between inspiration and copying? This always makes me uncomfortable. I feel like my style is definitely influenced by what I read, but does that mean I copy? Do I imitate someone else's style? Is it then not completely my own? How do I know?

According to Plagiarism.org, in a study by the Center for Academic Integrity, 80% of college students admit to cheating at least once and 36% admit to copying written material. According to The State of Americans: This Generation and the Next (Free Press, July 1996)in 1969 58.3% of high school students allowed someone to use or copy their work. This percentage rose to 97.5% by 1989. The internet has made it that much easier to cheat...so is this girl just an example of another person taking advantage of the system? Or did she have the best of intentions.

I guess from my own perspective, I would never willingly copy anyone else's work. But how do I control the unintentional?

For more information check out:
http://www.plagiarism.org/index.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060502/ap_en_ot/young_author