I love this story for so many reasons, the biggest one of which is that there are few things around that get me as riled up as plagiarism. Some Harvard student-turned-novelist put 40-someodd passages of Megan McCafferty's into her novel. What follows is great:
-The Harvard Crimson, whom I've had gripes with in the past, eschewed the "She's our classmate, we LOOOOOOVE her!" mentality and listed all the discrepancies. You go.
-She says she had read the books and just "internalized" them and accidentally included the phrases; sorry honey, when they're books you love so much that you can internalize a phrase like "170 specialty stores later," down to the right number, you make damn sure you're not using anything from it. This would be like me "accidentally" writing a book in which I said someone had last seen a man "peering through slits in a black hood" (see, I massacred that quote from Order of the Phoenix; I haven't even internalized the Harry Potter books enough to "accidentally" plagiarize). And 40 times? Please. Once or twice, OK, maybe, perhaps, it's not such a big deal, and understandable if unfortunate. But anything with such volume is - for absolute certain - plagiarism.
-She says she's sorry. The publisher says nuh-uh, we don't accept. See you on the witness stand.
-None of it makes a difference; it will still be a movie, she'll still be filthy rich, she'll graduate in 2008 with another book deal or just go to Hollywood and start writing screenplays. But she probably won't plagiarize again. At least, if she's a Harvard kind of smart. Or even smart without the Harvard part.
Yes, that's irritating. I hate phonies. Aside from being a copy cat, is this thief at least a skilled writer?
I suppose I should read some Megan McCafferty novels. I don't know her yet.
Off with the heads of all plagiarisers!
Yes, that's irritating. I hate phonies. Aside from being a copy cat, is this thief at least a skilled writer?
I suppose I should read some Megan McCafferty novels. I don't know her yet.
Off with the heads of all plagiarisers!
It really bugs me when people plagarize. But, for me, what makes this a million times worse:
Those books are my favorite series.
I must say I was not in a good mood when I read this story yesterday.
I love Megan McCafferty's novels. I read both "Sloppy Firsts" and "Second Helpings" last year, and loved them. I am on "Charmed Thirds". I find it really sad that someone would result to copying anyone's brilliant ideas. Anyone's idea, for that matter. I don't understand how there are so many intelligent and gifted writers in the world, and yet here we have a Harvard student, whose future is bond to be auspicious anyway, copying another authors work. Thank you Melissa for posting this, because I love reading your wonderful posts and opinions.
I love Megan McCafferty's novels. I read both "Sloppy Firsts" and "Second Helpings" last year, and loved them. I am on "Charmed Thirds". I find it really sad that someone would result to copying anyone's brilliant ideas. Anyone's idea, for that matter. I don't understand how there are so many intelligent and gifted writers in the world, and yet here we have a Harvard student, whose future is bond to be auspicious anyway, copying another authors work. Thank you Melissa for posting this, because I love reading your wonderful posts and opinions.
oh thats really great...after harvard denies that other girl's (i think her name was blair hornstar or something?) admission because they found out she had plagiarized, like, a sentence from a speech in her little town newspaper. i mean, yeah, plagiarism is plagiarism, but the hypocracy...
This would be like me writing about an orphaned boy with a scar and glasses who learns he's a wizard and goes off to wizard school, and on the way makes best friends with a goofy boy and a brainiac girl, ultimately defeating the most evil wizard of all time ... and expecting no one to notice.
But I gave the characters new names and set them in America, so it's an original.
Yeah ... right. This chick isn't fooling anyone.
This is so irritating. We were talking about it yesterday in my Creative Writing class. My teacher is a published author, and had a lot to say on the issue. I feel bad for McCafferty.
*laughs like mad*
I've been reading about this all over the place and I just think it's amusing. Seriously, if you're going to rip something off, at least do it properly. Better yet, just don't do it at all.
Lol, yes, very annoying. And if she was that smart, she wouldn't have done it in the first place. tut tut.
I love Megan McCafferty, and when I originally read that article I started laughing. How do you accidentally plagerize?
Jackie, you'd be so, so, so very surprised at what people have said. LOL.
Slate has a great article on it today:
http://www.slate.com/id/2140636/nav/tap2
i actually did a report on plagiarism for my philosopy/ethics class. it turned out that even though yes, it is certainly wrong and illegal to plagiarize (whether it's "accidental" or not), copyrighting is actually unethical. can you believe that? hah. but it's too complicated. i'd rather wear my anti-plagiarism button than an anti-copyright one. :/
Wow, that is ridiculous. There is no possible way to "just internalize" that many phrases right down to the exact wording. I am glad that Megan McCafferty rejected the apology.
Has this writer been introduced to John Shooter? I think they'd hit it off swimmingly.
*psst. Melissa. You don't know me but for the love of humanity please tell me you are doing a Lost podcast ASAP
Sorry to interrupt*
I read somewhere that her movie deal was off. I've never heard of a rags to riches to rags story before. (Well, she wasn't in rags before her book deal, but you know what i mean). She's got a lot of (bad) publicity in India because of this issue. I don't think things look too rosy for her at the moment but who knows, as melissa said she'll probably get another book deal in the future. She's in Harvard after all.
Accidentally plagiarised? I just accidentally laughed.
And Melissa I love you, you're so awesome!
Hi! I was just listening to the Rent podcast & I realized something you said was very true about living in suburban areas, feeling like the misfit & connecting w/ Rent. I connect w/ people on message bopards that love rent & places like that. Thanks. :]