Vemödalen

February 4, 2015

My opinion on originality in storytelling is well documented. I’ve talked about it many times before. But for those who haven’t had enough of me talking about the fetishization of the unique, here’s another post.

A friend of mine is an aspiring filmmaker, and earlier today we were talking about stories. At one point he mentioned how he prefers telling unique stories, and I pounced.

After we talked for a while, with me endlessly hammering home the point that it’s not unique stories, but good stories, that we should endeavor to tell, I showed him this:

vemödalen – n. the fear that everything has already been done. From The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, by John Koenig.

After the video stopped, I patted my friend on the shoulder and said:

“Everything has been done before. Everything. Just decide what your line will be.”

Then I walked out of the room to him cursing, and saying that, despite it all, he was going to put it on Facebook … just like so many others before. We both had a good laugh at that.

What will your line be?