CCJC Audio Podcast Episode 000121, Season 2
Derivative Content Writers Be Your Own Inspiration!
As authors and poets, we all know sometimes the nightmare is all too real. We’ve probably all done it at one time or another, a lot of times simply because we didn’t know any better. We might as well fess up and admit that some of our best work (and some of our worst) have ended up on multiple platforms. We are sadly a guilty lot.
A while back, I once was sentenced to “Nightmare Court”not to be confused with Judge Harry T. Stone’s Night Court in Manhattan. The court room was decorated in classic excuses and indignation. The defendants, myself included, were a dubious crew of authors and poets. We were all charged with the felony heinous crime of Derivative Content.
Every defendant had all been caught red-handed, their digital fingerprints all over countless copy and paste word-for-word copies of their work, regurgitated like flyspeck vomit over various site platforms in desperate bids for attention and dollars.
“I’m not plagiarizing, I’m recycling!” – Said by every author at some point.
As I watched, the first to take the stand was a prolific Tropi-trash romance novelist. “Your Honor,” she pleaded. “I honestly couldn’t resist the temptation of getting a few extra sales. The economy as we all know is quite dire. A little extra income is sometimes the only way I can afford my Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. It’s my writing muse. I can’t write without it.”
The judge, a stern faced digital hologram algorithm known as Judge S.E.O. Ranking, raised a geometric eyebrow. “Let me understand this, you seriously believe that plagiarizing your own work is the solution to solving your caffeine withdrawals?”
“Well, it’s not exactly plagiarism, “ the sun-kissed scribbler novelist countered. “I’m just recycling my best material. I wrote it. I own it. I’m careful to add a disclaimer that I “previously published it before.”
“I’m just guilty of being too lazy to come up with new ideas, – Said by most of us
Next called up was a frustrated rhyme scheme rambler poet. “I’m throwing myself on the mercy of your court. “I’m a victim of the algorithm system, your Honor,” he proclaimed. The platform just wasn’t giving my best work the love that it deserved, so I took matters into my own hands.”
Judge Ranking, groaned. “And those ‘hands’ just happened to copy and paste your work onto every social media platform imaginable?”
The rigid meter maniac poet nodded defensively and hung his head. “I’ll admit it was a desperate move. But, I believe I have a right to control my own content, not some keyword bots crawling over every word I write ”
The rest of us in the courtroom erupted into laughter. Even the dim-witted Mac Mackenzie clan bailiff caught the irony of it all. A particularly outspoken blogger stood up and yelled, “What a load of hogwash! You’re just a lazy hack who couldn’t be bothered to come up with something more original.”
As the court day dragged on, the excuses the defendants gave became more and more outlandish. One author claimed to have been possessed by a ghost who insisted on repeating the same story over and over again. Another insisted that their work had been stolen by a shadowy cyber bullying gang cabal of online hateful trolls.
I was to be one of the last to be called before the court since the docket was organized alphabetically by last name. If the doors hadn’t been locked I would have been on the run. Better to be in contempt of court with a bounty on my head than join the likes of the rest of them.
Suddenly, Judge Ranking banged his gavel. “Enough!” he declared. “I’ve heard enough! You’ve all been found guilty of Derivative Content. Your group sentence is as follows: You shall all be banished to serve your time in Algorithm Island. There your content will be lost forever in a sea of mediocrity. You should be known only by the ghosts of the internet, haunting the search engines with your stale ideas and diminishing returns.”
Nightmare Court erupted in collective gasps of horror. It was in that moment, that we all realized our punishment was far worse than any SEO engine penalty or missed opportunity. Our best efforts had been given a life sentence of irrelevance.
Perils Of Derivative Content: Modern Day Cautionary Tale
Long after Nightmare Court was over, in another time and place, I realized that recycling old content might seem like a quick fix and only fair because damn it, I wrote it. Hmm. However, I found out back then, that the way out can be a treacherous path fraught with sinkholes. I imagined it like some boomer comedians who like to tell the same jokes over and over again.
Eventually, your audience will know your punchlines before you deliver them. Similarly, constant re-posting old content can lead to diminishing returns, stale content, and even search engine penalties. Your best efforts will end up on the cutting floor of scrolling without serious reading. Time wise it’s a lot of temptation to just coast on old successes.
Avoiding The Derivative Content Trap: Embracing A Different Perspective
Well, I’m here to say that even the most seasoned content creators need to take a fresh approach to keep your audience fully engaged and your reputations intact. You are swimming in the chum trail of competition with a lot of predator shark competition for swallowing you whole. Instead of mindlessly re-posting slightly freshened past work, try re-purposing it creatively.
Turn your blog post into a podcast, transform a video written into the article, or spin what you wrote previously in a whole new unexpected direction. Give your old wonderful ideas that missed their ideal audience, a new coat of word paint by updating them with current trends and information.
Most importantly don’t throw away what you built so uniquely you with your original content, just make it work as a compliment to new material. Keep your audience engaged, ditch that cloning copy cat urge and let your creativity shine brighter than before.
“Even a recycled idea can be a do-over extraordinaire, when you put your own unique spin on it. Don’t give up on your writing journey, keep exploring new ideas, keep building your tribe, and write from your heart and your gut.” — Jerilee Wei © 2024
A Word of Wisdom:
Our fictional and non-fictional tales are inspired by real Louisiana and New Orleans history, but some details may have been spiced up for a good story. While we’ve respected the truth, a bit of creative license could have been used. Please note that all characters may be based on real people, but their identities in some cases have been Avatar masked for privacy. Others are fictional characters with connections to Louisiana.
As you read, remember history and real life is a complex mix of joy, sorrow, triumph, and tragedy. While we may have (or not) added a bit of fiction, the core message remains, the human spirit’s power to endure, adapt, and overcome. Cajun Chronicles Audio Podcast - Bringing you the heart of Louisiana. All artwork generated with Google Docs Image Maker unless otherwise noted.
© Jerilee Wei 2025 All Rights Reserved.
