//------------------------------// // Death to the Original Author // Story: The Death of an Author // by Nugget //------------------------------// From the personal journal of Pen Name. One month later... Well, I’m mad, again. You won’t believe what came across my desk this morning, my reaction when I read through it, and what I did after I discovered the truth behind the story. What the writer did was stupid, monumentally dumb, and completely unnecessary, to the point their job was almost terminated on the spot. What did they do, you ask? Well, sit back, grab a cup of coffee, or an energy drink if you really need it, and let me tell you about this wild ride I had today. It all started after an hour had passed since I got into my office to work. As I sat there, behind my desk, minding my own business with the usual paper-or-two I had to edit, one of the inexperienced staff writers walked into my office, ignored my presence completely with a smug his face, and dropped off an article into my work ben. That’s strange, and somewhat rude. What the heck got into him? Did he wake his rear up today and think he’s the best thing since Celestia herself? Or did he just decide to be an egotistical equine today? I didn’t know, but I decided to go ahead and see, and figure out, what the heck got into him by reading the work he turned in. So, I levitated his paper out of my ben, placed it down on my desk, floated an inked quill towards me, and then began to read his story. It didn’t take me more than two seconds to figure out why he was so proud of himself. It was a big story, covering, in detail, a possible love affair between an unknown Royal Guard and Princess Luna. To me, it seemed to be well written, with interviews from the Royal Staff, photos, and personal investigations while he was undercover as a janitor within the Canterlot Castle. No wonder he wore a cheeky grin on his face! It seemed, to him, as if he’s about be credited for the biggest story to break Equestria since the return of Princess Luna! Oh! How I’d laughed at his work! Did he think I was stupid? Did he think I’m not vigilant with my work? Did he really think he was about to let this story slip past me? Oh, no! Young writer, my friend, you’re seriously one of the stupidest equines I’ve ever known. Why am I saying such harsh words? Well, it’s simple. Half the story wasn’t written by him, and nearly two-thirds of it was all made up! So, in short, it wasn’t original, to begin with, and almost none of the words written down were genuinely from him. You want to know why I know that? Well, again, it’s simple. He stole half of it from an article I wrote two years ago about a royal guard discussing his “love of the job,” tending to the protection of Princess Celestia. What is new writer did was take my story, twist it around, found old guard photos with Princess Luna in them, and then tried to pass it off as an entirely new story. What a load of bull crap! Do you think I can’t recognize my own words? Do you think after two years I can’t figure what I wrote from the rest of the stories passing through my desk? To you seriously think I can be so daft as to pass off this story as something you wrote on your own, with your own words?! Gah! You’re an idiot! You’re an absolute, without a shadow of doubt, idiot! Who the heck told you it’s ok to plagiarize another pony’s arduous work? I’m sure it wasn’t your mother, nor your father! Oh Celestia! And you have a degree in Journalism?! Yeah! Then I’m sure your professors have never told you it's ok to copy another pony’s work as well! While I’m at it, I might as well count your high, middle, and elementary school teachers as part of the bunch! I’m certain, no pony has ever told it’s ok to copy another pony’s work and pass it off as your own. It’s low, sick, and disgusting. It paints you as a lazy, sluggish pony with zero integrity when it comes to original work. Plagiarizing will destroy your reputation, and can kick students out of college if they’re caught in the act, or in this case, kick you, the new writer, out of the job. That’s right, he got the boot. As soon as the big boss got the word about him copying my work, I saw his flank leaving the office with his stuff packed into a cardboard box. It almost happened in a flash! One moment, he turned in his work, the next, his body walked out the door jobless! Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t like seeing ponies lose their job because they copied the works of others. If he’d genuinely admitted to his mistakes, said he was sorry while kindly explaining the reasoning behind his actions, then I would have some sympathy for him. Instead, he argued about his work against the boss and me, trying to do everything he could to pass it off as original while he wore a prideful smug on his face. He’s so bucking proud of plagiarizing! What a load of horse dung he was! Now, I’m glad he’s gone since I don’t have to smell the stench of his worthless work anymore. Gah! I’m so over him! So, let this be a lesson to all writers out there, don’t plagiarize! I mean, it’s a simple, direct message! Yet, to me, it seems like it’s never going to register into the heads of all writers out there! It’s never going to stop happening, so is what I’m saying just completely useless at this point? I don’t know, but I’m not going to stop saying it anyway. Never ever copy the works of others, unless you like my hoof pushing and shoving your flank out the door.