The Case of the Duplicate Story

In which I try to explain why I wrote a story twice.

I was looking through my old work to find something to post this week. Clearly I have written nothing new in the short story department. I came across a file I didn't recognize so, of course, I opened it.

There was a complete short story I had roughly titled Dillon. I read through the first few paragraphs and recognized the story but not the name.

Okay, I thought, I must have replaced the name of the title character for some reason.

Here's the thing, I already wrote this story the character was called Rory. Granted a friend named her child this, so it might follow that I replaced the name so she wouldn't think it was named for her child since the family depicted is not a happy one.

The more I read, the more confused I became. Yes, this was the basic outline for Rory's story, but there were also different elements in it. Some of the dialogue was exact copies but a character was in one that didn't exist in another. The want was the same, the how was changed.

I will say 100% I have no memory of writing the first story, which was written at least a year before the one I do remember. Dillon predates Rory, but I sincerely don't remember it. I only remember having the idea for the story and wanting to write it but never really getting around to it.

Apparently that was not true.

Why am I telling you this? It was just a weird thing that is bothering me and this is my blog in which I tell you want I want to tell you. What will I do about this? Probably nothing. The stories shouldn't both exist but do. Since I am not a published writer and have no fear of anyone telling me I plagiarized myself, I'll end up keeping both stories and puzzling how one came to be without my knowledge.

Maybe one day I'll post both and let you decide for yourself which story deserves existence. Until then, just know that writing can be a confusing choice of vocation. Should you have a writer in your life that seems a bit crazy, offer comfort and perhaps cookies.