Okay so basically there is a classic story that I wanted to rewrite into my own story. I wanted to make it with the same storyline, but different characters, different plot twists and obviously the scenes are different. If I give credit to the original author am I able to make this story??? I’ve tried messaging the author but she is no longer active and she stopped being a classic author years ago. Could somebody help me here, am I aloud to make this story as long as I give her credit?
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No matter if you credit the author or not, It’s still considered plagiarization since you’re stealing someone’s story. So no, it’s not allowed.
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That’s not being similar that’s copying
Obviously plots are bound to repeat in certain ways, but you’re going into this with the intention to rewrite someone’s story
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Alright thank you 
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Okay, well thank you, I appreciate it
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I do understand what you are trying to say. But although these stories are based around the same idea, I feel like it’s also like writing a mafia/gang story. Most of them are very similar and they do contain the same storyline. I feel like this is the same case, If I am correct plagiarism is when you steal somebody’s idea and claiming it as your own. I have no intention on stealing the idea and not giving credits. I’d love if you gave me more insight onto this though. To see this clearly from your point of view.
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You should find a way to ask the author if she/he’s okay with that. But tbh, authors work hard for their stories and I don’t think that she would agree.
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I have tried contacting her but she is no longer in the episode community and the story that I wanted to write about is in classic which she no longer writes in. I have no way of contacting her and its quite agitating because I did start writing the first episode but then realised that I had better ask her for permission, then I noticed that she had stopped writing and stopped updating on her instagram page,
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Ok, I admit that the word plagiarism was chosen wrongly. But as @Caffiend1010 said, it is still copying. Crediting the author doesn’t make it less illegal. You can try your luck with your story, but don’t be surprised if you get into trouble.
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I won’t be continuing it, hopefully I do get a response out of the author. Thank you for your help 
If you go out of your way to make it like someones story then that is not ok. What you should do is get ideas to prompt you from other stories and then you hopefully should get your own unique storyline. Instead of going of someones story I would try getting prompts from others that haven’t been used that much, also even if you got permission from the author, episode as they have said can’t keep track of that so if someone recognises the story then they might report it. Try putting a twist on a cliche instead of someones story.
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Okay this definitely does help!!! Thank you, I will take your advice, I’ll rewrite the story and will put a different storyline on it.
You can do an interpretation, like Clueless was a modern take on Jane Austen’s Emma, or 10 Things I Hate About You was a remake of Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew. Of course it helps if the author has been dead for a couple of centuries.
There’s tonnes of former fanfiction that steals, renames (“scraping off the serial number”) the characters and has gotten published and been successful. The most famous of course is Fifty Shades of Grey which started out as a Twilight fanfiction, and there are loads of other authors I saw in my bookstore who’d done essentially the same thing. Despite all the recent “Omegaverse” controversy, as long as you don’t copy the actual words and call them your own, you’re fine.
There’s a saying that there are only 7 plots in the world and only variations of the same. I think it’s a higher number but when you distill a story down to its fundamentals, it rings true.
Of course, it’s always better to write something original, or what you think is original (you may still be subconsciously be stealing from something you’ve read or seen a while ago and forgotten about).
Go be you. Write what gives you pleasure.
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Thank you so much!!! I’ve seen some other people reply back saying that I can’t at all make a story that has the same backstory to it. I definitely wouldn’t be copying the story word for word and passing it off as mine. I’m making a story with the same storyline, different twists, different title, different characters, etc. Although it does base around the same thing which is a poor girl who moves in with the richest family in the country. That is the only thing in the story that will be staying the same. Which is the main storyline. I do feel like that there are stories that are more closely related compared to mine.
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They have worked hard for their story. (Not only they everyone do) And From my opinion it isn’t right to copy the author’s story even if You are giving them credit
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And then there’s Fair Use.
I quote a couple of lines from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in my story “What Is This Thing Called Love?” to illustrate a point. This falls into the Fair Use category.
INT. MOVIE THEATER FANCY - DAY with PODIUMS LIT
@zoom on 0 138 to 224% in 0
@GARNER spot 0.512 46 263 in zone 1 AND GARNER moves to layer 0 AND GARNER faces right
@RACHELLE spot 0.512 125 289 in zone 1 AND RACHELLE moves to layer 0
@GARNER changes into GARNER_crimesuspect
@overlay PODIUMS LIT shifts to -88 -1 in zone 1
@overlay PODIUMS LIT scales to 1.000 1.000
@overlay PODIUMS LIT moves to layer 5
@GARNER starts talk_kneel_propose_happy AND RACHELLE starts admire_happy
@speechbubble resetNARRATOR (ESTER) But this is far from the powerful sweeping emotion described in their culture. GARNER (talk_armsraised_neutral) Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops- RACHELLE (talk_shrug_concerned) O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable. GARNER (talk_armsraised_neutral) What shall I swear by? RACHELLE (talk_neutral) Do not swear at all; Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I'll believe thee.
This is the key phrase.
different characters, plot twists and scenes. It’s not a copy.
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Alright, thank you so much for the help
I think being inspired by somebody else’s story is ok with credit but rewriting it isn’t ok, that is really cool of you to ask everyone though! It is kind of difficult to write a story without accidentally copying because those amazing stories are glued to your head! For example, I really LOVE the story called “stay the night” I think that’s what it’s called, and I almost wrote a story about a guy with insomnia that needs the LI to sleep but then I realized that it already existed. Same with writing a song, it is hard to write without accidentally stealing a beat.
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Yeah, definitely. So basically my story does have the same idea (A poor girl moving in with the richest family in America) but it isn’t the same. Although it is inspired by that story it has completely different plot twists. It is based on that story but it isn’t the same. I don’t know how to explain it very well.
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