Even the accusation of plagiarism can ruin a writer’s career. With a cautionary tale, Patrick Forsyth suggests how to guard against the possibility and defend yourself if the worst does happen
It was the late Alan Coren who wrote: Sometimes I just don’t know where the next 500 words are coming from. Inspiration is a mysterious thing, but there are some places where words should certainly not come from... someone else’s writing. There is no greater threat to writing and selling your work than an accusation of plagiarism. This is not something that one often thinks about. I am just starting this article and aim to write 1,700 words, all of which must be original. No problem, well hopefully not as a result of any plagiarism.