Gemotions

He could barely sit still. The launch of Jasper Thorne’s new novel was a highly anticipated event. The anticipation had been bubbling inside him for weeks. He'd followed Thorne's career since the beginning, memorizing every interview, every cryptic blog post. He'd practically memorized all of Thorne's previous works.

He bought the book, read it in one sitting, savouring every word. He then took to the internet to write a detailed review, the first of many. His joy had been almost boundless.

A few days later, his social media was abuzz. A fellow author had posted a side-by-side comparison of Thorne’s new novel and his own unpublished work. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him.

He felt his stomach twist into a knot. He wanted to throw up. He felt the blood drain from his face as he stared at the words, the same words, his words, rearranged and presented as something original.