It works — until you get caught, or the internet trolls come after you, or your life is threatened by a crazed psychopath who knows what you did and wants you to pay for it. Big time.
Novels about authors who try to soar on stolen wings have boomed in the past few years. Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot has a teacher who steals a student’s plot. Alexandra Andrews’ Who Is Maud Dixon? involves a conniving editorial assistant. Chris Power’s Lonely Man centers on a blocked writer who steals a friend’s story.