Webster’s new World Dictionary says plagiarism is passing off the work of another as your own. It also defines stealing as the taking of another’s property without permission. Plagiarism is simply stealing, but it is more than passing off another person’s work as your own.

When you pretend that the words you write are yours, everyone loses. The real author loses because the credit for his or her efforts has gone to the wrong person. The audience you lied to will lose faith in you and will never look at your work the same way again. But, most importantly, you lose.

You have lost your self-respect; you have lost the thrill of creating something special of your own; you have lost the unique feeling of accomplishment that comes from creating something special.

Stealing is a losing proposition for everyone. So be honest. You will feel better, and in the process of creating, you will learn more about the craft of being a writer.

After all, if a company does publish your stolen work, you will know that it isn’t yours and you will have lost the joy of being a real author. And your readers will have missed something of great value – you!