“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis
I like this quote, because I sometimes feel that my stories are not original enough. I look at what the plot boils down to and think, who wants to read this again?
But I find when you boil any plot down to its essence it sounds old hat. There’s a reason we like to read the same stories over and over. There’s something true about them.
Happy Yarning!
All Kinds of Yarns 
I’ve heard that originality comes in the characters, though it also comes in the details. Learning the difference between archetype and cliché has been key for me, since I have always wanted to write stories that are different from the norm.
Good point. I’m not sure if I can articulate the difference between archetype and cliché. I’ll have to think about that one.
Best description I heard was on writing excuses. The archetype is the humble boy who is chosen to save the world. The cliché is “What could be more humble than a farmboy?”
That’s right! The most original thing is your viewpoint and how you tell it. Just tell your story!