fan fiction

[mizkit]

I should not even post this, because it is a shitstorm in the making, but OMG.

Sharon Lee/ of Sharon Lee & Steve Miller is doing an open Q&A, and posts a response to a question about fan fiction over here.

Fan fiction is an incredibly touchy topic, and I thought Sharon responded with an enormous amount of grace and intelligence in her explanation

Comments

[alfreda89]

Well said.

Back before URBAN SHAMAN was released, I admit I thought I was totally down with fic. Then URBAN SHAMAN came out and within weeks somebody asked if they could write a fic about (spoiler) Joanne’s son. I was like, DUDE. THAT’S BOOK EIGHT. BOOK ONE JUST FREAKING CAME OUT. GIVE ME A CHANCE!

The truth is, I don’t really care if people write, or even post, fic about my books. I don’t know if they have. Let me also emphasize this: I do not want to know if they have.

And this. I know when things take place, and I want them to take place in my own time. Period.

[ex_rolanni]

And this. I know when things take place, and I want them to take place in my own time. Period.

Fanfic aside, we already get notes from readers that say, "I know you've forgotten about X, so please let me remind that there are Unresolved Issues concerning them."

I'll write back and ask, "How do you know we've "forgotten about X"?"

And inevitably the answer comes back, "Because you haven't written anything more about them."

Me: "That's right. We haven't written anything more about them, YET. That's not quite the same as "forgot about"."

[alfreda89]

We never forget. Remembering is all that has kept my sanity during my illness.

Me: "That's right. We haven't written anything more about them, YET. That's not quite the same as "forgot about"."

[mizkit]

@.@ As if we totally lack plans when we start these things!

(I don't, incidentally, think you're being poor sports, if it happened to come across that way. I can see where a fic writer might, but I don't. :))

[suricattus]

Ohboy.

And...yeah. What you're seeing is fannish Entitlement of the worst sort. "You owe us your success therefore we own you and yours" sort of thing. More dangerous when it's attached to the person themselves (actors get this) but still, no, son. Just..no.

I'm a ficcer from way back, I've always supported the right of fans to play in universes that catch their fancy...but with the proviso that yeah, rights owners have the right to say no, and then you (we) go find somewhere else to play, just like the homeowner who has that AMAZING climbing tree, but says you're not welcome to climb it FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY HAVE.

(my official take has always been: go, have fun, please don't show me just to avoid any legal issues that might crop up -plausible deniability is key for everyone).

[joycemocha]

Well said. I have written fan fic years ago, but that was as a writing exercise when I was deeply stalled out in my fiction. I don't do it now.

And as for my stuff? Don't care, don't want to know, but I also do want a share of associated properties that ain't fiction (such as games and such, not too worried about that. At the moment, anyway.).

[shadowhwk]

You and I are of like minds on this. You already knew this. Just posting my 'hear hear'.

[aberwyn]

There is possible legal harm caused by fanfic. It's a question of "derivative rights," ie, the right to sell the work to the movies, TV, game companies, someone who wants to make a T shirt design etc etc. Fanfic does encroach on derivatives. It's possible that if the owner of the original rights makes no complaint about this encroachment then the owner might lose the right to protect his/her derivatives from some, for ex, shady Hollywood type who will then claim "public domain" and use the works without payment.

I have no idea if this has ever happened or is even a plausible scenario, but my understanding is that it's possible.

Otherwise I totally agree with you and got bombarded by the Entitled for saying something similiar a few years ago. If you start getting a lot of one-star reviews on amazon and goodreads for no particular given reason in the review, you know who to suspect.

[ruford42]

There's a lot of confusion out there when it comes to IP law. And if the Samsung/Apple trial of the decade (OK it might be less "of the decade" so much as "lasted the entire damned decade") illustrates, there may well be plenty of confusion over how to enact and interpret it in the system and courts as well

[aberwyn]

Thanks for that clarification!

[mizkit]

Possibly fortunately for my sanity, I pay no attention what-so-ever to reviews anywhere, but especially on Amazon and Goodreads, etc. :)