thoughts on derivative works and filing off the serial numbers.

[taraljc]

So I'd originally written this back in March 2008, at my pro blog. When I moved that blog to a different location, in an effort to segregate my pro work from my fannish life, I deleted it. But in light of certain meta recently, I decided to republish it here on my fannish LJ.

Comments

[carbonel]

Is this posting inspired by the Diana Gabaldon thing? Someone just sent me the link.

The stories where I want the author to file the serial numbers off and repurpose as original fiction are the ones where I think the author has moved away from canon and it's nevertheless a good story. Have you read helenraven's The Cook and the Warehouseman? It's a Pros a/u, but just barely. There's a fascinating invented culture that mostly takes over the story. Yes, the characters are interesting. But I'm not sure they're truly Bodie and Doyle -- there's enough divergence that it wouldn't take much to rewrite it as an original work. And yes, I've mentioned this to the author a time or three. :-)

[fannishliss]

o hai, I followed a link and love what you have to say

[burntcopper]

Oh yeah. My nanos? I've done just as much work - if not more trying to write my Jack Harkness does WWII (ask my dad - I nearly sent him mad asking war details, then there was the chocolate details, what was available... you name it.) than the damn original nanos. Because the fanfic worlds had set details that only really work if you get them right. I agonise over my fanfic in a way I really don't over my original. Because you have to get the characters sounding like the characters. And your audience will be able to tell.

I've got one I'm working on which started as a QAF au, but the voice of one character really doesn't seem to be that character, so time will tell if I have to post this as original rather'n AU.

[merisunshine36]

I spent three months researching a story I wrote for a Secret Santa Fiction Exchange[...] And I had a ridiculously good time.

I want to to print this out on a t-shirt and wear it everywhere I go!

[weepingnaiad]

Beautifully expressed! Hubby's right there with your paid author friends and parents wondering why I don't just write this stuff to get paid. :D

I totally agree and thank you for putting it into words for me!