Dishing Junk, Pulled to Published: Killing Originality?
Originality:
Merriam-Webster Online defines it: the quality or state of being original
Okay. But, what is original?
Original is the origin. The source that all copies are made from. So to be original your have to be an originator.
That is rather hard isn’t it?
We know it is hard, so what, we allow for ourselves to enjoy blatant rip-offs? Or is there a line that is drawn in the sand?
Because, I personally think with the advent of the FIFTY SHADES OF GREY phenom we are sending really bad vibes out into the universe. We are telling everyone:
Christina Hobbs & Lauren Billings, authors of the Twilight FanFic “The Office” which will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2013, titled BEAUTIFUL BASTARD. The book will be released in a few days. Read synopsis. source
“Dude, it is SOO okay for you to take an idea, mix things up a bit in the middle, slap your name on it and become a MILLIONAIRE! …What!!!!”
You don’t even have to try that hard to “mix things up” in the beginning. Write a hell-ton of fanfic hope it gets popular, once you have the cash-in-hand and that fat P2P contract — then you get to change the stuff up. Picture on MSN, cash-ton in your hand…living the dream all because you have a hard-on for a sparkly vamp and wanted to see him get more action then he did in the “original.”
A lot of fanfic “fans” would call my POV naive at best, they state that they put a lot of effort into “mixing things up” and changing their stories to have pertinent stories of their own. But, the base feel of this is just kind of skeevy. It is one thing to create in the world of fandome for the sake of being a fan. It is another to profit from someone else’s idea. Yet, it is legal.
Ideas are not protected. The actually creation that springs from that idea is what is protected. The whole kit and caboodle.
Idea hijackers might not be as respected as the ORIGINATORS but they are still profiting and profiting well.
Again this brings me back to the MESSAGE that this is sending to the younger generations. The ones that are getting ready to start creating. The great artists of our future.
It is okay to take another’s idea and make it your own.
Free enterprise.
Great for the Seconds and the Thirds…but what does that do to the originators? How does Stephanie Meyer feel about FIFTY SHADES OF GREY? Really. She was quoted as saying “I’ve heard about it; I haven’t really gotten into it that much. Good on her — she’s doing well. That’s great!”
She is touted as supporting James in her endeavors. Should we follow in Ms. Meyer’s shoes and look the other way? Congratulate them on their “remaking” efforts. If it isn’t our thing, don’t read it.
What are your opinions on fanfic that is pulled to publish?
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If it is written well, then I have zero problem with it. I believe that it should be better than the original in grammar, character development, and plot. If The Office is remotely like 50 Shades of Grey in terms of lack of everything that makes a book good, then I will not be reading it.
Well said. I guess my only example is FSOG – so I’m a little pessimistic on it, LOL. It did emulate it tore it down…
I’m really not a fan of this trend. Sure, Shakespeare might have been unoriginal too, in some of his works, but he also created a lot of things – he added many words to the English language, as well as some names (including the name Jessica, popular in the 1980s and the one I’m stuck with). What is fanfic but just a rehashing of something that’s already been done, with a little spin? And why does copyright law not apply to this?
Originality is tough. But I suppose there are levels of originality. Even Ms. Meyer was “inspired by” the classics for her plots. She even references them – R&J and the other one… shoot, can’t remember. But at least a couple of her Twi books were based on themes already written about and very much inspired by them.
So these “fan-fic” writers are just taking things to that next level.
I’ve never read fan-fic at least that I know of. And don’t plan to. Whereas I’ve read many books where stories were inspired by others.
While basic plots may not have that “original” feel, it’s the characters that are what make me read a story and find it to be unique. If the author puts their own emotions and feelings into those characters and shapes them in such a way that I am not getting a deja vu, I don’t care if the story is a love triangle, or ill-fated love story framed like Shakespeare’s.
So for me, fan fic isn’t creating original characters. It’s building on them in ways the author/creator of those characters never intended. And I know I’d be constantly screaming in my head through the entire read – “…but yeah, this isn’t supposed to happen to them.” Even if they’re given different names, a different setting. Just the idea that these characters are really just modified versions of someone else’s would make me have an instant and permanent disconnect.
If the writers are having fun with it, though, more power to them. And if readers enjoy it, then I suppose they’ll get those top dollar deals and the readers will get to imagine their favorite characters in other situations.
But for me, it makes it feel very much like this type of writing is going the Hollywood route with remakes and slap-dash plots, poorly written scripts. While I recognize this is a business, I still like to feel that the author’s true intent was to create something from the heart and not from the wallet.
And while fan-fic may have been just that at the outset, and may still be in many cases, if it’s seen as a money-making endeavor, I’m wondering just how many will start getting into it just for the cash, as you mentioned.
I love hearing authors talk about how they started from an idea, feeling, dream, or a character that spoke to them. I’d hate to think the books I’m investing my time in were based on: Let’s see what sells – love triangle (check); immortal being (check); handsome b**stard vamp a.ka. Edward – let’s come up with an “original” name… Cull (check); A friend who wants benefits (check); etc.
Okay, I’ll stop rambling. I could go on for another 1000 words…
Great dishing junk topic as always!
I don’t know, but I like to think that deep inside SM is raging mad at the 50 Shades of Crap author. It just doesn’t seem fair to profit from another person’s work. Or, I guess in reality this could have happened before… Well, then it doesn’t seem good to piggy back on another author’s fame and name in order for you to make a profit. Cause some people think 50 Scents of Crap is extremely different than Twilight, good fine, but it started as a Twilight fan fic and it profited BECAUSE Twilight was so big. So it is a marketing problem or a content problem in actuality?
I think I would be pushing for at least Royalties. Maybe that would be a way to allow FanFic free reign — and make everyone happy? So SM wouldn’t boil inside lol
I don’t know if it is profiting because Twilight is so big, because frankly, most don’t even know that it is Twilight fanfic….at least the ones that I know. Maybe it started out that way…but now, now I don’t think so.
I am curious about re-tellings or re-imagings. Aren’t those authors basically using an idea (Pride & Prejudice) and writing their story based on established characters and overall themes? I’m honestly curious as to how that is any different, or better, than fanfic.
+JMJ+
I personally don’t think there’s much of a difference, creativity-wise. (On the other extreme, I once read a blog post that accused the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies of “theft.” LOL! But until very recently, no one could really accuse FF writers of the same.)
The most relevant differences seem to be that FF authors are obligated to include disclaimers that they don’t own the characters they are having fun with . . . and that they do not query their finished stories. (That may start changing, too!)
The difference of these retellings is that those stories are usually in the Public Domain, so there is no really legality to it. So you can have stuff like Pride & Prejudice and Zombies – title in Name. You couldn’t do that with FanFic of modern, copyright protected material.
These people get a go to use characters because there is no one to cry “foul.”
I get all that, I really do. But in terms of Originality, I don’t see the difference.
+JMJ+
As someone who has very high standards for Fan Fiction (both what I read and what I write), I’m not too surprised that some FF stories have been found fit to publish. With the details changed to make it legal, of course. =P
What I’m not too crazy about is the marketing. I think that emphasising the origin of these new books puts an unfair label on them. Or even creates a new subgenre of very narrow conventions.
On the other hand, what we’re seeing may prove to be no more than the latest trend. One vampire book became popular; we suddenly got a bunch of other PNR titles. One Dystopian novel became a hit; we were suddenly drowning in dystopias. Now that one edited FF has sold millions of copies, why shouldn’t publishers hop on the latest marketing bandwagon? Let the rest of us take bets on what the next trend will be. =P
But it’s worth saying that just because published FF is obviously derivative, that doesn’t make it the first red flag. The fact that we were even able to get this far means that publishing has been compromising when it comes to originality for some time. To paraphrase your title, this isn’t killing originality as much as it is formally announcing that originality has been on life support for some time.
+JMJ+
PS — I scrolled up after leaving my comment and this line from your post caught my eye: “It is okay to take another’s idea and make it your own.” Again, this isn’t something that published FF is springing on us. You could say that American Idol is on its twelfth year of sending that message out to aspiring artists. There are some people who can do excellent cover versions as well as their own work and some people who peak at karaoke. But guess which group is being encouraged to hone its craft these days?
You make me think hard, you do. I know I’m being totally judgmental with this posts, but the point is just spew out my random thoughts LOL.
Would we call these FF books – “covers” of those books. But, that is totally different because they aren’t just “same song, new voice”. But, then again, those people that sing those song pay the original artist — so should FF authors pay a portion to the original artist?
+JMJ+
Well, I obviously enjoy your random thoughts, so keep them coming! =D
I can actually imagine publishers working out a deal in which FF novels which profit from the connection have to pay a cut to the original author. Because, you know, a percentage could also go to the publisher of the original author! =P
I’m not sure how I feel about this, honestly. The reason being is the Star Trek and Star Wars fandoms. While I haven’t read a lot of books in either fandom, I know that a lot of fans do and like them. Obviously, Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas were the original creators. And, they obviously take place in the same worlds because the books have the same characters, same planets, same almost everything. Is this a good example of fan fiction gone good in the publishing world? Or, this is something completely different?
I’ll be honest that I kind of wish people would start to write and publish, as long as it’s written well, books in the Harry Potter universe. But, I don’t think JK Rowling would allow her character names to be used like that. But, does she actually have any say? Did Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas have to give their okay? Or, are character names or worlds not protected? Is it just the actual stories that are protected under copyright?
+JMJ+
The Star Wars books are licensed. If I remember correctly, George Lucas himself came up with the stories and just hired other writers to do the novels. So yes, it’s completely different. =)
I think the original creators do have some say in what can be published by other people. Even FanFiction.net has a list of authors who have requested that it not allow any FF based on their work. And that’s when the amateur writers are not making any money. So when real sales are involved, I imagine the rules would be much stricter.
I used to write fanfiction when I was a teenager, and read some. I didn’t like reading stories that were ‘AU’, alternative universe, where basically the only similarity to the original story was their names and some incidental things – I always thought (and still do) that if an author is going to change that much, why don’t they just write an original story and separate themselves from whatever inspired them right from the start?
I think what I’m trying to get at is, if a story bares little similarity to the story that has inspired it, the thing it might be fanfiction of, then I don’t have a problem with it. If something is just retelling the story, then I don’t think that’s ok.
I’m okay with it…as long as it’s well-written and entertaining. There were a few similarities I saw before I knew 50 was fanfic, but not enough that it bothered me. The basic plot was different enough. Also Wallbanger was fanfic but I didn’t see that either.
If the story is basically the same with different names, then I would have a problem with it.
I actually read some Sookie Stackhouse fanfic a few years back and it wasn’t bad
I wonder if the Jane Austen stories/remakes would be considered fanfic? (Clueless was based on Emma, right? And Bridget Jones’ Diary was based on Pride and Prejudice, I think.)
I think Wallbanger is a good example of what I’m ok with – I read that it was originally Twilight fanfiction, but I don’t see any similarities at all between the two. It’s changed so much that I would call it original, even if it was originally inspired by Twilight.
I think that what I am having the most trouble with when it comes to P2P fanfics is that the characters are the original characters with new names. I think it must be very hard to come up with viable characters for a writer, so to take all the mannerisms and most of the character traits from a book they liked, and just change the name of the character and the setting feels a little bit like cheating to me.
I have actually read some pretty good Twi fanfics a while back, most that continued the story after the end of Breaking Dawn, and they were well written with a lot of new ideas and plot points. However, the characters were still the same.
For the time being, I have decided to not buy a book if I know in advance that it’s P2P, but who knows if I already have? If a P2P is of something that I haven’t read the original of, I would never know, I think.
The words “fan fiction” give me the creeps, I do not care for it one bit. That is my first uncensored thought, although I can see that some of the people commenting on this post makes some valid points pro ff
I don’t like the idea of really obvious P2P fanfic, but I don’t mind a book being inspired by Twilight or Harry Potter, etc. For example, you can tell that Cassandra Clare was heavily influenced by Harry Potter in The Mortal Instruments series. The themes and some of the plots are kinda similar. Seeing as Clare started off as a notorious HP fanfic writer.
But it’s still very different. Even 50 Shades, although I couldn’t stand it, isn’t that closely related to Twilight. There are setting and character influences that I laughed at, but the stories are quite different – at least what I read.
I love writing and reading fanfic, but I’m very picky. I only like Canon Fanfic. For example, I’m writing a HP fanfic that is more like a missing moment of the books. I go to extraordinarily lengths to keep everything perfectly in line with the characters and plot. Obviously this could never be published, but I read and write fanfic because I want to stay within the story. I have zero interest in exploring an alternate universe or going off on a huge story tangent.
This one really got me thinking. My initial instinctive reaction was a ‘Hell no! It’s not right at all!’ *brain explodes with fury* moment. But then, the comments above got me using the remaining parts of said brain after I scraped the bits off the lovely vert-de-terre walls of my study.
Having heard from people who have read Fifty Shades, I really can’t see what it’s got to do with Twilight. Broody bastard heroes are very common. Dim witted heroines with the intelligence of a lima bean are very common (honestly, I DID enjoy Twilight!). Throw in sexual tension +/- life and death situations (although the only thing Anastasia might have died from is probably an orgasm!) +/- interesting secondary characters +/- exotic locations … you see where I’m going with this.
My personal feelings on the subject are:
1. It’s natural and human to be ‘inspired’ by other authors and their stories. All authors are, be it EL James or Rowling or Tolkien. Hell, I have a long list of authors that have inspired me over the years. According to some Oxford smart ass called Quiller-Couch and a Cambridge smart ass called Booker, there may only be seven basic plots to work with. So technically speaking, we’re all telling different versions of the same tales.
2. It’s exciting and liberating to write fictitious stories around characters and worlds that you as a reader have enjoyed and want to explore and perpetuate longer within a DEFINED arena where everyone knows that this IS fan fiction.
3. It is not however okay to blatantly steal somebody else’s plot and characters, change the names/ locations/physical descriptions without attempting to change much else of the original story, and profit from it.
*AD steps off her soapbox and ducks behind the barricades*
I want to take the time and comment on everyone’s ideas — but I think I might be repeating myself. You guys have definitely made me think and now I do believe I might have to rethink my approach on things. And wait — yesterday, guess what I was asked to review? BEAUTIFUL BASTARD. So, I’m going to get it — and I’ll let you know what I think. Should be interesting.
Oh, slippery, fifty-shaded slope!!!
As a fan/reader, I have read and do read (and have written) fan-fiction. I think fan-fiction is great. Even author me thinks unpaid/hobby fan-fiction is great – I can only dream of creating characters or a world that people love so much they take the time to write stories about it. To me, fan-fiction is akin to dressing up as your favorite character and attending a convention or collecting memorabilia, etc. It’s a way to show your love of something. Fan-fiction makes both fan/reader me and author me feel warm and fuzzy.
However, as an author, I know how much work goes into creating characters and worlds and writing a good story *FROM SCRATCH*, and if other writers are taking a short cut/the lazy way by using ready made characters or settings *and then profiting from that* well, that does not sit well. And I’m not entirely sure I even blame the authors themselves for this – it’s the agents and publishers being lazy, and instead of putting the time and effort into marketing a new idea/story, they are trying to take a shortcut and tap into an existing market so they don’t have to expend the resources. So I feel all conflicted about this, because by the time most of these supposed fan-fiction knock-offs get to market you often can’t recognize the origins of the story, so no harm, no foul, and it’s the marketing people who are pushing the association, but deep down – yes, I feel squidgy about people taking shortcuts and getting rewarded for that.
Now, what gets author me REALLY peeved is “unofficial” or “unauthorized” guides to universes/shows/etc. These are people who ARE capitalizing on someone else’s work without that author’s permission and they are totally blatant about it. Those definitely give me hives. Which is a total double standard because reader/fan me has bought “tangental” books, like unofficial guides and books of essays/commentary on my favorite shows, etc. – as a fan I, of course, want to get my hands on as much stuff about my favorite show/universe as possible! ::hangs head in shame::
I think the problem with FSOG was that as Fan Fiction is wasn’t written for publicatipn but simply to be shared! FF borrows shamelessly from established characters because it isn’t supposed to be read as a seperate and independent work!
Tolkien borrowed quite extensively from European mythology, yet made it his own by reworking them into an original narrative. Themes will always be shared around by authors because certain things simply speak to the reader and will therefore be employed by the author. I see nothing wrong with being inspired by other works, but there should be some kind of aspiration there as well!
What annoys me about a lot of YA fiction is that there seems to be a general lack of originality and bravety in stepping outside of the accepted genre boundaries and be original! Then again, originality isn’t often rewarded! Publishers rely on proven formulas to bring in money rather than support the development of new genres!
Anyway, not quite sure what this comment turned in to but I liked your post!
Juli @ Universe in Words
As a writer, it’s impossible to not be inspired and effected by every story, be it in life, on tv, in movies, or in books we’ve read. The real question is: What do you do with that inspiration? Do you shamelessly rip it off? Or do you take components and twist them, mold them, shape them into a new story?
I’m a Twilight fangirl – mostly because those books got me reading again after a 10 year break. But it’s true, Edward was basically stalking her. I accepted this because…well he’s a vampire. That’s kind of one of their things. And I read the hilarity of 50 shades, not realizing it was fanfic. So, I think if she had packaged it otherwise, it would feel less skeevy. Be inspired, but when your piece is a known knock-off of something else, it’s devalued for it.
Personally, I don’t really care. Generally, I stay away from fan fiction anyway. I’ll read books if they interest me and beyond that, it doesn’t matter to me too much. People have already said it but most books are variations of the same stories anyway. Even when we say a book is original, I can’t think of any book that is truly original in the sense.
I’m looking at it the way I look at the music industry. People make remixes of old songs all the time, and I really like to hear some DJs songs. I like seeing the different ways melodies and beats can be combined to form something new in the same way a similar theme with different types of characters can be molded into a great new book.