I consider Fan Fiction to be plagiarism. Building the world and creating the characters are the hard parts. The Fan Fiction author steals those to 'create' his/her story.
No. The Aeneid is a tale based on a legend, original author unknown, so plagiarism wouldn't apply, by my definition, anyway.
Of course not. The history exists outside of anyone's creativity. If you write a story about life on the Mississippi in the middle to late 1800's based on te history of the day, fine. If you write the same book using Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn as characters, you're a plagiarist. I understand that I'm in the minority here on this issue, but it seems clear-cut to me.
I thought you said that writers using established characters in an established world was the problem.
So more like March, which took a character from Little Women and told his story? So embarrassing for the Pulitzer committee, I imagine... oh, wait, they knew?
If you want to steal from someone else's creativity, have at it. If you can win a Pulitzer in the process, that's on the committee, I guess. Just don't pretend (to me, anyway) that you're not plagiarizing. The very name of the genre ('Fan Fiction') tries to establish the idea that such efforts are in some way an homage to the author who did most of the work, when in fact they're simple theft (and lazy, to boot). I suppose the whole question depends on whether or not the thievery is ever published or otherwise distributed. Writing 'Fan Fiction' for fun, or to amuse your friends would be OK, I guess, but if you're a real writer you should be able to find better things to do with your time.
Well, plagiarism involves an attempt to pass someone else's work off as your own, right? So... fan fiction doesn't qualify for the term, as defined. I mean, I don't care whether you like fanfiction or respect it or anything else. But using a word like "plagiarism" on a writers' site carries a lot of weight, and in this case it's weight that's being applied inaccurately. "Theft" also seems like a pretty strong overstatement. And, honestly, enough with the "real writer" nonsense. Why is there this urge to judge others? Why is there a "right" and "wrong" way to be creative, develop a community, share work...? You don't care for fanfiction? Fine. I respect that. But your justifications for why you don't care for it are absurd.
I wrote a Charmed fanfic story when I was 11/12 for my friend's fan site, as a favour to her. I kinda wish it was still up so I could find out how bad it was! But personally, I can't see the appeal either in reading or writing it. Different strokes and all that.
No need for snottiness. Fan Fiction writers are indeed attempting to pass someone else's work off as their own, at least the world and character creation parts. Plagiarism is as plagiarism does. I find your position on this issue very interesting, considering the fact that you're one of the few known published authors here. You really wouldn't mind my writing and publishing books using the world and characters from, say, your Shelter series? (Be careful how you answer - I'm looking for a good NaNoWriMo project ). I would, of course, use a completely original nom de guerre, like Kat Shermwood, and you're a better writer than I am, but it's possible your readers wouldn't notice the disparity.
I have no doubt that you're fans of the authors you're cribbing from. It just seems an odd way to show your appreciation. I'm a big admirer of Adele, but I don't change a few words of her lyrics and then publish the songs as my own.
This is being a tad harsh. I mean some fanfic`s I've read are rather creative. I tend to read (and write a tad) fan fic involving video games (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Skyrim, etc) The games themselves allow you to form your own character make you're own choices. What`s so wrong with taking that character constructed in your head and tossing it onto paper? I mean sure in legal terms it would be plagiarism if they ever tried to sell it but most (if not all) fanfic writers that I know of are aware of this and aren`t in it for that reason. If someone really enjoys something and wishes to practice their writing skills by writing a story about say, King Cailan surviving in DAO and journeying to reclaim his throne (that's a real fan fic btw and it is awesome), and then posts said story for free on one of the many fanfic sites out there what's so bad about that? You don`t have to regard it as high literature, or even like it really but it brush it off as lazy and theft seems kinda harsh to me. I
But I didn't publish it "as my own," I posted it to fanfiction.net. Expressly pointing out "This is based on a story that I did not come up with" ≠claiming "This was all me"
Not a fan of fan-fiction, but going through this thread has made me think about exactly what constitutes fan-fiction, and what about it I dislike. World-building can be a bear, but I think I'd be more open to "fan-fiction" that was world- (or universe-) based than character-based works. For example, while I'm not a fan of Harry Potter (aged way out of the target market), if someone were to write "Tales from Hogwart's" that included Harry & Co. as passersby to the main story of, er, Luna Lovegood (dunno why I remember that name) and Hogwart's Student, I'd find it a lot less troublesome than "Harry and Hermione Study Algebra", by Fanfic McFanficFace. Watch Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, if you get the chance. Is it fanfic? ETA (before posting): Fanfic of Shakespeare (or other long-deceased, out of copyright authors) isn't screwing with the original creator's ability to keep making a living. I've got no sales to my name, so if someone tried to "fanfic" me, I'd be after them with a horde of rabid geckos, lest they end up earning "my" money from my ideas. I've abandoned a storyline because I discovered that someone famous and (at the time) living had already done the same thing. Public domain, on the other hand, is free for anyone.
There are people on this thread that have already said they write or have written fan fiction. According to you, they're plagiarists, thieves, and not "real writers". And you think I'm being snotty? Back to the actual content... I think you may be misunderstanding what fan fiction is. It's explicitly fan fiction - so there's no attempt to pass someone else's work off as their own--everyone who's reading is likely a fan, and will therefore know very well which parts of the fic are canon and which are original. The whole point of it is that everyone knows parts of it aren't original. That's... what makes it fanfic. There's also a serious difference between fan fiction authors who publish their work for free on sites like LiveJournal or AO3 under banners of fanfiction and the world you seem to be imagining in which someone would write and try to sell work that is derivative of mine and named in a way that would confuse readers. Seriously, fan fiction isn't about deceiving readers into believing they're reading the original author's work. That's not how it's done.
Yes, exactly. I don't see much point in writing fanfic, except if you find it fun I suppose, but fanfic openly uses the established characters &c. of other creators. There's no attempt to hide it. The point of fanfic is that you are overtly playing on the characters, worlds, and the like of another author. So it's no plagiarism. No one is attempting to pass those elements off as their own creations, and no reasonable person will see it as an attempt to do so. The idea that if someone writes Harry Potter fanfic they're trying to pass Harry, Hermione, Ron, and company off as their own creations is ludicrous on its face. Everyone who reads fanfic knows those creations are the work of others. No one has to like fanfic. It also crosses into copyright infringement at times. But it is not plagiarism. ETA: or, what @BayView said. This is why I should read to the end of the thread before replying.
I also don't see how it's lazy. I'd find it much harder to write a story using someone else's characters, because I can't change stuff to make things easier for myself.
Also, coming up with ideas for stories, characters, settings, and the like is the easy part. Those things are a dime a dozen.
On that note, my Elsewhere Fic (I believe that's an official term) could be considered to be the best of both worlds All of the audience familiarity of the copyrighted setting, but also the freedom and effort of coming up with all of my own characters. Also, my story opens with: Disclaimer: I am not posting this story on StoriesOwnedBySimpson dot net, I am posting this on FanFiction dot net : ) My Original Characters play a much larger role in this fiction than do any Canon Characters, but that does not make this an original fiction, and I claim neither profit nor credit for any part of the beautiful, wonderful world that this story takes place in. Allons-y
The SW creators denied that Smoke is Mace Windu. But I still think he would have gone back to kill Sidious, especially how he acted before An akin took his hand. I've been busy creating my OCs for my fanfic-a Twi'lek, a human, and one of those blind people (Miro somthings)
Well, there is AU (Alternate Universe) fanfiction. Once you get into that realm, you can really change anything you want besides character names and physical descriptions and the readers will be on board. It was actually only once I wrote a total AU I was confident I had the tools to create my own backstory without pre-existing show cannon to fall back on.
OK, but before I shut up and go away, I'll point out that you didn't really answer my question about my fan-fictioning your work. Oh, I'll include a disclaimer somewhere on an obscure title page and make every effort not to seem that I'm anything but your biggest fan, but the point behind everything I've said in this thread (however poorly I've made it) is that there is a limited audience for any particular series of writing, and the more people who are writing books based on the world and characters you created for Shelter, the more likely one of those books will be purchased (or just downloaded for free) instead of one of yours. Of course, I assume all of the members here want to be paid for their writing in o0ne way or another. FFr's and the authors they borrow from may be the exception. ETA: We've seen, through the example of the slimeball James Patterson and too many others that many readers don't care who wrote the book, as long as it's based on the same world and characters. If a pretty good Shelter book can be got for free at one of the forums mentioned, it's doubtful most readers would pay $3.99 for a very good story elsewhere.
