Fan fiction

On one of my writer's lists, we've been having a discussion about fan fiction. This is where an author has written something so popular that others want to continue the story. Or they want to take a particular character and expand on that line. Or even add new characters to the same universe.

It's an intriguing idea. One I'm still trying to decide on how I feel about. I know several authors who are completely against it and even have gone to court over the issue. Others love it. They figure the fan fiction keeps their writing alive and on-going - and moneymaking. I can see both points of view as entirely valid.

There are also well-known authors out there who got their starts as fanfic writers.

I don't know when or how fanfic got started, but many believe it was due to the Star Trek series. As people fell in love with the characters and Star Trek universe, they started writing stories for the missions. And thus was born fanfic. Some of them went on to write for ST and eventually grew their own universes. Now there is fanfic for just about every popular book/TV series/Movie out there.

Looking at it from one point of view, I would be gratified to know that others enjoyed my books enough to want them to go on; to pick up on secondary characters and give them lives of their own. What would bother me though would be if those writers did things to my stories that I would not approve of - turning them into works that use my characters and my universe, but in ways that do not fit my vision. For instance, in the Harry Potter books, I know some fanfic writers have been adding a lot of graphic sex to their stories. J.K. Rowling doesn't approve of this, nor would I for some of my books. You have to stay true to the writer's ideal.

Which is why some authors don't allow fanfic. They feel others would take their hard work and corrupt it.

So which side is right? I don't know. I've written fanfic - but only for myself. I've never written anything on the web for others to see. And I just did it as an exercise to see how the original writer plotted out his/her book and what the scene/sequels were. It was a learning exercise for me, not something to be seen by others. But the practice today seems to be put it on the web and see what happens. I know I would be surprised and maybe a little gratified that someone liked my stuff enough to run with it, but on the other hand, if they ran it into a swamp, I'd be upset.

So I guess the jury is still out on this one for me.
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Progress last night - only three pages as I was still under the weather.
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Birthdays: Emily Bronte, Giorgio Vasari, Jose A. Villarreal, Archer Mayor

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Thought for the day: "Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time." - Voltaire