Nix Fan Fiction and Maximize Your Potential
Many of us, as writers, start out by writing fan fiction. I did it too, for a while, before I knew better. Now, the practice of writing fan fiction is not a worthless pursuit. You can learn and hone your craft this way. After all, it is far easier for any writer to describe a character from a clear concept than the haze of an imagination. I know this well. Before I began writing my series, I asked a wide variety of artists to contribute concepts and help me shape the universe of my story. And what I described to these artists was, in reality, a fan fiction concept.
I'm going to actually go digging back to a letter I shared with an artist I didn't really know in an artistic community. Her name is Sayla Barnes and she is an exceptional artist. (You can actually find a collaboration Sayla and I worked on together on the book cover of Impulse.)
There were others who I also contacted about this project, and they each contributed a little something wonderful, until I had worked out a storyline that, in truth, had very little to do with the Grimms' classic Little Snow White.
For example, from Sayla's contribution, I began to imagine removing those dwarfs and installing a few teen characters in their place. I also discovered who my villain was and why she was so determined to destroy my protagonist.
Even my protagonist changed with a bit of help from some very talented artists. I don't wish to reveal too much about this change, but suffice it to say, she was no longer Snow White.
This process is a small demonstration of how a fan fiction can be ever so much more.
Now, imagine, dear reader, if I told you that I planned to plagiarize the basic ideas of your story and gain fame and fortune from your hard work. That would be a horrible thing. Yet, it is, sadly, what many fan fiction writers expect to happen when they "borrow" characters and worlds from TV shows, movies, books, video games and other media.
I expect this is more true of you as a writer: Do you dream of enriching your favorite settings and characters with your own imagination? That is a wonderful pursuit, and one with potential that can be maximized. I will explain a little further in a moment.
For now though, consider this. There are real writers out there who are hired to write fan fiction. Think of all of the published stories in your favorite universe that were not written by the original author of that universe. I have geek friends who swear to me that Star Wars would not be as awesome as it is today without Drew Karpyshyn and Timothy Zahn. (It crushed their dreams when Legend and Canon were divided last year, because Thrawn and Revan are far greater characters than Jar Jar will ever be. I will grant anyone a free opportunity for rebuttal in the comments section of this blog.) But neither started by publishing Fan Fiction. They built a trusted name for themselves and were then given license to expand an established universe. What that means is, if your heart is truly set on publishing a fan fiction, with the copyright holder's consent, you must draw an audience to other work. Once you have built your platform (here meaning a significant following), you may get the attention of the copyright holders in a favorable way.
Before write off your fan fiction as lost, though, consider this: might it be possible to cut the strings which tie your fan fiction to the preexisting universe that inspired it? For example, are there certain traits of your favorite character or setting which could be rebuilt in another way and expounded upon? Authors are inspired in this sort of way all the time.
Walter O'brien from Scorpion (CBS) is an exceptionally intelligent man who uses a deep understanding of technology to solve problems. But then, so is Hardison from Leverage (TBS). So is Tony Stark (Marvel Comics). So is Bruce Wayne (DC Comics). So is James Bond in the various novels of Ian Flemming. A character envisioned one way could be reimagined another.
If you contemplate how many settings in speculative fiction mimic others, you would likely never finish your list. But just for the sake of argument, you could draw many parallels between the Na'vi of Pandora (Avatar, 2009) and the Ewoks of Endor (Return of the Jedi, 1983). There are marked similarities between Tatooine (Star Wars, 1977) and Barsoom. (A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1911). These examples prove that writers have been inspiring each other for years.
As we consider other works for their inspirational qualities, we find new ways of telling stories that don't require us to write fan fiction. Using our own imaginations without the safety net of someone else's work may be a greater challenge, but readers admire those who accept this challenge. So cut the strings of fan fiction and maximize your potential as an author. Someday, others will learn from your stories and the cycle of learning from one another will continue.
Iffix Y Santaph is the author of the novella Impulse, the first book in the six part series Forgotten Princess. His next book Deception will be released in July.
I'm going to actually go digging back to a letter I shared with an artist I didn't really know in an artistic community. Her name is Sayla Barnes and she is an exceptional artist. (You can actually find a collaboration Sayla and I worked on together on the book cover of Impulse.)
I think your monsters are totally epic!
I'm in the process of designing ... the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in an alien setting ... called DwarfStar.
Anyway, I was wondering if it would be okay to use those creatures. ... You would, of course, be credited, and you would keep the rights to your work.
... If that sounds good to you, I'd love to hear from you.
There were others who I also contacted about this project, and they each contributed a little something wonderful, until I had worked out a storyline that, in truth, had very little to do with the Grimms' classic Little Snow White.
For example, from Sayla's contribution, I began to imagine removing those dwarfs and installing a few teen characters in their place. I also discovered who my villain was and why she was so determined to destroy my protagonist.
Even my protagonist changed with a bit of help from some very talented artists. I don't wish to reveal too much about this change, but suffice it to say, she was no longer Snow White.
This process is a small demonstration of how a fan fiction can be ever so much more.
Now, imagine, dear reader, if I told you that I planned to plagiarize the basic ideas of your story and gain fame and fortune from your hard work. That would be a horrible thing. Yet, it is, sadly, what many fan fiction writers expect to happen when they "borrow" characters and worlds from TV shows, movies, books, video games and other media.
I expect this is more true of you as a writer: Do you dream of enriching your favorite settings and characters with your own imagination? That is a wonderful pursuit, and one with potential that can be maximized. I will explain a little further in a moment.
For now though, consider this. There are real writers out there who are hired to write fan fiction. Think of all of the published stories in your favorite universe that were not written by the original author of that universe. I have geek friends who swear to me that Star Wars would not be as awesome as it is today without Drew Karpyshyn and Timothy Zahn. (It crushed their dreams when Legend and Canon were divided last year, because Thrawn and Revan are far greater characters than Jar Jar will ever be. I will grant anyone a free opportunity for rebuttal in the comments section of this blog.) But neither started by publishing Fan Fiction. They built a trusted name for themselves and were then given license to expand an established universe. What that means is, if your heart is truly set on publishing a fan fiction, with the copyright holder's consent, you must draw an audience to other work. Once you have built your platform (here meaning a significant following), you may get the attention of the copyright holders in a favorable way.
Before write off your fan fiction as lost, though, consider this: might it be possible to cut the strings which tie your fan fiction to the preexisting universe that inspired it? For example, are there certain traits of your favorite character or setting which could be rebuilt in another way and expounded upon? Authors are inspired in this sort of way all the time.
Walter O'brien from Scorpion (CBS) is an exceptionally intelligent man who uses a deep understanding of technology to solve problems. But then, so is Hardison from Leverage (TBS). So is Tony Stark (Marvel Comics). So is Bruce Wayne (DC Comics). So is James Bond in the various novels of Ian Flemming. A character envisioned one way could be reimagined another.
If you contemplate how many settings in speculative fiction mimic others, you would likely never finish your list. But just for the sake of argument, you could draw many parallels between the Na'vi of Pandora (Avatar, 2009) and the Ewoks of Endor (Return of the Jedi, 1983). There are marked similarities between Tatooine (Star Wars, 1977) and Barsoom. (A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1911). These examples prove that writers have been inspiring each other for years.
As we consider other works for their inspirational qualities, we find new ways of telling stories that don't require us to write fan fiction. Using our own imaginations without the safety net of someone else's work may be a greater challenge, but readers admire those who accept this challenge. So cut the strings of fan fiction and maximize your potential as an author. Someday, others will learn from your stories and the cycle of learning from one another will continue.
Iffix Y Santaph is the author of the novella Impulse, the first book in the six part series Forgotten Princess. His next book Deception will be released in July.
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