Now, some writers get really really uptight about "Schmoopy has sex. Like, at all." Or "Schmoopy breaks out the whips and chains." And you know, I don't really care about stuff like that. (Sorry, I know too many of the examples here relate to sex stuff, they're just the easiest ones to draw parallels to in the fandoms I have contact with). But the principle is the same. Someone is saying something about something I created that I don't think is true.
Even if the story is a totally gen G rated "Schmoopy saves a kitten.", the underlying principle is the same, the content is irrelevant, whether I would have objected morally or ethically to the content is irrelevant. Schmoopy did not save a kitten. Maybe Schmoopy saved a puppy. Maybe Schmoopy volunteered at the homeless shelter that day instead. Maybe Schmoopy took the day off. But that's my call to make.
Now, "Schmoopy saves a kitten." is harmless. In fact "Schmoopy cleanses San Francisco" is harmless too, in that pretty much no one would really believe I wrote that, the writer probably said up front "Len owns Schmoopy, not me, not for profit, don't sue!", and if I'm asked I can say "Oh hell no, Schmoopy might cleanse San Fran with a broom and dustpan so that the next Pride parade will be more colorful, but that's about it."
I get that. I just want the fanfic writer to always reserve that one ethical/intellectual point, that their concept of the character is not primary, and that while it's unlikely I'll particularly raise objections to them specifically or to an archive, let alone hire lawyers or start tossing C&D's around, the acknowledgement of the unauthorized idea theft can't be glossed over as outmoded or wrongheaded. Because at that point I really do want to start just keeping certain ideas in my head, alone. Many people discussing authorship or fanfic dismiss that possibility, but I'm serious. If I write a story about brothers, I want them to have a sibling relationship. I don't want them to engage in incest, and if fandom is going to do that with them (and it will inevitably), then maybe I don't write a sibling story at all. And that sucks for everyone because it was a nice story.
Boy, for someone who regularly reads fanfic that came out more anti fanfic than I intended. All that passion for characters that are not only fictional, they're fictionally fictional. :)
I just very strongly believe that the creator's ownership of their creations is a big deal, and that wresting away that ownership even in part is problematic, even if it's also common/inevitable/fun.
no subject
Even if the story is a totally gen G rated "Schmoopy saves a kitten.", the underlying principle is the same, the content is irrelevant, whether I would have objected morally or ethically to the content is irrelevant. Schmoopy did not save a kitten. Maybe Schmoopy saved a puppy. Maybe Schmoopy volunteered at the homeless shelter that day instead. Maybe Schmoopy took the day off. But that's my call to make.
Now, "Schmoopy saves a kitten." is harmless. In fact "Schmoopy cleanses San Francisco" is harmless too, in that pretty much no one would really believe I wrote that, the writer probably said up front "Len owns Schmoopy, not me, not for profit, don't sue!", and if I'm asked I can say "Oh hell no, Schmoopy might cleanse San Fran with a broom and dustpan so that the next Pride parade will be more colorful, but that's about it."
I get that. I just want the fanfic writer to always reserve that one ethical/intellectual point, that their concept of the character is not primary, and that while it's unlikely I'll particularly raise objections to them specifically or to an archive, let alone hire lawyers or start tossing C&D's around, the acknowledgement of the unauthorized idea theft can't be glossed over as outmoded or wrongheaded. Because at that point I really do want to start just keeping certain ideas in my head, alone. Many people discussing authorship or fanfic dismiss that possibility, but I'm serious. If I write a story about brothers, I want them to have a sibling relationship. I don't want them to engage in incest, and if fandom is going to do that with them (and it will inevitably), then maybe I don't write a sibling story at all. And that sucks for everyone because it was a nice story.
Boy, for someone who regularly reads fanfic that came out more anti fanfic than I intended. All that passion for characters that are not only fictional, they're fictionally fictional. :)
I just very strongly believe that the creator's ownership of their creations is a big deal, and that wresting away that ownership even in part is problematic, even if it's also common/inevitable/fun.