And if LJ eats it again, I'm just going to have to hurt someone.
First, go read this: This is Not About "Intellectual Property". Read the entire thing. There's a lot in there that's worth some serious discussion and thought, in any fandom. The entry post nails the point -- nails every point, for that matter -- but the issue at hand of value to fen is this part:
Keep in mind, the above section was written by a Head Editor at Tor Books. You just bloody well can't get much more credibility than that, and if I'd expect anyone to find fanfic irksome, it'd be an editor (who sees/deals/shepherds far more books than a single author). Yet even Teresa's willing to say flatly that what you write, you own, even if the characters, world, or essential premise were someone else's. It's still your time, your idea, your creation, your effort, your words.
Go, read, think. TNH & co rock my world.
And now, for the recs... trying again, and let's see if I can be even half as succinct as I was the first time. *cough*
Note: both stories are shonen and/or yaoi, and both are R at minimum.
I think we need to schedule an intervention. Too many in the fandom start writing like this, and I just might find myself dragged back, and please, we can't have that. Bad things happen. So, if you're with me, please assist! Twenty hours nonstop of 4K short-shorts on fanfiction.net of Duo-as-girl and Quatre-as-bleeding-heart and Heero-as-Perfect-Soldier and Trowa-as-circus-boy and Wufei-known-only-as-the-Dragon*, and we just might be able to save the day!
ETA: This RTF-format for posting is cool, but how the hell do I change the lj-cut labels? Sheesh. Anyway, the following review's been edited, because NO ONE TELLS ME ANYTHING. Hmmph.
*see next review
[How's that intervention coming along? I have the earl gray ready, who has the hot water?]
I would've rec'd both of these much sooner, had I had time/energy to write up my comments. Hell, I was ready to rec both after the third chapter or so, of each: even if, for some bizarre reason, the authors took a nosedive, the openings of each story are so excellently tense and conflicted, with layers of unspoken histories and motivations swirling thick but unsaid through every line -- who cares if the rest did suck? I'd just be rereading the opening chapters over and over again.
But, happily, the rest did not suck, and the world is once again a good place to be GW fen. Here's to many more.
First, go read this: This is Not About "Intellectual Property". Read the entire thing. There's a lot in there that's worth some serious discussion and thought, in any fandom. The entry post nails the point -- nails every point, for that matter -- but the issue at hand of value to fen is this part:
Sample disclaimers:
None of this stuff belongs to me. :: Everything related to Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel is owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, FOX, UPN, and their partners. :: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. :: I don’t own anything, this is strictly for fun, Joss and someone else owns all this. :: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all. :: The usual. All belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy, and naught to me. :: I don’t own anything. Joss owns it all, damn him! :: I own nothing.
Wrong. The fact that a person or organization owns the copyright to a work doesn’t mean they own everything related to that work. It just means they have the legal right to keep others from making use of it. If some third party writes a new story which uses material covered by that copyright, the new story can’t be published or filmed or made into a game (unless the copyright holder grants them a license to do so.)
However, contrary to all-too-common belief, the copyright holder has no claim on that new story. The story itself—that specific configuration of words—belongs to the author. So does the plot, if it doesn’t infringe on the copyright. So do any other non-infringing original elements. So if you’re a fanfic writer, please stop saying you don’t own your own work.
I’m not sure disclaimers have any use or legal standing to start with, but if you must use one, consider saying something like:
The BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and associated companies. The story itself belongs to me. None of these characters belong to me. Only the words do.
What’s Joss Whedon’s is Joss Whedon’s, and the same goes for Mutant Enemy; but what’s mine is mine, including the original elements in this story and the words I’ve used to tell it.
Keep in mind, the above section was written by a Head Editor at Tor Books. You just bloody well can't get much more credibility than that, and if I'd expect anyone to find fanfic irksome, it'd be an editor (who sees/deals/shepherds far more books than a single author). Yet even Teresa's willing to say flatly that what you write, you own, even if the characters, world, or essential premise were someone else's. It's still your time, your idea, your creation, your effort, your words.
Go, read, think. TNH & co rock my world.
- - - # # # - - -
And now, for the recs... trying again, and let's see if I can be even half as succinct as I was the first time. *cough*
Note: both stories are shonen and/or yaoi, and both are R at minimum.
I think we need to schedule an intervention. Too many in the fandom start writing like this, and I just might find myself dragged back, and please, we can't have that. Bad things happen. So, if you're with me, please assist! Twenty hours nonstop of 4K short-shorts on fanfiction.net of Duo-as-girl and Quatre-as-bleeding-heart and Heero-as-Perfect-Soldier and Trowa-as-circus-boy and Wufei-known-only-as-the-Dragon*, and we just might be able to save the day!
ETA: This RTF-format for posting is cool, but how the hell do I change the lj-cut labels? Sheesh. Anyway, the following review's been edited, because NO ONE TELLS ME ANYTHING. Hmmph.
*see next review
[How's that intervention coming along? I have the earl gray ready, who has the hot water?]
I would've rec'd both of these much sooner, had I had time/energy to write up my comments. Hell, I was ready to rec both after the third chapter or so, of each: even if, for some bizarre reason, the authors took a nosedive, the openings of each story are so excellently tense and conflicted, with layers of unspoken histories and motivations swirling thick but unsaid through every line -- who cares if the rest did suck? I'd just be rereading the opening chapters over and over again.
But, happily, the rest did not suck, and the world is once again a good place to be GW fen. Here's to many more.