Ethics Part Two

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today is part two of my ethics discussion on the blog; I hope you're all enjoying the fun so far. If you missed part one, click here. Part two is all about fan fiction and ethics surrounding those novels that spring forth from other novels. Strap in and let's go for a ride, shall we?

Fan fiction, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, are novels that are based upon best sellers. Sometimes it encompasses the characters and keeps telling their story; but sometimes it only uses the basic plot idea. Many of these novels are then self-published.

But is it wrong?

Here's my thinking:
If you come up with an original story idea that has the same basic plot as another book on the market, then you publish it, you're in the right. There's nothing wrong with using the same plot line.
If you use characters from a story someone else wrote and write them in the same way (characteristics, attributes, location, etc...), you're in the wrong.

Oh my... I heard that all the way over here.

Why the collective gasp? Is it because I dared to say using someone's plot idea is okay? Or because I said using someone's characters is wrong?

Let me explain!
How many truly original plot lines are there? Let's do a quick rundown of the known ones:

• Boy meets girl and falls in love but they have obstacles to overcome before they can be together.
• Good king v/s bad king (or evil) and the land is in danger.
• Something stolen must be retrieved.
• Someone did something to someone else and revenge is sought.
• Life and struggles therein.
• Love triangles.
• Right v/s wrong; a lesson.
• Whodoneit? Murder mystery. Can also fall under revenge or life.
• Crime novels. Can also fall under something stolen and life.

No matter what breed of person or creature you put in the story, the plot lines aren't really original. What is original are the characters and the specific types of obstacles they must overcome.

Yes, I agree, there's a fine line to be walked there.

I read some Twilight fan fiction last year and helped the author get it to the published state (editing, cover design). Why is it Twilight fan fiction? Well, she used the same basic plot line of two boys, one girl, and something between them they have to overcome. Girl can't wrap her head around just one of the boys. But instead of paranormal aspects, the author used sci-fi aspects to create the barrier between girl A and boy A. No vampires, no location similarities, and none of the same characters. I love the Canopy series by Crystal Lee and think her story is truly original. If you think you'd like to read some science fiction romance, go check it out. See what good fan fiction is like.

Canopy Volume One on Amazon. Just $0.99.

Now, I haven't read any direct knockoffs of major best-sellers but I know they exist. I don't think any form of parody falls into this class. There are actually specific laws about writing a parody; even down to being able to use the original cover/poster art. Go figure.

So, now you have another perspective on ethics when using someone's work.

Have you read anything fan fiction based? What did you think? Was it too similar? Where do you stand?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Ethics Part One

Happy Monday! Did I just hear a collective groan rise from my audience? Comeon, guys and gals, don't be like that! It's a new week and a chance to flex those creative muscles. I've chosen a heavy topic for today: Ethics. So, read along and join in the fun!

This is going to be a two part series. The first part will be about writing from life and how to keep from going too far and the second will be about writing from a story someone else wrote (commonly called fan fiction). Both have their own challenges and own group of people who believe strongly one way or the other. Please try and keep in mind this is only my opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt. If you believe otherwise, that's your prerogative. Keep the comments nice, please.

I always say you should write from life. Many of my characters and the situations they find themselves in come from life. I do believe there's a fine line that, when crossed, says you went too far.

But how to know when/if it was too far?

Here's my quick checklist to know if you've taken too many liberties:

• If someone can read your story and know who you're talking about (not the individual the character was based on).
• If many people could read your story and know a deep secret and who it belongs to.
• If you use the name of the person you're writing about.
• If the situations are exactly as you remember them and someone was humiliated or harmed in any way.

If any of the above are true, you may want to reconsider what you wrote.
Here's the way I do it:

• I never ever describe the person my writing is based on exactly. I make changes to their appearance (brunettes may become blonde, shorter folks may become taller, etc...) and their personalities.
• If it's a deep secret you were told in confidence, change the setting and the descriptions drastically (if it happened in a hotel - make it happen in a house, if it had two people - add a third person, if the situation included a discovery - change it so something similar but different was discovered, etc...).
• I never use the names of the people involved. Ever.
• I never expose someone else if they were humiliated or harmed in any way; even if the story is out of this world.

I have a great example of believable fiction writing! When people began reading Shelia, they asked me if that happened to me. It didn't; but I was able to make them believe I'd experienced it by the way I described the situations. I'm a student of human nature and am familiar with the reactions of those who have been put in tough positions. I listen when people talk. I empathize with them and try to walk in their shoes. Those situations in Shelia were pure fiction. No one ever told me a story like that. I've heard stories that were similar, but I would never have written those down. Because they weren't mine to tell.

Never talk to people; talk with them. Be a listener as well as a participant. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, it becomes all about me, me, me. Make it about them. This is a difficult skill to hone but, once you have it down, the world becomes your Google.

I once read an article about a photographer who had some great photographs of refugee women that had been beaten and raped. They were getting off a boat at the rescue mission where he was. He took their photos as they stepped from the boat but never published a single one. That photographer went on to win a Pulitzer for other photography work he did. Most likely, he could've gotten one with one of those images of the women. When he was asked why he never published them, his answer was: "Because the pain on their faces was so raw. They didn't need to be humiliated further by having those photographs published for the world to see." Ahhhh ethics at their finest.

Carry that with you as you write. Be like a doctor: Pledge first to do no harm.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo