Letters from the Front (original) (raw)

It's been mentioned that some authors have issues with fanfic because somebody uses their characters that they own (paraphrased from different place).

I've thought about it, and I'm not convinced. If somebody writes fanfic about my original stuff (it has happened a few times), I got this feeling, very much, that it's not "my characters", but *their take* on my characters.

None of my characters gets raped, to borrow Mrs Gabaldon wholly ridiculous and disrespectful simile, they just get photographed or painted by some artist who's not me.

The characters themselves, their Platonic IDEA/Essence is still there, nothing has been damaged, nothing has been sullied, because the characters in their true form is in my brain, and nobody can reach inside and influence my view of them. If I go with what a Wiccan/Shaman once told me, I invested my energy in them, they are my energy forms, I do stuff with them, they are alive, and, to a certain extend, can even be a little independent. To talk in magic terms, I've even used my characters to... some interesting ends, and to do stuff for me. (usually protection duty... I've come up with a lot of mafia bodyguards and hitmen, so my astral space is likely a quite interesting place full of well-dressed, well-armed gentlemen, but I disgress).

In any case, no doubt they are mine. They are invested with my energy.

What I write about, though, is only part of them. It's the part of them I need for the story, but there's always more to them. So, what I share is not the original (which lives in my brain/mind/astral space), but a well-made, artistically crafted "master copy".

I'm not sure it makes sense, but it's the reason I don't feel threatened by fanfic. It doesn't diminish my characters in the least. Fanficcers work with the master copy and create their own copies, but those aren't mine, they are theirs. They can even become originals, if they invest the energy necessary (and I wager some people do).

I'm not sure this makes sense to anybody but me. Vadim's mine forever, but everybody can make their copies of him and make them straight, or give them tentacles, or cross him over with their characters or Donald Duck, or transport him into the 1820ies. Do it.

EDIT: This entry is now public so it can be linked.