Misplaced wrote:Yes, it is ironic that we are having this discussion when fanfiction is basically finishing someone else's work. Yes, we don't make any money from it and yes, our work in the fanfic world is not copyright protected.
But we have operated under an unspoken code of conduct where we respect that the work of fanfiction does belong to the author of said work. We treat it like it's copyrighted and therefore the writers feel safe sharing their work without worry that someone else is going to steal it or modify it. If we did not operate with this unspoken rule, how many fanfic authors would still be writing fanfic? Not I. And I'm pretty sure that the majority, if not all, of the authors that we love in this realm wouldn't have posted anything.
Sure it's frustrating for a reader to come upon a wonderful fic that is not finished and probably never will be. This is the nature of the beast. It happens and will happen as long as fanfic exists.
You have to ask yourself even before you contact an author of unfinished work: Can you really capture the voice of that author? Can you basically be a ghost writer -- write in such a way that no one can tell that another is penning the words now? Seriously? This is why I think it's arrogant. It happens in the published world. Brandon Sanderson is taking over finishing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. (The author lost his battle with cancer). But honestly, not after the two met several times and Brandon Sanderson was hired because his "voice" was similar enough to Jordan's. And I'm pretty darn sure that Sanderson wasn't the one who contacted Jordan and said, "Hey, I hear you're dying and I think I could finish your series for you." Nuh-uh. Sanderson was contacted by Jordan and interviewed.
So really, does anyone honestly think they are unbiased enough about their own writing voice to say, "Yeah, I'm seriously as good as you and think much like you -- so let me finish your work"?? Not bloody likely.
Oh and in the event of my death -- I don't think there is a single author in the fanfic world that I believe could finish my work for me -- especially my alternate MU stuff. Not because I think I'm that good -- not in the least!! -- but because no one writes like I do. No one sees the characters the same way I do and no one has a freaking clue where I planned to take the story.
I'm a laid back person, but I've had my intellectual property stolen before, and I'll be damned if in this "safe" bubble of fanfiction we stop respecting those boundaries.
AMEN SISTER! It's just repulsive that anyone could possibly say "oh they haven't touched this in years fair game" and unfortunately I have seen this happen in a fic community. It's even worse in FanArt. I can't tell you how I saw talented authors and artists being abused in this way. Of course it wasn't this fandom, but the damage was severe. And frankly I'm with Misplaced, it's not ego to be offended by the idea that someone else has my voice. I could never give my work to someone else. And to think someone might believe they could have my voice and think that its OK just if they ask... No! Not cool.