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Or a symbiotic means of communicating with lower forms of intelligenceKeep it coming! Silly GIFs and pics are the local unwritten sign that says, "I'm not sure how and why, but you've really managed to unsettle me."
Right there! There's a big misconception in this seemingly simple statement. A derivative sequel is NOT YOUR story!
The premise, names, and settings of a story are merely a mold, an empty shell. Filling that shell with decent content is trickier than starting from scratch. The heart of the story is not its outline but the plot, dialogues, emotions, and conflicts--all these must feel fresh.
Spinning an intriguing and believable sequel while staying true to the original characters and style is almost an impossible task, as you don't have all the keys to the hidden locks.
Contrary to what's been said, readers don't wish to continue series or stories to attract followers or gain a reputation; that's BS. They fall in love with the characters and wish to make amends for them.
Some stories have a deeply built-in thematic flaw that bothers loyal readers enough to feel they need to fix it. I know this because I tried--twice but couldn't do it. I'm not just talking about the difficulty of sticking to the unique style and voice of the characters; I'm talking about an inherent contradiction in the original piece that cannot be resolved by a sequel.
It's no coincidence that all the wordsmiths, who are so firmly against sequels, didn't bother to state in their bio that they don't allow sequels to their stories as they are fully aware of the implications for their long-term legacy.
Publishing content on an open platform like this, where anyone can download any content in a split second, is like parking your car on a main street in a bad neighborhood with the keys inside and the engine running. The least you can do is leave a note saying "I'll be right back."
You don't leave your car running and disappear for years if you value it! The fuel will eventually run out, and the engine will die, but some passers-by will still cry "Don't touch it! Don't check it, and don't protect it; let the dust and rust crumble it completely."
I get that as long as you're active, you expect to be asked first, but why do you care what happens after you kick the bucket? After others kick the bucket...
Every series is "incomplete" in some reader's eyes, no matter how complete the author might think it.Threads like this make me want to set up an alt that posts nothing but incomplete series, just out of spite.
What you're talking about is termed "fix-fic", and I do think fix-fic can be a legitimate form of criticism/commentary on the original. If somebody has problems with (e.g.) Tolkien's handling of female characters, sometimes the best way to express that criticism might be in the form of a story set in his world which draws out what he did wrong or how he could've done it better.
Every time I read LOTR (once every few years), I get the urge to rewrite it with punched-up verbs.
It was (and is) the formative element in my reading and writing life, and yet? The Professor used the verb "to be" waaaay too much. Once I realized it, I couldn't unsee it.
More to the point, there are those who'd see his works as "abandoned series." Tacking on an unauthorized sequel? Unthinkable.
Ouch. I just read a bit of that.
Painful.
I have commented on this thread, and it has been circling inside my head.Probably a dumbass question, but is there any way within Literotica's rules, that I can finish a series begun (and now abandoned) by another author?
The series in question started in 2007 and the author has not been active on Literotica since 2009. I have my own ideas as to how the stories would progress but I don't want to just dive in and end up being banned or something. I tried to contact the author but there was no response and after 15 years, it's obvious he is no longer a member. Can anyone help?
More pain here: https://books.google.com/books?id=iH6iEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
It's not the worst fanfic I've read, by a long stretch. But it's a very long way from good, and it's amazing to think this guy expected the Tolkien rights owners to embrace it, let alone that he thought he could sue them.
Came to the same conclusion. 'Abandoned' is a loaded term that assumes facts not in evidence.I have commented on this thread, and it has been circling inside my head.
I have one thing to add to the conversation.
There's no such thing as an abandoned series.
The original writer didn't abandon it. they stopped writing it. End of story, full stop.
If you didn't like the way they ended it... Tough cookies.
They haven't responded to your attempts to talk to them...Tough.
The ethical thing to do is walk away and say "Oh well."
Cagivagurl
Yes. His exposition is not stilted, at all! Everything is very, very fluid.
The real question is why our people refuse to make one.
This endless loop is tiresome, and no one's gonna change their minds, so I'll conclude with this:
You should not be threatened by a sequel, but flattered.
No one can follow your steps; no one can imitate your special voice, characterization, creative process, and distinctive ways of expression. If a sequel is bad, it will highlight your achievement,
and if it's excellent, it will gain you attention. Either way, you win.
Coming to terms with your stance means accepting the existing norm, in which many do write derivative pieces but don't give credit; they simply change the names.
TBH, I initially phrased it as "One should not be threatened," but then changed it to "You." A skilled puppeteer should know which chord to pull and when to achieve the right result.
Some people are like AI; with short prompts, you can extract thousands of words from them. They can't help it; they're programmed to react. It follows a known online rule of thumb: short prompts---long threads.
he cawed.*cord
I think you need to edit the tag line to "A place to post the same thread over and over."Just to reiterate for those who missed it; the rough circle on my screen shot of the āPost Threadā button was a death spiral..
Which raises the question, at least for me, in what context is it appropriate to post comments in an "authors hangout" if you're still unpublished on the site?I think you need to edit the tag line to "A place to post the same thread over and over."
lit added the feature where when you start thread similar threads show up.Which raises the question, at least for me, in what context is it appropriate to post comments in an "authors hangout" if you're still unpublished on the site?
I think anything along the lines of, "Hi, I'm just finding my way around" is totally in bounds. Certainly advice about the tips and tricks that others have learned, and wish they knew before their first story was published here, would fit the bill.
Weighing in, up to the point of taunting or trolling published authors about how they should feel about protecting their own work, feels way out of bounds. I don't doubt that
a brand new user, jumping into a thread like this, is a MULT (can't help picture a tank top and a mullet every time I key that). But then they're just hiding (and sniping) without risk of exposing their own work, and previous comments, to scrutiny, aren't they?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and should be welcome to add their voice to the discussion, but until I see multiple posters with an established body of work on each profile, I'm just gonna go ahead and assume that its just one voice, who has already lost the point on the merits, pretending to be a Greek chorus in support of a failed position.
So in all these, (is 'debates' too lofty a term given some of the posts?) my part in the discussion will always be directed toward the established authors here, who risk reputation, and retribution, by taking a side. Everything else is just static.
Troll your way, I'll troll mine.The moth is complaining about the fire. It's a novelty.
We have this discussion periodically. Personally, I'd like there to be a discussion room open only to story authors here, but each time this comes up, the preponderance of opinion (some citing how the room is tagged) is that those wishing to interact with Lit. authors whether or not they are authors themselves should be welcome to the AH.Which raises the question, at least for me, in what context is it appropriate to post comments in an "authors hangout" if you're still unpublished on the site?
*cord