Idea for a contest

[dork42]

It could start with a reader poll/suggestion for stories that never continued much to the readers' chagrin. Especially those "To be continued..." and it has been years since posted.
The contest could be right after Halloween on Day of the Dead/All Souls Day to tie into the "Resurrection" of the stories. The writers would pick from the poll or maybe let them find their own dead story to necro.

 

[AlinaX]

Are you willing to pay any legal costs?

 

[AchtungNight]

Not willing to cover legal costs. Am willing to be a fan. Lechs like me are always in favor of reviving the dead!

 

[Djmac1031]

Hmm. Writing a story based on a readers poll.

Doesn't sound like a logistical nightmare at all, nope.

 

[secretLace]

I like the initial thought of revisiting an old story and try to continue or at least give it a worthy ending. The writers participating could either try and finish an old series that themselves started or contact another writer here and ask if they could do their own alternate ending or continuation of a series that they would love to se a continuation of.

Easter would be a great time for this with the resurection theme.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It could start with a reader poll/suggestion for stories that never continued much to the readers' chagrin. Especially those "To be continued..." and it has been years since posted.
The contest could be right after Halloween on Day of the Dead/All Souls Day to tie into the "Resurrection" of the stories. The writers would pick from the poll or maybe let them find their own dead story to necro.

You’d need the permission of the original authors. They own the copyright.

I can’t see @Laurel supporting this I’m afraid. Too much of a minefield.

Emily

 

[ElectricBlue]

It could start with a reader poll/suggestion for stories that never continued much to the readers' chagrin. Especially those "To be continued..." and it has been years since posted.
The contest could be right after Halloween on Day of the Dead/All Souls Day to tie into the "Resurrection" of the stories. The writers would pick from the poll or maybe let them find their own dead story to necro.

You've inadvertently wandered into a minefield. The question often arises here, "Can I continue someone else's story?" and the answer is always, "Not unless you have explicit permission from the original author."

Even if they are dead or they've left Lit forever, if you don't have permission, don't do it.

 

[Voboy]

Half the threads on the AH these days are about AI. Many of the rest are questions about the ethics of continuing other writers' stories. 90% of the regular posters here think that's a shitty idea. And a number of the other threads here are about the fact that there are probably already too many contests/invitationals/writer events.

In other words, OP, if you've come here for support in your thinking? You're likely to be disappointed.

Here's an idea: you should, under your own name, select a story or two that you deem "incomplete," and then shoehorn it into an existing contest. For good measure, make sure you have an AI write it. That'll make you many, many friends here.

 

[Djmac1031]

Easter would be a great time for this with the resurection theme.

I'm sure Jesus probably wouldn't appreciate his sacrifice to save humanity being commemorated by multiple porn stories, what with all that "whosoever looketh at a woman with lust" stuff.

The goddess Eastre, however, would totally be down with it.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Yup. not going there. I have a series that the last episode was published 10/2020. I'm actually working on the next chapter, just really stuck. I'd be pissed as hell if someone tried to take it away from me like that.

EDIT: Hey George, you mind if I give Winds of Winter a go? It's kind of been a while...

 

[Cagivagurl]

It could start with a reader poll/suggestion for stories that never continued much to the readers' chagrin. Especially those "To be continued..." and it has been years since posted.
The contest could be right after Halloween on Day of the Dead/All Souls Day to tie into the "Resurrection" of the stories. The writers would pick from the poll or maybe let them find their own dead story to necro.

A written work is the property of the writer.
For somebody else to continue, or rewrite then they would need the permission of the owner / original writer.
As other people here have answered your post with similar remarks. You should take that as a no...

Cagivagurl

 

[Rob_Royale]

Guys, please note that the OP is the first post from a thirteen-year-old account. This is clearly an alt account and the poster knows the subject of resurrecting dead stories has been beaten to death here. A clever troll but a troll nonetheless.

 

[lovecraft68]

You’d need the permission of the original authors. They own the copyright.

I can’t see @Laurel supporting this I’m afraid. Too much of a minefield.

Emily

I'd like to agree, but I don't know if that's the case.

In the February Sucks thread in feedback it was proven that quite a few people wrote their endings to it well before the author posted that he would allow people to do it.

There's also the fact that who is going to complain? Many of these long dead stories the author hasn't been around in years and doesn't respond to any e-mails.

Having said that, I wouldn't do it because I feel its unethical, but I wouldn't bank on everyone, including the site, agreeing.

 

[lovecraft68]

I always find it quite ironic that those whom I wouldn't trust to walk my dog exhibit such a well-developed sense of ethics.

People are fleeting; stories are not. Art should always come first. Those who have ditched their work can direct their complaints (if they have any) to their new landlord--the devil.

Everyone has their own personal sense of right and wrong.

I mentioned unethical, which to me it is, but the other issue for me is...how about writing your own story? A lot of writers complain about time constraints on writing, so why waste the time you have copy catting another's work?

As for your dogs, you could certainly trust me to walk them, I love animals. Now people on the other hand? They're pretty much on their own.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'd like to agree, but I don't know if that's the case.

In the February Sucks thread in feedback it was proven that quite a few people wrote their endings to it well before the author posted that he would allow people to do it.

There's also the fact that who is going to complain? Many of these long dead stories the author hasn't been around in years and doesn't respond to any e-mails.

Having said that, I wouldn't do it because I feel it’s unethical, but I wouldn't bank on everyone, including the site, agreeing.

I know the February Sucks phenomenon by reputation, though none of the details. But you’re right, a great big counterexample.

Emily

 

[lovecraft68]

How can a transformative sequel be "copycutting another's work?" Nothing is truly original; we all walk in someone else's footsteps, whether we acknowledge it or not. Each of our stories is a kind of sequel whose seed was sown by someone else's idea. There is so little originality around here...

Reviving a forgotten story is the noblest thing.

I didn't refer to you when I mentioned the untrustworthy. I know you are decent at your core, unlike the other narcissistic pretenders.

As I stated, there doesn't seem to be anything from the site saying this can't be done. Therefore, it falls under 'should' and should will vary on the poster.

Continuing another's work means you did not create the characters, you didn't create the initial plot, which at that point means you're just taking another's work and adding to it, like fan fic.

Some people like doing that, some don't. I have enough of my own ideas I have no time for to be interested in working on another's concept.

 

[ChloeTzang]

There's a few stories on Lit I'd like to see revived but the authors are long gone and haven't been back in years. One has to assume they have moved on, or shuffled off this mortal coil, or whatever, but either way its not ethical to continue their stories without their permission. That said, nothing to stop anyone stealing the plot and writing their own story based on the plot, such as it may be. And a lot of these plots are fairly standard. It's just how you write them. LOL.

 

[SimonDoom]

How can a transformative sequel be "copycutting another's work?"

Within the meaning of copyright law, which is, generally speaking, what informs most people's sense of what's right and wrong in this area, along with the concept of plagiarism, a sequel is not "transformative." There's a substantial body of case law on the meaning of "transformative." A sequel, unless it turns the story in a completely different direction and tone, like parody, would just be plain infringement, not parody/fair use/transformative use.

You may have your own ethical principles on this subject, but the law doesn't agree with you and most authors here don't agree with you. There's not a chance that Laurel would sanction this contest without the prior approval of the authors with unfinished works.

THAT would be an interesting contest: If the original authors offered certain of their works and authorized, for a limited time, other authors to write parodies, sequels, or other derivative stories based on their stories. But the consent of the original author would be crucial.

 

[EmilyMiller]

How about an alternative idea? A group of authors, big names, not people like me. Offer people the chance to write a story featuring one or more of their characters.

Instead of the uneven playing field of ratings, the group of authors review submissions and pick a Gold / Silver / Bronze.

Could that work? Maybe logistically complex. And a lot of work for any author volunteering.

Emily

 

[Voboy]

How about an alternative idea? A group of authors, big names, not people like me. Offer people the chance to write a story featuring one or more of their characters.

Instead of the uneven playing field of ratings, the group of authors review submissions and pick a Gold / Silver / Bronze.

Could that work? Maybe logistically complex. And a lot of work for any author volunteering.

Emily

I've posted this before, but a commercial publisher once had another writer and I "trade characters" in order to write "our own take" on each others' worlds (the context was fantasy/SF). I didn't find it to be a fun experience, and I've never read the other guy's take on my characters (which I'm sure is competent and well-meaning; it's just no longer "mine.")

I was extremely skittish about needing to be true to the nature of a character I did not invent, which stressed me out a lot more than I thought it would. My concern would lie in "loaning" a character or a setting to another writer who wasn't similarly concerned about being truthful to those characters or settings.

 

[SimonDoom]

How about an alternative idea? A group of authors, big names, not people like me. Offer people the chance to write a story featuring one or more of their characters.

Instead of the uneven playing field of ratings, the group of authors review submissions and pick a Gold / Silver / Bronze.

Could that work? Maybe logistically complex. And a lot of work for any author volunteering.

Emily

To maximize interest and artistic possibilities, I wouldn't limit it. Open it to all authors, and any author who consents will be listed in the opening message on the contest thread. Authors would offer one of their stories, and contestants could write any derivative story they wanted to based on the original story: a sequel, a parody, a completely different story based on the same character or characters, etc.

 

[Djmac1031]

How about an alternative idea? A group of authors, big names, not people like me. Offer people the chance to write a story featuring one or more of their characters.

Instead of the uneven playing field of ratings, the group of authors review submissions and pick a Gold / Silver / Bronze.

Could that work? Maybe logistically complex. And a lot of work for any author volunteering.

Emily

It's an interesting idea, although i can't even fathom the logistics of pulling it off lol.

Personally I'm not interested in writing other people's stories or characters. The exception would be something along the lines of collaborative stories like you and I have worked on together, where we've build a rapore and trust enough that we're willing to share characters and let the other write them if wanted.

I could be tempted to let someone run with a sequel to a few of my unfinished series. I ran out of steam on a couple of them.

But even then I think I'd rather someone just use the same idea and framework but make it their own than attach their work to mine as an unofficial "sequel."

 

[EmilyMiller]

To maximize interest and artistic possibilities, I wouldn't limit it. Open it to all authors, and any author who consents will be listed in the opening message on the contest thread. Authors would offer one of their stories, and contestants could write any derivative story they wanted to based on the original story: a sequel, a parody, a completely different story based on the same character or characters, etc.

I’ve already done this. Buy only with friends, for example:

1. The Devil And Angel Em - by @Djmac1031
2. Baby It’s Cold Outside - by @EStaccato

And at least one forthcoming story.

I’d be willing to let people borrow some of my characters. I might stipulate no I/T and no NC/R. But otherwise.

Emily

 

[onehitwanda]

 

[EmilyMiller]

It's an interesting idea, although i can't even fathom the logistics of pulling it off lol.

Personally I'm not interested in writing other people's stories or characters. The exception would be something along the lines of collaborative stories like you and I have worked on together, where we've build a rapore and trust enough that we're willing to share characters and let the other write them if wanted.

I could be tempted to let someone run with a sequel to a few of my unfinished series. I ran out of steam on a couple of them.

But even then I think I'd rather someone just use the same idea and framework but make it their own than attach their work to mine as an unofficial "sequel."

I didn’t mean anything official. Just inspired by…