Continuing the Work of deceased authors..

[Meeko]

Well, I agree to the fact that Dom should be writing his own work. He is too good a writer to continue other's... It would undermine his own works (which I highly doubt)

 

 

I agree. Every author has there own differen't styles and tricks they use for their own stories. Trying to have a differ author count it would be okay, but it would'nt be the same. For one you wouldn't know what to do with the story, wouldn't know how the author planned to end it etc etc. It may be finished okay by it wouldn't be the same and i for one would stop reading it for that reason alone.

 

-Mike

[BeaStKid]

I agree. Every author has there own differen't styles and tricks they use for their own stories. Trying to have a differ author count it would be okay, but it would'nt be the same. For one you wouldn't know what to do with the story, wouldn't know how the author planned to end it etc etc. It may be finished okay by it wouldn't be the same and i for one would stop reading it for that reason alone.

 

-Mike

I'm that uncomfortable with working on other's work without knowing the plot, that I can't even participate in a round robin!! I am always at a loss at what to write!

[Meeko]

I'm that uncomfortable with working on other's work without knowing the plot, that I can't even participate in a round robin!! I am always at a loss at what to write!

 

 

Sure this a something alot of people feel therefor agree that it's best not to mess with someone else's work!

[AFriendlyFace]

This is an interesting topic.

 

This is rather a loaded set of questions in the way it is asked. You used the term "ethical" which is clearly distinct from moral and legal....

 

...

 

The dabate about on this topic will surely follow the pattern that most politicians take "I personally like X and am abhorred by Y, so X should be legal for everyone and Y should be legal for noone." (note that this includes my comments above)

Personally, I agree with the majority of Snowy's post.

 

I can't even vote cause I don't like any of the choices, personally. I have thought about this alot lately... and my opinion is this:

 

If it's my story, and I'm the deceased author...

 

There are a few people who I have mutual admiration for who really know me well, and aassuming they thought they could do it, and wanted to, I'm okay with that.

 

If I was asked by someone who I felt had the right to do so, and if I thought I could do it justice, and if I knew what his/her plans were to finish the story, then, and ONLY then, would I even consider trying. Mostly I think that it's not my story to tell and while it's sad that it would never be finished... it's not the end of the world.

And Viv's

 

Assuming I ever begin writing again I want my work finished. I'd also like to live to finish it. If I don't...well, I want the work finished, but I want to be the one to finish it, so I guess I'll just say "surprise me" and leave it up to those left behind to decide who, if anyone, should finish it for me. If someone did finish it however, I would be very miffed if they didn't remain true to my original plot line and characters.

 

Style is one thing, and while I definitely think it's important, in these instances, to emulate the departed author's style as closely as possible, it's vastly secondary to being true to the characters and plot. To me a story is all about it's characters and plot. I can deal with a replacement author who says things differently, but not one who says different things.

 

There is a distinct difference between MIA and deceased. In the later case we know that the author is not going to continue the story, and there are probably kin who will know the author's wishes on the matter. In the former we don't have either of these. I would never consider continuing a story for someone who is MIA -- it wouldn't be right.

Excellent point! I would be really pissed if someone tried to "finish" something I wrote simply because I didn't get around to it myself or because I'd disappeared for a bit.

 

Fanfics are a completely different matter. I'm very much ambivalent about them. Sometimes I really really want to read one, sometimes the thought of reading one is very unappealing. This mostly isn't contingent upon who much I like the particular story being "fic-ed" or the particular author pinning it. It just sorta depends on the story itself and whether I feel like there should be room to alter it/create new universes for it.

 

However, in all cases, whether I personally want to read (or write) such a thing myself, I'm very much in favour of it existing. I believe Fanfics are inherently an honour to the author/piece that they are using, even if the author himself doesn't particularly care for the direction, style, etc. that the new writer takes. I also believe that people should have the right to do these things...even if the original author isn't so keen on it.

 

I think that people should definitely honour the original author's wishes, I think that they may even have a moral obligation to in most cases, but I don't think there should be any legal recourse if they don't. I believe that with all art once you create it and present it to the public it enters the "artistic domain" and while you retain exclusive rights to the work itself, I don't think that should preclude anyone from imitating it, and certainly not from creating their own new art that is inspired by it.

 

This is my feeling with regards to all art, be it literature/poetry, music, painting, sculpting, drama, dance, or anything else, and I say that as someone who considers himself an artist. Artists need to be respected, and compensated for their work, but art itself once it has been presented to the public should be free to stimulate and create more art.

 

Just my thoughts, and I reserve the right to change them at any time.

-Kevin

[Drewbie]

I think, if the person, who died arleady asked someone, to write continue his or her work.

[corvus]

It depends. I can imagine someone creating a magnum opus that he would want finished no matter if it's by his hand or someone else's. It's like those cathedrals in the Middle Ages that took centuries to build and had more than one master architect. At the same time, I can also see how an artist's work really cannot be continued -- he might have such an individual voice that it is impossible to duplicate, he might not have put down any notes for anyone, etc.

 

I can think of examples of the first scenario. JRR Tolkien's The Silmarillion was published posthumously; a lot of it was old material by Tolkien, but some stuff was written by his son Christopher Tolkien. Mozart's Requiem in D Minor was completed by Sussmayr, and nobody knows how much is Mozart's and how much is Sussmayr's. IMO, I'm glad that the Requiem was completed and rendered in a form that audiences can enjoy, rather than kept in a skeletal limbo that belongs only in museums. Lastly, the great Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber is subject to tremendous controversy regarding authorship problems.

 

In every situation, I think authorship has to be acknowledged -- i.e., finishers shouldn't pass themselves off as the original, but declare that they're trying to continue a tradition, help complete a work of art, etc. I am less certain when it's a good idea to actually try to finish something. In Tolkien's case, Christopher knew a lot of the mythology, and much of the work was already done. With the Requiem, at least Sussmayr was good enough that the final product is listenable. I don't know enough about DotRC to give an evaluation on that, but... in these situations at least, I'm glad that the work was completed.

[Bart]

"In every situation, I think authorship has to be acknowledged -- i.e., finishers shouldn't pass themselves off as the original, but declare that they're trying to continue a tradition, help complete a work of art, etc."

 

I completely agree with Corvus as stated above, and I think we should also ask ourselves:

1/ Who benefits by leaving the story unfinished?

2/ Who benefits by finishing the story?

3/ Who is hurt by leaving the story unfinished?

4/ Who is hurt by finishing the story?

 

To me it seems obvious that the reader benefits with the finishing of the story, and that is probably who the writer was trying to benefit in the first place, and that nobody is hurt by finishing the story, not even the author, as long as the above recognition is given. The whole thing shifts perspective if we are talking about a commercially published work, but those questions, honestly answered, should be a good guide.

[RJ Santos]

Continuing the work of a deceased author... I'd say yes. It's not like it hasn't been done before. Does the word "collaboration" ring a bell? Sure, both authors could be alive, but it's not any different in my humble opinion. I wouldn't stop anyone from continuing the work of a great author. It's just like letting someone continue sculpting a statue a great sculptor had started but now is unable to finish because of death. You don't know the exact details the sculptor had in mind, but you know that the human body has two hands, two feet, a nose. You just have to rely on the details the sculptor had left in order to finish the statue closer to what he had in mind.

 

As for ethics, I'm pretty sure every author wants their work finished. If at his death bed he says he doesn't want anyone to finish his story, then the story shouldn't be finished. Though I'm most certainly sure art is different from science (for science has laws, and art/literature is an expression of one's soul where anything goes), I agree that whoever continues the story shouldn't get any profit from it. But if he deserves it, why not? If he did justice to the story, why not tell him so instead of telling him what he should and shouldn't do? Who knows if someone had snuck a paragraph into one of Mark Twain's stories without him noticing it? Would you feel differently about the story knowing someone added that paragraph? That's just silly.

 

I believe it would be an honor if someone asks me to finish his dad's/partner's/grandfather's/mother's/grandmother's/sister's/brother's work. That's not to say I will do it. If I'm comfortable enough about the story, I will. If I know I can, I will.

 

If I will continue the work of a deceased author, I'd re-write it in my own style. For if I just continue where he left off, there will be a very distinct difference. There's just no way anybody could write in someone else's style. What if the sculptor uses his toes in sculpting? If I'll re-write it, he same things happen, although it would be written in my own words. Like I said, collaboration.

 

 

Rad

[Former Member]

Hmmmm deceased authors.... Well i have never read any books by dead people. WAIT yes i have lol Lord of the rings. I read the 4 books in 2 months just to impress a guy & his friends lmao. Tolkien had his own style his own world i dont think anyone could have made a 5th book with his style.

 

I'm about to start some V.C. Andrews and i know she is dead and there isnt any more of her works and i dont even know if i will like her i just know i like scary books and will give her a shot. I have read so much Anne Rice and so many times i thought to myself "Just die already lady" SORRY ANNE! If she died tommorow then it wouldnt bother me if her son christopher carried on her work. Though now she is off and found god & left me and Lestat in some New Orleans flat(LOL thats prolly why i put my chars in new orleans! OMG they are so moving away now!). Where there is money to be made people will try so hard to get it no matter if the person is dead or not. Like Elvis the man is more richer now dead then he ever was alive. As long as you have permission i guess it would be ok. I dont think i could ever write someone who dies work because i would be scared that if i wasnt doing their world justice that they would come and haunt me. If i died tommorow a famous author( YEAH RIGHT! My stuff is junk. But im getting better sllooowly...) I wouldnt mind if someone carried on my work as long as they kept most of my characters the same and gave it the same flow. I wouldnt want them killing off my characters that i spent my life on just to bring in new ones like a bad soap opera. As for MIA authors maybe they decided to take a break from there 1 world and took a new penname to create something new & fresh.

[AFriendlyFace]

Mozart's Requiem in D Minor was completed by Sussmayr, and nobody knows how much is Mozart's and how much is Sussmayr's. IMO, I'm glad that the Requiem was completed and rendered in a form that audiences can enjoy, rather than kept in a skeletal limbo that belongs only in museums.

Excellent point, corvus! As Trab also pointed out, I think in many ways this gets to the crux of the matter. Who are we trying to make happy? The artist/writer or the general public? Whose wishes and satisfaction are paramount?

 

I won't even begin to answer that question or venture an opinion right now, but I think that is key point.

 

 

Hmmmm deceased authors.... Well i have never read any books by dead people. WAIT yes i have lol Lord of the rings. I read the 4 books in 2 months just to impress a guy & his friends lmao.

LOL a noble result from ignoble motives!

[Tom]

As for ethics, I'm pretty sure every author wants their work finished. If at his death bed he says he doesn't want anyone to finish his story, then the story shouldn't be finished. Though I'm most certainly sure art is different from science (for science has laws, and art/literature is an expression of one's soul where anything goes)

 

Rad

 

Rad, sorry...but if I died before I finished IFLM...I don't want it finished. you are right about it being an expression of my soul...My heart and soul actually...and I feel that only I could write it the way it needs to be written. If I had a few more stories posted I might feel differently about them but I don't yet. Yes, I want everything I write to get finished, but if I came back, I would be very upset to find anything was finished without me

 

the other problem I have with finishing someone else's work...some authors can write in many different styles...I'm not one of them even if the author asked me to personally, I wouldn't do it. I don't think I could do justice to another persons work....even with a full rewrite. it wouldn't be their spark that brought light to the characters faces...a candle from a different spot on the table still throws out different shadows

 

Hugs,

Tom

[AFriendlyFace]

Rad, sorry...but if I died before I finished IFLM...I don't want it finished. you are right about it being an expression of my soul...My heart and soul actually...and I feel that only I could write it the way it needs to be written. If I had a few more stories posted I might feel differently about them but I don't yet. Yes, I want everything I write to get finished, but if I came back, I would be very upset to find anything was finished without me

 

Personally, I'd be so happy about having risen from the dead - presumably after a span of time sufficient for someone else to finish my story no less - that I'd just get over it and do something else (like appear on Oprah, or write memoirs about life after death)

 

-Kevin

[old bob]

A dead author is a dead author. His work is done and nobody has a right to continue his work !

If another author want to use a character from dead author for his own story, he has to follow the rules of copyright and ask or negotiate the possibility with the owner of the rights (heirs or editors).

These legal rules of Intellectual property (legal concept that includes copyrights) are enough clear for everybody and should be followed.They are also valid for individuals.

Old bob

[Tom]

 

Personally, I'd be so happy about having risen from the dead - presumably after a span of time sufficient for someone else to finish my story no less - that I'd just get over it and do something else (like appear on Oprah, or write memoirs about life after death)

 

-Kevin

 

Unless the works that got completed were so far off from what you intended that you had a heart attack and deid again

[S.L. Lewis]

I would continues an authors work BUT, and this is a big but, only if I knew/had the following:

1) The permission of the author that should they die, I would be allowed to continue to write the book for them.

2) I knew what they wanted in the way of the plot.

3) I knew their characters well, this way I don't screw them up.

4) I knew the authors writing style so that I can continue on with it or as close as possible.

 

Thats the ONLY way I would do it. Even though though it's still iffy for me.