A dilemma I need some advice on

[MediocreAuthor]

I have a story here that is immensely popular (Its in the top 10 most favorited stories of all time here.) It's a sweet(ish) first time romance between long time friends and the girl had a thing for him, and he couldn't see it, and she finally makes her move. Nothing overly original, but I guess it hit the spots for people.

Its 10 years old at this point and still gets a lot of comments and favs, and of course the endless "we need a sequel"

People say that about most of our stories, but this one is wide open. The next day could be fun and wrap up a few things. How do his friends react, his mother, what happens when the bitchy girl who was stringing him along shows up...

But I don't do sequels. I'm a thrill of the kill writer, and once the ice is broken, the act is consummated, our couple is together, I like to leave everything to the imagination. Write it out in your own head.

Last week someone sent me a sequel they wrote and asked me if they could publish it and of course credit me and say they have my permission.

My first reaction is to be flattered, especially when he said this was the first thing he wrote because he liked the story that much and now has his own series he's about to start. Ultimate compliment here is that you inspired another to pick up the figurative pen and paper. Second reaction was that, sure, I'll let them do it.

But...then I read it.

On the plus side, he wraps up everything I mentioned, and I'd say is pretty faithful to the original as in I wouldn't have done it too much differently myself. Downside is how he has the girl behaving. The best way I can put it is he is writing her from the POV of pure male fantasy. When they meet their friends and announce they're a couple (BTW story is the boyfriend's POV both mine and his) he has her saying things like "Let's get home so you can fuck me some more, because you're sooo good at it" then mentioning her love of giving head and a couple of other things.

So now here's my dilemma. This is not how she acted in my story, its not how I want her to act moving forward. But...this isn't me writing it, and if I geen light it, I have to let him have the freedom to make the story his beyond keeping the premise in line with mine.

Not sure what I should do. Am I being to protective of a character? Should I be? Where's the line between allowing another to pick up your story and how much say you'd have over it?

It is entirely up to you, and you should feel absolutely no pressure to say yes.

That said, I would be honest with this fan. Voice your concerns to him, if you like. Let him know the issues you have with the story, and see what he says.

When I wrote my fanfic, I absolutely loved getting course correcting input from the original creator. It's an amazing thing to hear "Hey, I liked your fanwork, but here's what I would change if I were you." It's like getting guidance from your hero.

But you have the final say. "Thanks, but no thanks" is a perfectly acceptable response.

 

[KeithD]

I didn't read your story so I don't know if Keith's idea is feasible. If this author is directly continuing it, I don't see how number 3 could work.

My suggestion is the compromise. Tough if the requestor wants to directly continue the story. Using the concept with its own setting and named characters is quite feasible--and not at all unreasonable to ask for. The requestor can think in his/her mind it's a direct continuing in the story. No reason why anyone else has to.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I have a story here that is immensely popular (Its in the top 10 most favorited stories of all time here.) It's a sweet(ish) first time romance between long time friends and the girl had a thing for him, and he couldn't see it, and she finally makes her move. Nothing overly original, but I guess it hit the spots for people.

Its 10 years old at this point and still gets a lot of comments and favs, and of course the endless "we need a sequel"

People say that about most of our stories, but this one is wide open. The next day could be fun and wrap up a few things. How do his friends react, his mother, what happens when the bitchy girl who was stringing him along shows up...

But I don't do sequels. I'm a thrill of the kill writer, and once the ice is broken, the act is consummated, our couple is together, I like to leave everything to the imagination. Write it out in your own head.

Last week someone sent me a sequel they wrote and asked me if they could publish it and of course credit me and say they have my permission.

My first reaction is to be flattered, especially when he said this was the first thing he wrote because he liked the story that much and now has his own series he's about to start. Ultimate compliment here is that you inspired another to pick up the figurative pen and paper. Second reaction was that, sure, I'll let them do it.

But...then I read it.

On the plus side, he wraps up everything I mentioned, and I'd say is pretty faithful to the original as in I wouldn't have done it too much differently myself. Downside is how he has the girl behaving. The best way I can put it is he is writing her from the POV of pure male fantasy. When they meet their friends and announce they're a couple (BTW story is the boyfriend's POV both mine and his) he has her saying things like "Let's get home so you can fuck me some more, because you're sooo good at it" then mentioning her love of giving head and a couple of other things.

So now here's my dilemma. This is not how she acted in my story, its not how I want her to act moving forward. But...this isn't me writing it, and if I geen light it, I have to let him have the freedom to make the story his beyond keeping the premise in line with mine.

Not sure what I should do. Am I being to protective of a character? Should I be? Where's the line between allowing another to pick up your story and how much say you'd have over it?

If it's just a few areas you aren't happy with then consider sharing your suggestions with the author.
Perhaps he will be open to some constructive feedback.

 

[AG31]

I have a story here that is immensely popular (Its in the top 10 most favorited stories of all time here.) It's a sweet(ish) first time romance between long time friends and the girl had a thing for him, and he couldn't see it, and she finally makes her move. Nothing overly original, but I guess it hit the spots for people.

Its 10 years old at this point and still gets a lot of comments and favs, and of course the endless "we need a sequel"

People say that about most of our stories, but this one is wide open. The next day could be fun and wrap up a few things. How do his friends react, his mother, what happens when the bitchy girl who was stringing him along shows up...

But I don't do sequels. I'm a thrill of the kill writer, and once the ice is broken, the act is consummated, our couple is together, I like to leave everything to the imagination. Write it out in your own head.

Last week someone sent me a sequel they wrote and asked me if they could publish it and of course credit me and say they have my permission.

My first reaction is to be flattered, especially when he said this was the first thing he wrote because he liked the story that much and now has his own series he's about to start. Ultimate compliment here is that you inspired another to pick up the figurative pen and paper. Second reaction was that, sure, I'll let them do it.

But...then I read it.

On the plus side, he wraps up everything I mentioned, and I'd say is pretty faithful to the original as in I wouldn't have done it too much differently myself. Downside is how he has the girl behaving. The best way I can put it is he is writing her from the POV of pure male fantasy. When they meet their friends and announce they're a couple (BTW story is the boyfriend's POV both mine and his) he has her saying things like "Let's get home so you can fuck me some more, because you're sooo good at it" then mentioning her love of giving head and a couple of other things.

So now here's my dilemma. This is not how she acted in my story, its not how I want her to act moving forward. But...this isn't me writing it, and if I geen light it, I have to let him have the freedom to make the story his beyond keeping the premise in line with mine.

Not sure what I should do. Am I being to protective of a character? Should I be? Where's the line between allowing another to pick up your story and how much say you'd have over it?

Could you get them to agree to include a "good story, but not my character" sort of disclaimer in the meta comments?

 

[MediocreAuthor]

You could also leave any relevant thoughts in a comment.
That way, readers know your exact thoughts, and they can see them coming from you.

Also, it would boost engagement in the comments, most likely, which is a good thing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I've done quite a few sequels. Like there are, I think, seventeen Nora Meara stories which came out of a single submission. I'm planning another one when she is at the age of 32. But I wouldn't allow anybody else to write a sequel (or a prequel; they jump around in various timelines). Nobody else could understand her or the people around her, and they would be unlikely to appreciate the settings either.

What's really interesting - or odd - is that this person already wrote one based on your work. Maybe they were just experimenting, and then decided to go further. Perhaps that's just too bad for them. I know it's like that wrote a fan fiction based on your story. Is it going in Celebrities and Fan Fiction? (You are a celebrity here I suppose!) At least they didn't go ahead and publish it without telling you.

If somebody wants to write about City College or Queens or whatever, go ahead. The info is in the public domain.Maybe they even went there, or someplace else in CUNY. But find your own inspiration.

City College 1930's

 

[TheRedChamber]

As I get older, I realize that my enjoyment of a lot of media is more to do with the 'who' rather than the 'what'. That is to say, a lot of the series and franchises I enjoyed in my youth are getting remade for a new audience with, often, very mixed results. And I've come to realize that, when something new is created using the name of something old by a team which is completely different and a decade or more later, it matters very little what the quality of the original was. For all intents and purposes, it might as well be a completely new property.

So I care very little that they made a new series based on Tolkien's Middle Earth. I watched a few episodes much as I might give any high-budget fantasy series a try and decided it wasn't very good.
They keep making Ghostbusters films. None of them review very well, so I don't watch them.
They let Eion Colfer write a sixth Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book. I gave it a try and didn't like it. It's officially an official HHGTTG book, but to me it's not.

The point is that that without the original author these things live and die on their own. Often they are awful, but they don't fundamentally change the good stuff that came before. We're all perfectly free to ignore them, not read them, or read them and then pretend they don't exist. People who like your writing will know its not you - they may read it anyway and say 'hey this new guy isn't as good as Lovecraft'. There's alway a chance that they may like the new story more than your writing - in which case, it might rankle but at least you're mentoring and people are enjoying the knock-on effect of your writing.

I don't see the downside of letting something exist and letting people decide as they will.

I wouldn't get invovled in trying to get the guy to rewrite it in line with your own conceptions - I think that way lies madness. Just let the guy have his story.

 

[lovecraft68]

You could also leave any relevant thoughts in a comment.
That way, readers know your exact thoughts, and they can see them coming from you.

Also, it would boost engagement in the comments, most likely, which is a good thing.

Good idea, I planned on commenting if it went live anyway, just to reinforce to the readers they did have my approval to do this, and save them some potential abuse, but can add, how I fee about the story itself, give some praise then a little critique.

 

[gunhilltrain]

As I get older, I realize that my enjoyment of a lot of media is more to do with the 'who' rather than the 'what'. That is to say, a lot of the series and franchises I enjoyed in my youth are getting remade for a new audience with, often, very mixed results. And I've come to realize that, when something new is created using the name of something old by a team which is completely different and a decade or more later, it matters very little what the quality of the original was. For all intents and purposes, it might as well be a completely new property.

So I care very little that they made a new series based on Tolkien's Middle Earth. I watched a few episodes much as I might give any high-budget fantasy series a truyy and decided it wasn't very good.
They keep making Ghostbusters films. None of them review very well, so I don't watch them.
They let Eion Colfer write a sixth Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book. I gave it a try and didn't like it. It's officially an official HHGTTG book, but to me it's not.

The point is that that without the original author these things live and die on their own. Often they are awful, but they don't fundamentally change the good stuff that came before. We're all perfectly free to ignore them, not read them, or read them and then pretend they don't exist. People who like your writing will know its not you - they may read it anyway and say 'hey this new guy isn't as good as Lovecraft'. There's alway a chance that they may like the new story more than your writing - in which case, it might rankle but at least you're mentoring and people are enjoying the knock-on effect of your writing.

I don't see the downside of letting something exist and letting people decide as they will.

I wouldn't get invovled in trying to get the guy to rewrite it in line with your own conceptions - I think that way lies madness. Just let the guy have his story

To digress a bit: I didn't realize that they are on the fourth Ghostbusters already. Bill Murray is starting to show his age. And Walter Peck (William Atherton) is now mayor. Annie Potts is ready for Social Security (but then so am I!). Yet, good to see senior actors still getting jobs.

 

[lovecraft68]

As I get older, I realize that my enjoyment of a lot of media is more to do with the 'who' rather than the 'what'. That is to say, a lot of the series and franchises I enjoyed in my youth are getting remade for a new audience with, often, very mixed results. And I've come to realize that, when something new is created using the name of something old by a team which is completely different and a decade or more later, it matters very little what the quality of the original was. For all intents and purposes, it might as well be a completely new property.

So I care very little that they made a new series based on Tolkien's Middle Earth. I watched a few episodes much as I might give any high-budget fantasy series a truyy and decided it wasn't very good.
They keep making Ghostbusters films. None of them review very well, so I don't watch them.
They let Eion Colfer write a sixth Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book. I gave it a try and didn't like it. It's officially an official HHGTTG book, but to me it's not.

The point is that that without the original author these things live and die on their own. Often they are awful, but they don't fundamentally change the good stuff that came before. We're all perfectly free to ignore them, not read them, or read them and then pretend they don't exist. People who like your writing will know its not you - they may read it anyway and say 'hey this new guy isn't as good as Lovecraft'. There's alway a chance that they may like the new story more than your writing - in which case, it might rankle but at least you're mentoring and people are enjoying the knock-on effect of your writing.

I don't see the downside of letting something exist and letting people decide as they will.

I wouldn't get invovled in trying to get the guy to rewrite it in line with your own conceptions - I think that way lies madness. Just let the guy have his story.

I think I was getting to this in my post when I mentioned how if you remake a popular movie you're going to get original fans who hate it no matter what, and often, as you pointed out, they suck in general

They tried another Exorcist movie, and not only was it just awful, but went out of its way to shit on everything in the original. But the original is still there and still just as good for any time I want to revisit it.

If nothing else these bad remakes help gain new appreciation for the original.


I think this comment as made up my mind. I'm going to let them, but follow up with @MediocreAuthor suggestion about leaving comment to reinforce my permission so they don't get flack on that, but then add a little review of it and I can-politely-call out what I don't agree with.

 

[lovecraft68]

To digress a bit: I didn't realize that they are on the fourth Ghostbusters already. Bill Murray is starting to show his age. And Walter Peck (William Atherton) is now mayor. Annie Potts is ready for Social Security (but then so am I!). Yet, good to see senior actors still getting jobs.

Murray refused to do prior sequels, he's in it now for a check and it shows, guy is washed.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'd say let him go for it. Look at it this way: you wrote Alien. Maybe he's writing Aliens. I doubt Ridley Scott would have said, "Sure, I think the next segment should be 'Vietnam War in Space,'" nor would he have focused on Ripley's losing her daughter and her adoption of Newt, especially given that Ripley wasn't written for a woman in the first place. Still, two great films with two different but compatible versions of the same character, even if the two directors' visions might have been different.

Interesting, you're saying Ripley was supposed to be a man in the original concept? In the Allan Dean Foster novel Ripley was female, but of course that was based on the movie. I think...

Because there was an excellent scene in the book that I think should have made the movie, but for whatever reason didn't, maybe because they would have had to show the Alien for some time and in a brightly lit area and in its entirely. Budget issues maybe.

 

[NoTalentHack]

Interesting, you're saying Ripley was supposed to be a man in the original concept? In the Allan Dean Foster novel Ripley was female, but of course that was based on the movie. I think...

Because there was an excellent scene in the book that I think should have made the movie, but for whatever reason didn't, maybe because they would have had to show the Alien for some time and in a brightly lit area and in its entirely. Budget issues maybe.

The answer varies a little bit here and there, depending on who’s talking about Alien and when, but it seems as if the script was written as unisex for all the characters, then a Fox executive suggested to Ridley he cast Ripley as a woman, which he thought would be an interesting take. The script apparently didn’t change, though.

As to the novelization, the story behind those as a process is often pretty wild. Sometimes they get an early copy of the script that varies wildly, sometimes they see a rough cut and bang it out as fast as they can, and sometimes they just make shit up whole cloth. I remember reading the first Star Wars novelization when I was a kid and being like, “none of this middle chunk of the book happened in the film. Like, at all.”

 

[THBGato]

On the plus side, he wraps up everything I mentioned, and I'd say is pretty faithful to the original as in I wouldn't have done it too much differently myself. Downside is how he has the girl behaving. The best way I can put it is he is writing her from the POV of pure male fantasy. When they meet their friends and announce they're a couple (BTW story is the boyfriend's POV both mine and his) he has her saying things like "Let's get home so you can fuck me some more, because you're sooo good at it" then mentioning her love of giving head and a couple of other things.

So now here's my dilemma. This is not how she acted in my story, its not how I want her to act moving forward. But...this isn't me writing it, and if I geen light it, I have to let him have the freedom to make the story his beyond keeping the premise in line with mine.

Not sure what I should do. Am I being to protective of a character? Should I be? Where's the line between allowing another to pick up your story and how much say you'd have over it?

It seems like you don't like his story. So, therefore, I would say no.

Can I suggest something? If people really want a sequel, but you don't want to write them, then have the central couple turn up as side characters in another story. That way, those who are invested in the couple can see that they are still together (maybe they could be married? have kids?) but you don't have to write a sequel.

Brokenspokes and CareyThomas do this extremely well.

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

You could also leave any relevant thoughts in a comment.
That way, readers know your exact thoughts, and they can see them coming from you.

Also, it would boost engagement in the comments, most likely, which is a good thing.

This is the way I would go, if I was letting someone do it.

I probably wouldn't want anyone else writing my characters, to be honest, but I don't have a top 10 story. Do what you feel most comfortable with, don't be afraid to say no, but let the other writer make the decisions. As other people have said in this thread, it's only 'official' if you write it: everything else, readers can make up their own minds about.

 

[intim8]

This is not how she acted in my story, its not how I want her to act moving forward. But...this isn't me writing it, and if I geen light it, I have to let him have the freedom to make the story his beyond keeping the premise in line with mine.

You say it is his first story, so it could be that her crass behavior is more about him being an amateur than that he has some vision of her he wants to realize.

Talk to him, tell him that that's the one thing stopping you from giving it your blessing. Point him back at your story and ask him to read it again, making sure to note her personality, and see if he can make her more like your character.

Don't have much to lose, since it seeems like a hard no as it sits.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Possibly consider a mentoring role with this new writer.

Discuss, for example, how his/her story will possibly be received by readers who are familiar with your original and the characters as you wrote them. Will readers down-vote his story based upon expectations from your original? Work with him/her to find a balance between their artistic license associated with the new story and what your experience tells you might be the reaction of readers. I can't see them being anything but grateful for your sage guidance.

 

[Bazzle]

Just let the guy have his story.

I have to say @TheRedChamber let me play with their characters...so I am guilty of doing the same thing!

 

[StillStunned]

So I care very little that they made a new series based on Tolkien's Middle Earth. I watched a few episodes much as I might give any high-budget fantasy series a truyy and decided it wasn't very good.
They keep making Ghostbusters films. None of them review very well, so I don't watch them.
They let Eion Colfer write a sixth Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book. I gave it a try and didn't like it. It's officially an official HHGTTG book, but to me it's not.

I discovered this several decades ago, after I read every Conan story written by RE Howard and tried some of the licensed works by other authors. They all lacked something essential that appealed to me in the original stories. Robert Jordan's attempts were particularly bad, I felt.

I'm more tolerant of retellings in other media - I'm enjoying the Wheel of Time on Amazon, for instance, and I'm one of probably a handful of people who enjoyed the Hobbit movies - but I've been sadly let down several times (the Earthsea mini-series was bad enough, but then I watched the Dark Is Rising movie).

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It's a sweet(ish) first time romance between long time friends and the girl had a thing for him, and he couldn't see it, and she finally makes her move.

This is probably why it's so popular, certainly a significant factor. Of course I haven't read it, but the theme of the aggressive girl getting the guy laid for him is really the essence of most male fantasy, which is supported by what you say here ...

The best way I can put it is he is writing her from the POV of pure male fantasy. When they meet their friends and announce they're a couple (BTW story is the boyfriend's POV both mine and his) he has her saying things like "Let's get home so you can fuck me some more, because you're sooo good at it" then mentioning her love of giving head and a couple of other things.

But aside from that, my two cents, if it were up to me, so long as he gave an inspiration credit to me, he could write whatever he wants. Remember, just because he puts it out there does not make it official canon of your universe, and you have no obligation to include it as canon or not, nor even make a decision.

My main thing is, the guy went to all the effort to write x-thousand words and if I say no, it never sees the light of day. Personally I wouldn't want that.

But that's how I feel of course. My feelings don't matter. Your feelings will be different and that's what matters. I totally understand if you don't like your characters portrayed a certain way, incongruous to how they were created. You have the right to say no. There have been some good suggestions in this thread. You could send him a 100-word blurb "The following story is inspired by my story xyz. It is a sequel but it is/isn't considered canon, etc etc, or whatever you want -lc68" that he can tack at the front or the end, or you could just write the first comment explaining yourself.

 

[Britva415]

I would want him to say they have my approval because

What if it weren't "approval" but "permission," maybe even with an additional statement that you didn't have anything to do with the plotting of the sequel, it's all on them?

 

[AlinaX]

They let Eion Colfer write a sixth Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book. I gave it a try and didn't like it. It's officially an official HHGTTG book, but to me it's not.

The fifth book soured the series for me. So Long was how it should have ended.

 

[HeyAll]

I would allow it.

People understand the difference between the original author and someone else's fiction.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

Hi lovecraft, it's enbiji. Thanks for your comment on my story!

I'd say let them publish it. It's their work not yours, so it's just part of the creative fabric of the universe.

Of course, I don't know the specifics, if their really bothers you, maybe not.

But I'd say let it happen.

Mind you, it might be their work, but it's based off of his, and being a "part two", a derivative of sorts, that doesn't likely follow true to the original story, so his concerns are valid as it's his IP, ya dig?

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I'll just lay it out, if he's the type of person, he could say "fuck it" and do it anyway. Then it'll basically be left up to Laurel. We seen about how that could go, with Madelines thread, so I don't need to say more on this level.

I get it that it's his first story and you don't wanna quelch his aspirations. If he likes you enough to even ask, which means he has some modicum of respect for you, you may be able to give him a bit of council to not only get him closer to how your story is written, but also help him in his future writings.

If he publishes it, the outcome is going to be whatever it is for the most part, regardless of any kinda foward and such. Because even based off your work, it's his work and continuation that won't be considered canon and more of a "what if", because it wasn't you that wrote it. Chances are, whatever possible backlash will be more on him, than you. You're the one with tenure of sorts, not him.

I have somebody supposedly writing a part two to one of my fanfics. They asked me if they could do it, I told them just to go head and do it. However it turns out, it is what it is, it got them to write something. I say; if you can, put a bit of your pride to the side, just let'em send it. Even if it does look like crap, writing is one thing that makes better writers. At the end of the day, regardless of the principles and morals of it; he did ask if he could, instead of just... doing it anyway. Because he could have.