So... I recently got an email from someone on another site who is a big fan of a series that I'm writing and asked if I would mind if he wrote a few chapters for it using two of my characters (that I was already planning on writing chapters about). It took me aback to be honest, and while I know he meant it to be flattering, the idea of someone barging in on my series and writing and posting unsolicited chapters for it was disturbing.
I have also had people ask in the past if they can "use a character" from one of my stories and add them to their own stories... which I find less disconcerting, but still kind of... weird.
On the other hand, I suppose this is similar to the whole "embellishment" feature that some authors allow.
How do you feel about the "embellishment option." Would you enjoy the idea of a 'fan' taking one of your stories and expanding on it or adding chapters to a series that you're writing, or do you prefer to have complete control over your writing when it comes to stories and characters?
It would be super difficult to write using someone else's characters. When an author imagines characters, they imagine things about that character they aren't explicitly going to state in the story. That person comes to life in their head as full fledged person. I have no idea about the character Rachel from any other stand point of just reading your story and hearing your limited (that's a relative term, in this case relative to actually having thought of the character myself) description.
Anyone who asks to use a character, would only really be using the name, and the association others held with the name. The new author would be completely redoing an entire character. So much to the point that it wouldn't even be the same character.
This is why novels that are translated from books are always better if the author has some sort of creative participation, they are able to give the casting directors insights into what they imagined the character to be outside of what was written.
Doll's post intrigued me.=D
For me, writing is very personal.
I don't like the idea of someone taking a character I've created, and using them in their stories, at all.
We are removing the embellishment feature here by the way, I've never been keen on it.
Someone here asked if they could write another chapter to one of my stories. I said yes as long as they didn't use actual parts of my story in their own follow on chapters. That was a while ago though and they haven't followed through on the idea yet.
It doesn't bother me as long as the person asks permission first. It's similar to fan-fiction in a way and it's under someone else's name so I'm not responsible for the style or content.
What if a story were to be written with the embellshment feature in mind? Taking a story to a certain point with various possible endings, then leaving it to the readers.
(Oh I know, "then go do it")
Just an alternative opinion
I've been asked by an author if they could use a couple of my main characters in a story before, in like a cameo. I actually thought it was a cool idea and sort of flattering. Of course 99% of people would have no clue but it was still a fun idea. It also depends on who's asking. If it's some guy that has never written anything before or their writing style is nothing like mine, then no, leave my characters alone. But if it's a good author with the ability to mimic my style then I wouldn't have a problem with it at all.
My characters are mine; I generally know just about every little thing about them whether I put it on the page or not. I know how they would react in certain situations, things they would and wouldn't say, what's important to them. They tend to have little bits of myself in them, but are never me (except the one true story I've written).
For this reason, I would be reluctant to let someone embellish a story of mine or write follow-up stories based on my main characters. If someone did, I probably wouldn't be able to read it without constantly thinking, "No, he wouldn't do that; you've completely forgotten that he said this in the last chapter; where would he even MEET her?" and things like that. Hypothetically, if someone asked to use my characters on Lush, I would probably consent to it and just let them get on with it, knowing that their clone wouldn't really be the same person that I created.
Likewise, I wouldn't like to use someone else's character because I would struggle to really get inside their head. If I create a story 'from scratch' then I can do what I want with it and am not restricted to the framework already given to me.
