Notes to self, a poll, Rowling and the Lexicon saga

[misscam]

Note to self on writing:

- Finish that stupid AU Void Doctor/Rose fic before it eats my soul.
- Write the Five times Sara said she loved him after she returned prompt before I feel too guilty.
- Write something longer with Adama and Roslin before I feel too guilty neglecting other fics.
- Play less WoW. (*coughIfyou'reonmyWowfilterImadepicspamherecough*)

And because I am curious and steal inspiration from my flist....
[Poll #1171574]

Meanwhile, it's the wank that never ends again - Rowling versus Lexicon and again. It even made Norwegian news. Fandom in real life is so odd.

For all my fannish interests and worries about TPTB smacking out fanfic, I find my sympathy in this case really going towards Rowling. How about you? (This is probably related to working in a IPR firm - getting some insight into how it works and why has been quite enlightning.) Why do so many fans turn so bitter towards the creator, anyway? It's a trend I see repeated time and time again. I can understand getting upset over something you love not going in the direction you want, but the intensity and rage of it sometimes really baffles me.

*ponders*

Comments

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Why do so many fans turn so bitter towards the creator, anyway?

Though it's not an invention of the internet (there's that story about a woman going up to Conan Doyle after he'd killed off Holmes saying 'you brute!' and all the nasty letters Richardson got when he refused to have Clarissa and Lovelace get together in Clarissa) I do think it encourages it. Because now people don't just have to go to cons and the like to see and talk to the creators of shows: they have blogs, they have chats, etc where fans interact. And that makes people feel like they have a personal relationship with the writers, producers, and actors. And some shows encourage this only to have it rebound horribly when the audience thinks it has more power than it does and doesn't like the story being told.

There was an article in The Guardian a long time ago (way before the current lawsuit happened) about a HP convention that feature the writer of the lexicon and it commented on how much he and his audience seemed to actually dislike Rowling and resent her.

[denorios.livejournal.com]

I entirely sympathise with Rowling. There's a big difference between having a free, online, comprehensive web encyclopedia that's entirely a work of love - I can think of any number of such encyclopedias for different fandoms - and then deliberating trying to publish and make money from said endeavour, especially if the author in question already has plans to release their own encyclopedia. I think Vander Ark's a disgrace and no true fan, and his actions could have serious repercussions for fandom.

[norwegianne.livejournal.com]

I definitely think that my sympathy is towards Rowling, as well. I suspect it has something to do with being ingrained with the feeling of "you don't make money of other people's direct creations" that you get when writing fanfic.

And I wouldn't worry too much about fanfic in this case, because as I see it - the case is about somebody else making a profit of her creations, not playing with them for fun. (No problem with the Lexicon being in existence, until someone wanted to make a profit on it.)

Most of the "lexicons" I've read of stuff (Star Wars, etc) has been approved by the creators - which makes a lot of sense to me. If there is going to be an encyclopedia Potterica - it makes the most sense to have the person who knows the characters (regardless of how the fans might think of her knowledge of the character) and their backstory at least involved in the project on some level or another.

I think the whole bitterness towards a creator might come from the fact that after a while you "get to know" the characters, and then the original creator pulls them in a direction you don't like, put them together with someone who isn't their OTP, or whatever… It seems to happen usually after a few seasons, or a couple of books… Harry Potter, Buffy, West Wing…

End note: Several years ago, I researched the concept of fanfic in terms of Norwegian law. The closest concept I found was using other people's characters/creations/whatever in your own stories, is allowed, as long as you give the original creator credit. I can't recall the exact paragraph here and now.

[cadiliniel.livejournal.com]

I have little opinion on the legal in-and-outs of the case, but I'm rooting for Vander Ark on this. The way Rowling has behaved in and outside of the courtroom with regard to the case and the way she has spoken about SVA is horrible, IMO. She's coming across as utterly manipulative, and that annoys me.

[belegcuthalion.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty simple... Rowling's invention, Rowling's imagination, Rowling's work, Rowling's universe and Rowling's money. To use her series as a source to make your own profit is simply not possible... or I'd finish my newest HP-saga (with 72.000 words so far), sell it to a publisher and finally make some cash with my writing. No. Not really. *grins*

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I agree with Rowling. From what I can recall most of the stuff in the Lexicon was her work anyway. So why should he be getting money for something he didn't make, just put in alphabetical order. It's kinda like the shelver at a library or bookstore trying to get credit for the published books.

Also I think that fans have gone a bit off the deep end when I saw comments that say things like she doesn't know her own characters and should stop writing them.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

I think that both sides are acting like jerks, if you want the truth.

Comment Elaboration

[nadat.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for more pairings to include, you named one of my favorites in a previous entry - John/Delenn.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Why do so many fans turn so bitter towards the creator, anyway?

Because they can't control either creator or creation in the end, and enough people have *that* much of a sense of entitlement.

I'm completely on Rowling's side, and note that she was just fine and supportive as long as everything was up for free, so it's not like she's smacking fans around for grins and giggles. He's trying to profit from her work and reputation, and that just ain't right.

[kittycatness.livejournal.com]

I definitely feel for JKR. The online Lexicon is fine because no one is making money from it. But I think Rowling was actually writing a complete comprehensive lexicon and that was one of the reasons that this case is getting this much publicity. (Not to say that the person trying to publish their own and make a profit was in the right, but the fact that Rowling is publishing her own really kind of seals it.)

I donno.
It'll be talked about five years from now the next time something like this happens.


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