"If this is a dream don't wake me" by Slowride.
The story is incomplete, and a good read. By chance, has anyone continued with it?
"If this is a dream don't wake me" by Slowride.
The story is incomplete, and a good read. By chance, has anyone continued with it?
Over 16 years later? Not likely.
Not many authors are really interested in taking over an old story. Especially as it seems to be a do-over, and may not know how it is intended to finish.
And additional issue is that the original is premiere only. That really limits who can even read the original in the first place.
While many authors will 'imitate' or take a story they like in new directions, very few will attempt to 'complete' an unfinished story, as the original likely doesn't match their writing style, and the problems that the original author wrote himself into likely still remain for anyone taking it over.
very few will attempt to 'complete' an unfinished story, as the original likely doesn't match their writing style, and the problems that the original author wrote himself into likely still remain for anyone taking it over.
Very true. Also, if you do manage to do a good job on it you'll get a huge pile of emails complaining about you not taking the story the way they felt it should go.
While many authors will 'imitate' or take a story they like in new directions, very few will attempt to 'complete' an unfinished story, as the original likely doesn't match their writing style, and the problems that the original author wrote himself into likely still remain for anyone taking it over.
I will admit I did do that once.
When I wrote "The Cat and the Spider", it was right after finishing another story. But I only used it as far as setting up the story I myself wrote. And in fact, the way I wrote it was specifically done so that the main character was pretty much returning to where she had started the story at. So it could have very easily fallen in between chapters in case the original had gone on longer.
But for me, it was just an easy lead-in and nothing more. My only "true fan fiction", the first story gave me the reason to have a character wanting to move elsewhere for a time. Essentially removing the need for me to write several chapters to describe why a character felt the need to move on. I could just jump directly into the story itself.
Today, I would find it hard to actually write "fan fiction". In fact, 20 years later when I decided to revisit the "superhero" trope, I created my own universe, influenced by many popular tropes, but still entirely my own. I find it almost impossible to consider making a story that I would not have full control over.
And I have tried many times over the decades. Battlestar Galactica (over 5 years BEFORE the SciFi series and including it as a ST:TOS crossover), Small Wonder, Holmes & Yoyo, even Toy Story. In around 1996 FanFic based on TV was huge on ASSM. But I could never finish any of those.
Of course, I also wrote those decades ago. With all the retcons and reimaginings in the last decades, I would never try anything of the sort today.
Of course, I will also admit that when I think of "Catwoman", the first images to pop into my head is of Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar, or Lee Meriwether.
I can think of several stories I (and a lot of others here) would really like to see finished by another author if the original author has passed away and/or has released his unfinished stories for someone to finish. Authors cold do that anonymous or under a different pen name. Heck, multiple authors could write a finish, but I understand the reluctance and difficulties authors see in doing it. Awell, wishing...
It's extremely difficult to imitate another author's style. Rather than another author, someone who's probably told a large number of times to develop their own voice, I wonder whether the task might be better accomplished by an editor.
When an editor makes changes to an author's work, they have to imitate the author's style as closely as possible or the changes will stick out like a sore thumb. So editors have experience in being chameleons.
However, that begs the question of the story events that need to be hacked into place ready for the editor to work their magic to complete the story, since editors are often editors rather than authors for a reason.
AJ
It's extremely difficult to imitate another author's style. Rather than another author, someone who's probably told a large number of times to develop their own voice, I wonder whether the task might be better accomplished by an editor.
I know. For some stories almost any kind of finish would satisfy a lot of readers, even if written by an editor, maybe even the original editor if there was one.
Like I said: wishing and hoping, but not really expecting.
However, that begs the question of the story events that need to be hacked into place ready for the editor to work their magic to complete the story, since editors are often editors rather than authors for a reason.
Obviously, the original author wrote himself into a corner that he was never able to back out of. Therefore, for any other author to continue, he'd have to unfold the entire story, telling it all over again, not just in their own words, but likely taking it into all new directions. But most of all, he'd specifically have to avoid ANYTHING which MIGHT bog the story down later. Thus, no matter what they did, it wouldn't be a continuation, it would merely be a new version of an old story, inspired by the older one but bearing little actual resemblance to it. :(
It's extremely difficult to imitate another author's style.
Yes and no.
It's its own skill set, true, but many people have mastered it.
but many people have mastered it.
We'll have to disagree on that. Have you never read a book and thought a certain paragraph looked out of place because it was written in a different style or voice? JK Rowlings early works suffered from such unsympathetic editing.
AJ
It's its own skill set, true, but many people have mastered it.
Yes and no.
In most cases, authors prefer to team up with other authors (either alive, retired or dead) who write using a similar style and voice, so that their writing doesn't clash with their 'contributors'. Thus, it's no so much that they are 'masters' of copying others, but rather that authors typically have a similar bend in their writings. JMHO, though, as I have no specific proof either way.
I can think of several stories I (and a lot of others here) would really like to see finished by another author if the original author has passed away and/or has released his unfinished stories for someone to finish.
Well, for that I would honestly say it could also be a great opportunity for somebody to get into writing themselves. That way they can get into writing and see them finished how they would like.
That is why some authors early on gravitate to things like NiS. The universe is already created, all they need to do is drop in characters and action. In continuing a story, the same thing. Just take it where you think it should go.
Well, for that I would honestly say it could also be a great opportunity for somebody to get into writing themselves. That way they can get into writing and see them finished how they would like.
Ah, good point but for me it's the surprise where a story is going and where it finishes. I don't 'want' a story to go somewhere, I want to be taken on the ride and surprised. Pretty hard to write that yourself ;)
Ah, good point but for me it's the surprise where a story is going and where it finishes. I don't 'want' a story to go somewhere, I want to be taken on the ride and surprised. Pretty hard to write that yourself ;)
Not really. Although all authors (hopefully) have a good idea of where the story is destined to go, we're continually surprised by the twists and turns it takes getting there, as those twists aren't specifically planned, they're dictated by the characters themselves.
The reason why many authors stop reading (aside from the fact that reading in the same genre will often spoil a story as they'll unintentionally 'copy' other authors' styles), is that we're more interested in how our own stories turn out, rather than how a random story told by some random author turns out.
Once you start writing, it's a much more personal experience, and the story drives the writing, not the author writing whatever he wants.
Thus, in this regard, the author has to be motivated to rewrite an entire story, and then it'll likely unfold according to his reinterpretation of who the characters are in his new universe.