getithere | Taped by discothequey and a general fic question

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Taped by discothequey and a general fic question

Does anyone have a copy of Taped by discothequey? It's the one that's written in the form of a transcribed video tape. I've found much of her work, but unfortunately, not this one.

On a semi-related note [mods, please delete/modify/have me do so if this is against the rules], I was wondering what the "rules" are concerning currently inactive fic authors and the rights to their work. Specifically, when she was still around, I read disco's Particles and what was posted of the abandoned sequel, and I fell in love with that world, particularly Gus and the baby. The other day, I found myself sitting down and writing, and I wrote half a one-shot about Gus in high school before I realized that I was writing disco's Gus, with his tenderheartedness, extreme heterosexuality, and his relationship with Brian. I just stopped because I felt like I was crossing a line. But I wanted to finish it though, so I thought I'd go back and modify his character, but then it felt less genuine because I realized that disco's Gus has become the canonical teenage Gus for me.

What's the general consensus about situations such as this? I'm speaking specifically concerning authors who are no longer writing and the worlds they have created. Are their worlds completely off-limits, or can others play with them? I don't mean literally going in and taking plots, finishing their unfinished stories, or writing fics from their 'verse, but gathering inspiration from what they've written and using it to write your own fic, ie: the Gus I've written in a story all my own is very similar personality-wise to discothequey's Gus. Also, what about borrowing themes (Brian and Justin have a baby or Brian gets amnesia or Justin is a hustler, etc.) At what level does inspiration become stealing?

edited to add more detail

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Basically, the unwritten rule is that you don't touch another writer's work without their permission. Even when the work has been abandoned, you don't tough it.

BTW, I'll allow discussion on this as long as it remains civil. Any wank and it's done.

We just had this discussion not to long ago over at

adopt_a_wip The community is a place for authors to put up their unfinished stories for adoption.

The rule there is that unless the author gives permission, an unfinished story cannot be completed by anyone else. It's against the community rules. This consensus from all the members was that any story, finished or not, is the property of the author. Even if said author is no longer on line, and can't be contacted, their stories must be left, as is. That's our rules over at

adopt_a_wip

The issue of using unfinished works as inspiration for new stories came up and in cases like that, it was suggested that a disclaimer, much like the one used when writing fanfic (i.e. All QAF characters belong to Cowlip - no infringement intended) should be used. But they should be new stories, and not continuations of unfinished works.

I can't say what legal ramifications may apply, or what other communities may allow, I can only speak for what we've determined over at

adopt_a_wip.

Gina Marie

Thanks for your input! :)

I wouldn't consider actually finishing any unfinished works; it's more of an inspiration thing that I'm concerned with. If I were to ever do this, which I don't know if I would because I'm not sure how I feel about finishing the Gus fic, I would certainly give credit. :)

do you have a link to this disco gus ,he seams intresting.

You're taking someone else's characters and fictional world, and writing your own stories about them. In other words, you're writing fanfic. Whether your inspiration is the original canon, or someone else's fanfic based on canon, it's still fanfic.

If we start saying, "You can't do that!" we're all screwed. (And not in a positive life affirming way.)

Do what you'd do if you were writing fanfic based on original canon instead--ackowledge that the characters/world are someone else's creation, and that the story is what your imagination dreamed up about them. As long as you give discothequey credit where credit is due, you aren't stealing from her, you are being inspired by her.

ITA.
cheers.

This is what I tend to think, but again, there are gray areas and such and I wasn't sure how others felt about it or if my thoughts were...uncouth. The Gus I've written dates a lot of girls, is dramatic as hell, is incredibly emotional, and has a very informal, irreverent, and yet on the base level totally loving father-son relationship with Brian. All of those qualities are in disco's Gus. The story is totally my own, and it's not a continuation of any of her fics, but the Gus is, albeit unintentionally, "inspired" by her Gus.

Thanks so much! :)

I'd like to answer as an author. First of all, technically speaking we are all copying. QAF is owned and copyrighted by someone else, even our AU's that don't even take place in Pittsburgh are still copied and not our own. Now, with that being said, as an author and artist, I wouldn't really want someone to copy my ideas, characters and plot without permission. Although that would only apply to a story I am still writing and know where it will be going. I can go months without writing, but I haven't abandoned my stories.

I have found a few stories that seem to be abandoned (one comes to mind that hasn't been updated since 2002), and I would like to be able to finish them, but I don't have the time. If I were to attempt to finish or continue an abandoned story, or if I read a story that inspired me to write my own version of it, the first thing I would do would be to try and contact that author. Whether you ask them to continue their story or take it and make it your own. There are several websites for fanfiction that you could try and find them on (fanfiction.net, midnightwhispers.ca, liverjournal (obviously), queereyes.net, qaf-fic.com/atp, and a few others that I can't remember)... I would also suggest that if you can't get in contact with the author or they haven't responded to you within a couple of months, after trying to contact them a couple times, then use their stories how you see fit... on ONE condition... you give them credit for the original story or idea, along with where that story can be found. It's only fair to give credit where credit is due, creatively speaking all authors of fanfiction deserve credit.

Again, we're all "stealing" characters and ideas... so I would hope that everything I've read, heard, and seen about fanfiction authors and Queer as Folk fans would hold true in regards to writing... that we would all respect each other, and be logical and reasonable if someone happens to write something that someone else doesn't like. I think if at all possible an author should come up with their own ideas and worlds, however, as with life, sometimes we read something or are inspired to create by something and once we start writing, it may sound familiar to others, even if the author themself does not remember where the inspiration came from. I know I have inspired a couple stories on other sites, and I was given credit in that story, by that author... that was cool.

If you feel the need to write, come up with your own ideas and worlds and other characters... however, if you are so moved to copy others ideas and stories, then contact them and ask, and if the stories are more than several months old and the author does not contact you back, then you should be able to use their world and characters, as long as you give that author credit in your story and link to where that original story can be found.

And I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes with these comments... some of the best literary minds copy other literary minds. Some of the most inspired artists copy other artists, and many creations, of any art forms, copy life and people and history. The truly gifted authors, painters, poets, artists, creators, chefs, bakers are very flattered and sometimes embarrassed if someone were to be inspired by them and copy them. After all copying is the most sincerest form of flattery (usually).

Cheers & Later, Laura :)

Thanks so much for your response!

The only thing I'm concerned about is sort of borrowing elements. I wouldn't think of finishing another writer's fic, both because I couldn't do it justice and because I see it as something belonging solely to the original author, but my problem tends to lie in, well, adaptations and character traits. The story I partially wrote is certainly my own, and has nothing to do with any of her fics, but the Gus is so influenced by discothequey's Gus that I can't ethically claim him and his personality as my own. I mean, I hadn't even read her fic with him in almost a year, but I suppose he just became the Gus I picture when I imagine him as a 17-year-old. So as I wrote, I naturally and without thinking wrote him as a whiny, troublesome, kind-hearted, girl-crazy kid who simultaneously infuriates Brian and turns him into mush. I feel like I was greatly inspired by the mood and essence of her Gus.

And all of this gets into things like reading a fic and getting an idea from it--should you credit? If I read a fic about Brian with the flu, or Brian and Justin with a baby, etc., and I went to write my own Brian with the flu or Brian and Justin with a baby fic, would I give credit, even if I wrote a fic that is nothing like the one that gave me the idea aside from the theme? I read the Max stories by alphabetfic not too long ago, and those, coupled with my love for Particles, made me want to go write a baby-fic. I didn't, though, because relatively speaking, baby-fics aren't that common, and I thought it'd look like I was stealing their ideas.

I actually have Taped and was rather surprised that when everyone else uploaded her works that particular story was skipped. However, later on almost all of her stories vanished from the 4shared link (along with many other stories) so I had no idea if they were requested to be taken down or not. Which is why I never uploaded my copy of Taped.

I loved all of her stories so I think it's a great loss that she's gone.

--

Now onto the second half of your post...it's a touchy subject. Each person has their own idea of what is right vs. wrong. I believe if the author had abandoned a story someone could ask them if they could continue writing it (with the author's permission). If there's no way to contact that author or the author says no, then that person should respect their decision.

On the other hand, I've seen many works in all the fandoms I played in over the years that are inspired from other works. They play in a verse with rules and ideals set by another author but it's not the exact same as the author's. There may be things that remind someone of a particular work, but it's still their own... Just making fanfic of fanfic as someone else stated. (Providing the simplest definition that I can.)

I've seen people pull verses from one fandom to another (most of the time involving slave!fics, they happened to like the rules and inner workings that were created by someone else). Some authors consider it a nod in their direction of their work that someone liked it enough that they wanted to play in their little world that they created. Others don't like the idea of anyone taking anything from a piece they've made and expanding on it or playing in their 'verse'. *shrugs* (I know she's not a fanfic writer, but it's like Anne Rice having an iron fist about people not writing fanfic about any of her books. It's out there, but you can't talk about it. :D)

However, in all cases that I've seen this, in the disclaimer or author's note the writer has always informed their readers where they were inspired from, some even providing links so their readers can look into the original work. At one time I wound up reading Supernatural fanfic because I like the verse someone else played in well enough to see the original. I don't know much about that fandom, but I would have never read the story if it hadn't been linked as an inspiration to another work that was posted in a fandom I did participate in. :)

Dude, if you know where some good Louis/Armand or Louis/Lestat fic is and you're hiding it from me, I'mma have to hurt you!!

Quite frankly, as a long time fan of Anne Rice, I was really floored and disenchanted when she flipped out about fanfic AND people's critique of Blood Canticle. But I surmise that after her husband Stan died, she lost her shit. Seriously. She's always been a bit...out there, but after he died, she went over the side. Became super born again Catholic, pretty much dismissed all of the books she'd written over the years in her search for...redemption or who knows what. And on top of all that, she had a bit of a hissy when her son Christopher came out...this from a woman who hasn't met a male character that wasn't bent by her.

I'll admit at one time I was greatly enamored with Louis/Armand. I would have to look through old bookmark files and floppy disks(!!) I've saved over the years though to find what I have saved. (Though then again, what I considered 'good' then may be vastly different than what I consider 'good' now. ^^;;)

I remember when she became a 'born again' Catholic and dismissed her books. It was the same time that her books immediately went into my attic because I was so disgusted with her. It wasn't until recently that I brought them down when I was cleaning out my attic and spent a long time debating whether to get rid of them all or keep them for nostalgia's sake.

Then again, it wasn't until having long discussions with

besame_bj about Interview with a Vampire and other books by Anne Rice that I realized that upon my initial reading I had a different mindset/view. I'm actually considering reading it now that I'm much older and not so much blinded by 'vampires yays!' (After all, I was 12 at the time that I first read it though I was 16 when I finally started working my way through the rest of the books.)

I still have her Beauty series in it's shrink wrap in my 'To Read' bookcase. I've heard many, many different things about these books. Though every now and then I go back to Yahtzee Croshaw's review for a good laugh. :) (http://www.fullyramblomatic.com/reviews/beauty.htm) After everything I've heard it makes me wary to read them. (For fear of side splitting laughter at the silliness.)

Oh, thank you for the link to that review. I needed a good laugh. It was priceless. Made buying the book and never finishing it for the sheer boredom factor all worthwhile.

I love Yahtzee. I might not always love some of his jokes, but he's provided me entertainment for years. He's done silly reviews of horror flicks, erotic thrillers, and most of all I love his Zero Punctuation videos for games. :)

I have them and read them. They're not bad, not great, but not bad. A little violent at times.

I read them too and found them fascinating, (disturbing, but fascinating lol) Of course it was the first BDSM/S&M themed book I ever read.

Edited 2011-09-26 15:44 (UTC)

Me too, which is probably part of my issue with that genre. It kinda scarred me. lol

I'd love to read Taped if you have it. Could you email it to me? Or send via messaging? Thanks.

I think I agree with the general sentiments of

mysid and

capoohbear1. Of course, "stealing" from other fanfic writers is a bit sensitive, a bit different from stealing from QAF itself or books or movies, because those sources of inspiration are all well known. We are a community of little nobodies, lol, not getting paid for what we write (generally, anyway). So we tend to be pretty protective of it.

Looking specifically at the situation you seem to be having with Particles, I'd say that writing an actual continuation of the story, or using specific elements that make it obvious it's that universe, is a no-no and shouldn't be allowed unless the author gives the okay (and getting in touch with Tegan seems unlikely). But if it's really just a case of your Gus reminding you of disco's Gus, I'd say it's pretty hard to find fault with that, and an "inspiration owed to" credit would be all that was needed.

But if it's really just a case of your Gus reminding you of disco's Gus

It's exactly this. The story is all my own, but I truly can't ethically say that the Gus really is. It wasn't conscious, but I just wrote him as being a kind-hearted, whiny, troublesome, girl-and-sex-crazy kid who pisses Brian off but who is also the love of Brian's life.

:) Thanks so much!

I noticed you slightly changed your post, and I have to add this:

I think what the problem is that as you've said that to you, discothequey's Gus is canon at that stage of his life. In most fandoms I'm in we call that 'fanon rules'. Basically meaning that the idea came from a fandom source not necessarily the original canon source.

I don't think there's a problem because who's to say how Gus grows up to be? There isn't a canon rule, only a few different takes in various works that involve an older Gus. In your case, the Gus you wrote reminds you strongly of Tegan's version of Gus. Which is perfectly acceptable and you could state that are starting you realized that the Gus you were writing reminded you of her version of Gus.

As far as the other, if you go look there are plenty of fics that follow the same guidelines. Not all of them are challenges either. (I think the Brian is a hustler theme was a challenge at one point because there are several stories involving that.)

As

besame_bj told me at one time when I was discussing the same issue of possibly writing about something that had been done before in fandom:

If a hundred writers were given the exact same thing to write about, you'd end up with a hundred unique stories. And there's really no such thing as an original idea, just genre twists and fresh writing from someone new. I think we're all unique and that comes out in the writing. :)

However you decide to handle it, I can't wait to read what you write next. :)

Where could I find Taped? Is it just gone?

I have a copy and will gladly forward if you’ll send me a PM with your eMail address.

**I don’t know of any reason why this would be a problem, as there are other works by the same author ‘out there’ (on DL more fics and elsewhere), but if anyone is aware of a request by the author not to share her work, please let me know! (As ipitydafool mentioned above, some of her stories disappeared from 4shared, but so did a lot of others. Since not all of hers vanished, I assume that it wasn’t a deliberate ‘purge’, but, again, please correct me if I’m mistaken.)

Thanks.

js190958@aol.com

Thank you!

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