Do you think its possible for FanFiction author to be skilled enough to write a lucasfilm SW book?

I've seen quite a few talented fanfic writers out there. I really wish Lucasfilm would back a fanfiction writing contest like Pocketbooks does for Star Trek.

 

[color=006699]Has anyone tried to contact LucasFilms to see if they might be interested in sponsoring a fan fiction writting contest? If not, it wouldn't hurt to send an inquiry - I mean, the most they can say is no. I'd even volunteer to be one of the ones working on asking, etc.

Wedge :>o<:[/color]

 

Derisa Ollamhin, JediGaladriel (AKA Fernwithy), Red Rose Knight, Jedi-Jae, Dianethx, Darth Tim, PaddyJuan - and that's just for openers. Any one of these gifted writers could produce novels to rival and, in many cases, surpass the quality produced by the pros. And I'm sure there are many more, in genres I don't read, such as NJO.

You left out CYNICAL21.

I gave up on the post-ROTJ about two books into the NJO. I'm continually amazed by the quality of the writing among fan fiction authors, and think there are many who could write fantastic pro novels if given the chance.

 

Has anyone tried to contact LucasFilms to see if they might be interested in sponsoring a fan fiction writting contest? If not, it wouldn't hurt to send an inquiry - I mean, the most they can say is no. I'd even volunteer to be one of the ones working on asking, etc.

Wedge :>o<:

Maybe if enough people contacted Del Rey adn Lucasfilm about the idea, or maybe if there was a cordianted effort put forth by the fans they might give the idea listen. REmember publishing is majorly dolar driven industry, some say more so than movies and TV, and publishers want to knwo there is a market out there before they publish a book. Why do you think that whenever a author hits it big there are 100 morer in the next two week on teh shelves writing books just like his.

 

Back to the original question : there are certainly a number of FanFic writers here who could best some authors of already published SW books.

As it's been said before, though, the challenge for the published SW author is quite different from the challenge for a FanFic author. Mainly, the published SW author works in a given cadre, with clear expectations from the Del Rey board when it comes to the NJO, and that author has to write a book or a book series of a given length in a given amount of time.

 

Yes, Plus, you've got restrictions on what you can and can't write, and there's always the continunity to keep in mind. While they have editors for that, reading the novels you can see that mistakes get made which the next author has to deal with.

re: the petition.
I doubt LFL pays much attention to the fan fic forum, but I do know that people from Del Rey are around in Lit from time to time, so things do get back to LFL. I've seen fan complaints in Lit get addressed in later novels. I'd suggest making a proposal for a fan fic contest in the Lit forum, but unfortunately it would probably just get locked and routed back here. I doubt they'd let the definition of Literature be extended to fan fic, even though this relates directly to getting something published that Lit readers would read.

 

The complaint about fan films getting noticed and fan fic getting ignored has come up before, and I thought I'd explain the difference between the two and the restrictions on that notice.

As most of you probably know, there was a fan film contest at Celebration II. Those, however, were not considered copyright infringement, because the films had to either be documentaries or parodies. Original stories, such as those you would find in the average fan fic, were not allowed. So it's extremely unlikely that you'd get a fan fiction contest to be sponsored by LFL in any capacity. We get a lot more leeway from Lucas than a lot of other fandoms do, because he tolerates it, something which a lot of authors and filmmakers don't do.

 

Another point : FanFic authors tread very frequently on grounds that are either Lucas's preserve (for Ep.III) or his authors' preserve (for the EU). If a FanFic was rewarded and thus officially acknowledged by Lucas, it means it's given credit with regard to continuity, and here comes the mess :

Which do you reward, the best fic, or the best fic among those that don't mess with the intended continuity ?

 

I don't think I'd be interested in anything that posed a threat to the hands-off policy Mighty George has practiced in regard to fan fic. Speaking from a strictly personal point of view, I'd rather eat live worms than be forced to write NJO, Yuuzhon Vong (or however you spell it), Jacen, Jaina, Jag, etc, or the Tang Stain. If forced to stick to EU canon (a contradiction in terms, by the way) I'd have no choice but to bid the entire fandom farewell. And I agree completely that even adhering to the real canon - as established by the films - would require a herculean effort. Delray has editors for that - and still, they sometimes make mistakes.

It really isn't about talent, you know; it's about opportunity.

I think I'll be content with my AU efforts - and concede that, if I want to write professionally, I have to find a different genre - and prepare to submit myself to "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune".

On the boards, it's a lovely hobby; out there, it's the real world - and I don't think the twain match up very well.

CYN

 

[/b]As most of you probably know, there was a fan film contest at Celebration II. Those, however, were not considered copyright infringement, because the films had to either be documentaries or parodies. O\[/b]


Actually there is an award for fan films given every year, not just a celebration 2.

More details here-

http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/spotlight/collections/starwars/

original stories, such as those you would find in the average fan fic, were not allowed.

No, in fact celebration 2 had a short story contest.
The winning entry was published on the souvenier CD.

 

The discussion about everything that a professional SW author has to adhere to with a story got me thinking... I wonder what their story would look like if they wrote a "fanfic"--a SW story for themselves without all the bindings enforced on them by the market, the publisher and Lucasfilm. If they posted a story to the boards (for instance) without any of that worry, how much better would the story be than if it was written for publication, if it was better at all?

Wow, that made no sense...but I guess not much makes sense when you've been up for thirty hours.

-Thumper

 

That's a very interesting thought. I suppose we'll never see it happen but I would be very interested to see what these "official" authors would write like if it were fanfic. Would they be as good as some of the authors here? Hmm... If only.

 

To those authors here that think that they can write professionally: go for it. Start with your own original work, and then if you?re still interested and your original work does well, start making noises to appropriate peoples that you?d like to write in Star Wars.

 

Please take a moment to sign the petition to Lucasfilm Ltd. to recognize fan written Star Wars fiction with an official award-

Please click below-

Click Here Please

 

There are some writers here who, if they published a book, I would most definitely buy it. I've not bought any of the Star Wars novels or books. The library is enough for that.


About getting GL to recognize fan fiction in a contest - I think keeping him as unaware of fan fic as much of possible would be best. Technically we shouldn't even be writing this stuff and putting it on the web, right? There are some authors who have asked other sites not to host fan fic from their novels. I don't know what GL's attitude toward fan fiction though.

 

He doesn't like it. I've heard that the professional authors have to sign a contract saying they won't read fanfics...probably to do with the legal side of the issue: so that fanfic authors can't claim that their plot's been stolen.

 

Wow, Cynical, I am deeply honored that you would put me on that list! And as someone else pointed out, your name should be included as well.

I am also of the opinion that some of the fan fic writers here clearly surpass most of the authors in the "official" versions of Star Wars. I have read all of the novels - included the dreaded JA books and all the NJO books. For the most part, the people here are just better writers and give me what I want to read. Matthew Stover is a cut above (way above) the rest in his language and story-telling abilities. I was quite happy to hear that he would be writing Ep. 3.

However, as Cynical said, I really don't want Lucas to be "aware" of our writing and fics. He can be quite heavy-handed if he gets a notion in his head. I'd rather be obscure than be forbidden from doing what I love to do - tell stories!

 

Two second post as I am technically on holiday.


Urban myth but like all good UL, a basis in fact;

George approached Gene Roddenberry about the issue of 'fan fiction' and Gene is purported to have told him "Leave them alone, they'll make you rich".
Lucasfilms official stance on FF is that they tolerate it, within the usal guidelines (ie don't even think about trying to make money off of it.)

But there once was a FF anthology for Trek... wouldn't THAT be something...

*goes back to holiday mode*

 

About getting GL to recognize fan fiction in a contest - I think keeping him as unaware of fan fic as much of possible would be best

You must be joking. They had fanfics in the Stare Wars Adventure journal and recently at Celebration 2. Do you honestly think that no one at Lucasfilm and especially George Lucas would be aware of fanfics?

I suggest you all sign that petition for whatever it's worth.

 

I'm sure he's fairly aware of fan fiction; he just chooses to ignore it as it stands now. What were the rules in that contest? I know there's a lot more different stuff (AU, etc) in fan fiction, some stuff that probably would have GL sprout a second head if he read it.

 

I think that there are probably authors who, with the right editor, could write an official book. (not me that's for sure)

Since people have brought up Lucas' attitude towards fan fic, I'll throw something out. Does it bug anyone else that we, fan fic authors, seem to be considered by many (strictly my own observations) to be the lowest form of SW fans? Granted this is probably not the place for this- my apologies, but the above replies just brought old annoyances to the surface.


JD.

 

Does it bug anyone else that we, fan fic authors, seem to be considered by many (strictly my own observations) to be the lowest form of SW fans?

I must confess that I was among those people for a time. I thought that destroying the canon was a despicable thing to attempt, and that fanfic authors had far better things to do with their time.

But then, one day, a little plot bunny snuggled its head against my knee and begged me to write him out. I struggled against it for a time, but eventually capitulated. After all, I reasoned, it wasn't like I was showing anybody else.

But eventually I got entirely over it and am now a big advocate of fanfic.

*Shrug*

What does that prove? Dunno.

 

Does it bug anyone else that we, fan fic authors, seem to be considered by many (strictly my own observations) to be the lowest form of SW fans?

I'd never come across that idea before. I wonder if this is true across all fandoms? I don't read or write in enough to make a guess on that. It's curious that it's the canon issue that Shrink pointed out - I would assume though that even non-fan-ficcers (is that a word? ) still buy the books. (Although I guess a lot of people consider the books canon, so that might answer my question).

 

I agree about the consideration of fanficers to be the lowest form, since people tend to regard us as the "free-for-all" group that requires no skill and nothing more than a trite plot bunny and a keyboard. I see so many talents around here that it's sad to think that opinion's out there.

 

I seem to remember seeing a contest in the Star Wars Insider magazine that asked fans to write a story about a character that they posted a picture of. I don't remember what ever became of that though.