Question: Should all fiction be author originated?
I was reading SFX and made a note to myself based on comment about Patricia Briggs getting asked to write her latest series by her publisher. I might have got that wrong but anyway it got me thinking. Is there anything wrong with authors writing to order? Does a book written as a personal project have more merit than one that was suggested and shaped from an idea by someone else?
It didn’t bother me when I heard it. What do you think? Does an author originated book have a higher status than one that wasn’t? I’m also thinking about books set in an established universe.
It doesn’t bother me. They probably negotiated the idea. If she didn’t like the idea, I can’t imagine that she’d be able to generate any enthusiasm for it.
Reminds me of the ghost writers for all the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and other children’s series novels. The authors of those books had to write according to an outline. True, they’re for children, but they certainly have stood the test of time.
I don’t think it bothers me either- as long as the author stays true to the characters as they see them in their head. I think it’s great if they are approached with an idea, but ultimately, I think the work still needs to be theirs.
As an author who has written both self-generated and commissioned work, it doesn’t bother me one bit! Publishers often come to authors with ideas (particularly in children’s publishing). If you don’t like the idea, you say no. What is interesting is that, sometimes, the book that the publishers suggest takes on a life of its own and, because you are tightly focussed right from the beginning, you often do some of your best work. Less ego involved, maybe? I write for both children and adults, and last week my children’s publisher asked me to consider a very interesting project. At another time, I might have said ‘What a great idea!’ but I’m in the middle of finishing an epic fantasy trilogy and just don’t have the time. Still, we discussed the project and in the end came up with a different way to do it which would involve a number of different authors being commissioned to do separate chapters. It should be a terrific book, and I’ll get to write a section. This kind of negotiation is common, I think.
@ Tia. I didn’t know that about Nancy Drew… I wonder if it’s a good way of keeping a series like that ‘fresh’
@ rachel. Peter David did a series of Star Trek novels. I wonder if they were more Peter David or Star Trek? Anyone read them?
@ Pamela. Thanks so much for stopping by and giving a view from the other side. When I was doing a plays for my theatre module the tutor had us do plays to a really tight time and dramatic structure. I found it really freeing as I didn’t have to worry about how things happened. Character A had to get to point B by X time. All I had to do was make sure they did it!
For anyone who doesn’t know Pamela Freeman’s Blood Ties is out now in the UK and Deep Water is out in September!
Thanks for the plug! I teach writing, too (Sydney Writers Centre - there’s a online course) and I love giving my students a seemingly very proscribed exercise - it’s astonishing the variety they come up with!
There is a collection called Beserker Base which came about by Fred Saberhagen (RIP) asking well known authors (Poul Anderson, Edward Bryant, Stephen R. Donaldson, Larry Niven, Connie Willis, Roger Zelazny) to contribute to this universe and try to thread all the stories together.
The result was great.
Zelazny’s short stories collections have a little explaination before them and they quite often start with “I was asked to write a story about *** by *** for *** magazine and this was the result” Come to think of it a lot of Asimov’s started that way.
Personally I like other authors being asked to contribute to an established universe. It shakes them up a bit.
Last thought, does it really matter where the impetus comes from if the result is a good story/novel?