Who Owns Characters?
Brigid Delaney says you do:
The act of creating a character and creating a world for them to live in is so involving, generous and intense that the only analogy available is that of giving birth and being a parent. But once the book is out there in the world — available at airport gift stores and in bookstores — the nurturing has stopped and the author should step back.
Of course, terrible things can happen to books out there — and authors are right to fret. They can be used by murderers as a prop in their crimes (John Lennon’s killer was holding a copy of Catcher when he approached Lennon with a gun).
They can be made into bad films, awful radio plays and boring mini-series. On the net people may pay homage by writing dire fan fiction. Earnest PhDs devote the best years of their life to studying the minutiae of the book, feeling around for a sub-text when there is none. But as parents must learn to let go — often with sadness — so should authors.
I’m speechless.
AuthorScoop
June 11th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
sorry to do this to your website,William, but Fuck Brigid. What a crock of shit.
(sorry)
June 11th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
well put. indeed.