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Re-using Original Characters from fanfiction… how much of a bad idea?

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bluelantern2814 Mage of Life-Breath-Doom Since: Sep, 2009
Mage of Life-Breath-Doom
#1: Sep 1st 2013 at 7:51:32 PM

I (like many people) want to write my own original story. Except that my idea re-uses many characters of a recursive fanfiction that I once wrote. Mainly: the original family structure is mostly the same. The protagonist and conflicts change, the setting is completely different (well, it still on earth, but the supernatural changes). I don’t know if I should try to distance myself from that? I don’t think that story is ever going to be published, but I sort want to write it as if it was…

"Here to welcome our new golden-eyed overlords," said Addy promptly.
MorwenEdhelwen Aussie Tolkien freak from Sydney, Australia Since: Jul, 2012
Aussie Tolkien freak
#2: Sep 1st 2013 at 8:18:58 PM

I think there could be a problem if you were going to publish it but since you're not, it's OK.

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien
tsstevens Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did from Reading tropes such as Righting Great Wrongs Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: She's holding a very large knife
Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did
#3: Sep 1st 2013 at 8:49:06 PM

I think it is common enough for a writer to use a character from one work and adopt them for another. An example? Karen from The Punisher is hinted at in story as being the same Karen from the Hitman comics. In the WWE Hulk Hogan was the All-American Face and they tried the same idea with Lex Luger and later John Cena. Ryback is essentially Stone Cold Steve Austin, they are not the same character but something of an alternate character or off shoot, much the same as facets of something from Dead Rising (the quest idea, salvaging weapons) is used in Dead Island.

I think if you were to take a character you might use in one game, change the details enough so they are their own individual person and adopt them for another work, say you had an Asian Action Girl in a Buffyverse setting and you wanted to change some of their story and characterization for something like Resident Evil then I think that would be okay.

Currently reading up My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours
ohsointocats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#4: Sep 1st 2013 at 9:11:20 PM

I've rewritten fanfiction with non-original characters with just changed names and personality tweaks and thus far nobody's noticed. I say go for it.

ZILtoid1991 Since: Jan, 2013
#5: Sep 1st 2013 at 10:55:15 PM

Modify them a bit and you can go.

Noaqiyeum Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they) from the gentle and welcoming dark (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they)
#6: Sep 1st 2013 at 11:37:31 PM

If it's your own original character to begin with, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable
editerguy from Australia Since: Jan, 2013 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
#7: Sep 2nd 2013 at 1:34:44 AM

I think that Mortal Instruments and Fifty Shades Of Grey are both bestsellers that did this with no legal problems. If you don't think the story will be published, then I certainly can't see any problems of any kind.

Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#8: Sep 2nd 2013 at 2:21:32 AM

If you're changing the 'verse in which the story's set from the 'verse in which the fan-fic is set and you're using your own original characters that you created specifically for your fan-fic rather than the characters from the copyrighted 'verse, then I see utterly no problem with it.

It'd be like me creating, say, a character for the Firefly/Serenity 'verse (dunno, maybe a pilot) for a fan-fic set in that 'verse and then later deciding to reuse the same basic character but with birthplace and other details changed so that they don't reference Firefly/Serenity at all ("Higgins' Moon" becomes Astara IV or whatever) in a completely original work that bears no resemblance to the Firefly/Serenity 'verse at all.

Even if he's still a pilot - that I've sunk a great deal of effort into creating and getting to know - since he's my pilot, I can do with him what I damned well please.

It's not like I would be pilfering Jayne or Kaylee's characters and giving them a quick find-and-replace makeover or using Whedon's imagined setting and trying to pass it off as my own.

Own character, own verse - no problem.

edited 2nd Sep '13 2:23:14 AM by Wolf1066

JewelyJ from A state in the USA Since: Jul, 2009
#9: Sep 7th 2013 at 9:18:41 PM

Hey I took some fancharacters and gave them a universe after stripping all ties from the characters of that canon. Since then they've grown to where they're hardly recognizable as the fancharacters they were.

I don't see a problem.

CrystalGlacia from at least we're not detroit Since: May, 2009
#10: Sep 7th 2013 at 9:25:14 PM

My current batch of characters started as part of a Pokemon fanfic. The canon human characters and other aspects of the world, such as gyms and evil teams, barely existed as it was, so it wasn't too hard to transform their more mundane 'mons into pets and get rid of the rest. The constructed world I had built was drifting further and further away from the source material, so my characters were practically begging to break away.

So, no, reiterating what everyone else before me has said, it isn't a bad idea at all and should be perfectly doable.

"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
VincentQuill Elvenking from Dublin Since: Jan, 2013 Relationship Status: Sinking with my ship
Elvenking
#11: Sep 8th 2013 at 10:27:42 AM

I often use existing characters/historical figures as a starting point and over time they morph into their own characters. Galadriel became a Boisterous Bruiser, The Lad-ette,a Cute Bruiser, and pretty much fantasy Boudicca. Catherine The Great became a cold and harsh (by necessity) ruler whose subjects wouldn't think to rebel against, and a Winter Royal Lady.

'All shall love me and despar!'
sabrina_diamond iSanity! from Australia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: LET'S HAVE A ZILLION BABIES
#12: Sep 9th 2013 at 6:43:51 AM

It's good as long as you don't go too overboard with it unlike me... If you reuse your original character, don't outright say that it was a reused character and just reinvent them.

In an anime, I'll be the Tsundere Dark Magical Girl who likes purple MY own profile is actually HERE!
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