Appealing to my flist
Aug. 9th, 2007 07:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunI don't do this. I really don't. I'm a self-sufficient stand on my own I am woman hear me roar type person. However, all that said, HELP!
If you haven't seen the latestfeedmykink Kink of the Month™ entry, this probably won't make much sense to you. So, to boil it down to it's sheer essence, there's a question of plagiarism. And it is just that, a question. If it were outright "This was stolen" I wouldn't need help. I'd yank and come down like almighty wrath on the offender.
The author states very plainly that she was inspired by an unnamed short story and that this has caused her trouble in another community. She also states and I'm quoting here "I can't say I did not steal anything from the other story, I took the main story line and re wrote it."
Now there is a school of thought that says there are only seven basic plotlines in all of literature. Those plotlines being:
1 - [wo]man vs. nature
2 - [wo]man vs. man
3 - [wo]man vs. the environment
4 - [wo]man vs. machines/technology
5 - [wo]man vs. the supernatural
6 - [wo]man vs. self
7 - [wo]man vs. god/religion
(Taken from the Internet Public Library list authored by Jessamyn West)
I'm forced to say that I agree. There are those who believe that all of literature revolves around one single plotline, as explained by Cecil Adams:
"One school of thought holds that all stories can be summed up as Exposition/Rising Action/Climax/Falling Action/Denouement or to simplify it even further, Stuff Happens..."
A bit too general for my tastes, but still basically correct. All of art is essentially derivative. Joss Whedon, far above we mere mortals though he is, used many if not all of those seven basic plotlines at one time or another. Heck, sometimes he got wicked crazy and combined them. But, those basic plotlines nonethless.
So, my appeal rings out to you thusly (and yeah, I live for dramatic language):
How do we define plagiarism? Is it merely taking another author's words and passing them off as your own? Does borrowing and modifying a plotline count as plagiarism, given the supposition of the derivative seven basic plotlines? If borrowing and modifying a plotline counts as plagiarims, aren't we all (as fanfic writers) guilty of plagiarism? Lastly, how would you handle this?
As an aside note, I am emailing this author to ask for clarification of her words. Saying that she can't be sure she didn't steal makes this incredibly difficult for me and muddies the waters considerably. Still, I'd like to hear what you all have to say...
A big thank you in advance to all those who respond to my flailing cries for help!
If you haven't seen the latest
feedmykink Kink of the Month™ entry, this probably won't make much sense to you. So, to boil it down to it's sheer essence, there's a question of plagiarism. And it is just that, a question. If it were outright "This was stolen" I wouldn't need help. I'd yank and come down like almighty wrath on the offender.The author states very plainly that she was inspired by an unnamed short story and that this has caused her trouble in another community. She also states and I'm quoting here "I can't say I did not steal anything from the other story, I took the main story line and re wrote it."
Now there is a school of thought that says there are only seven basic plotlines in all of literature. Those plotlines being:
1 - [wo]man vs. nature
2 - [wo]man vs. man
3 - [wo]man vs. the environment
4 - [wo]man vs. machines/technology
5 - [wo]man vs. the supernatural
6 - [wo]man vs. self
7 - [wo]man vs. god/religion
(Taken from the Internet Public Library list authored by Jessamyn West)
I'm forced to say that I agree. There are those who believe that all of literature revolves around one single plotline, as explained by Cecil Adams:
"One school of thought holds that all stories can be summed up as Exposition/Rising Action/Climax/Falling Action/Denouement or to simplify it even further, Stuff Happens..."
A bit too general for my tastes, but still basically correct. All of art is essentially derivative. Joss Whedon, far above we mere mortals though he is, used many if not all of those seven basic plotlines at one time or another. Heck, sometimes he got wicked crazy and combined them. But, those basic plotlines nonethless.
So, my appeal rings out to you thusly (and yeah, I live for dramatic language):
How do we define plagiarism? Is it merely taking another author's words and passing them off as your own? Does borrowing and modifying a plotline count as plagiarism, given the supposition of the derivative seven basic plotlines? If borrowing and modifying a plotline counts as plagiarims, aren't we all (as fanfic writers) guilty of plagiarism? Lastly, how would you handle this?
As an aside note, I am emailing this author to ask for clarification of her words. Saying that she can't be sure she didn't steal makes this incredibly difficult for me and muddies the waters considerably. Still, I'd like to hear what you all have to say...
A big thank you in advance to all those who respond to my flailing cries for help!