Subject: Is it okay if an Agent I create is from a universe I made?
Author:
Posted on: 2016-01-17 07:02:00 UTC
I'm planning on writing some actual novels and I thought I'd test the waters with an Agent that comes from those books' world.
Besides the examples that Ixi showed, one of my main agents- Library- is from a universe I made.
The main thing, however, is that because their 'canon' isn't one that anyone else knows, besides tossing them in and calling it a day if you do it, you would also have to explain things, if relevant, if it isn't a modern earth or there are different things going on.
EG, you can't just expect to be able to roll in with an agent character from a universe of your own and then go 'oh, by the way, he can Do All The Things Because That's How His World Works'.
I'm worried about revealing too much of her home universe (at least, before my first novel is published) because I'm paranoid that someone will plagiarize my ideas. It's not like I could take the plagiarist to court because they're not copyrighted yet... Could I?
However, a few things:
1) To be very honest, it's extremely unlikely that anyone would take such an interest in whatever your ideas are that they'd try to steal yours. To put in perspective: there are dozens upon dozens of novels set in a version of the 1800s where magic, or things we generally associate with the like, exists, ranging from the Regency era to the Victorian. They are all, despite this, very different. The Parasol Protectorate series is different from the Sorcery and & Cecelia books which are in turn different from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell which is different from the Temeraire series. And these are just the ones I can think of right now, having had no sleep. I'm sure others on the board can chime in with more if they felt like it.
2) For two, I'm not saying you have to write a crossover between the PPC and said home universe (though it is something I've been considering doing with Library), but that you just need to give enough information when introducing said character and while writing to justify anything going on- otherwise it is a very simple way of going "well you see in my universe they can..." without actually telling us anything to show it's actually the case. Pulling characters from any universe sets that as their background, and informs us of their potential abilities and limits- agents from World One, like Nume, for example, they aren't going to be starting off with any sort of weirdness because they're normal baseline humans. When we're told a character is a Harry Potter 'verse wizard, that immediately tells us what we can expect from them and the author. We don't know that when it's an original 'verse. The responsibility falls on you to tell us.
3) I had something to put here but like I said, I'm terribly sleep deprived but I started this number so I have to put something here now. So. Fish.
4) Oh, right, now I remember. When in doubt: Read more spin-offs. Look at the wiki. Those can usually answer your questions.
-July, in an altered state of consciousness
In the US, generally a work is copyrighted the second an original work is fixed in a permanent medium. The problem is enforcement, if it is not registered with the appropriate office, then it will be hard to prove that your copyright is enforceable as to a potential infringer.
Basically the infringer needs to know that a work is copyrighted, that is why one is required to file with a copyright office. If you put your own copyright notice on your work, you will have a better argument that it is an enforceable copyright. But if you provide no notice to potential infringers and it is not recorded/registered you will not be able to enforce it. If you put your own copyright on it, you might be able to get it enforced.
I hope that explains it a bit better, though I admit I may not be particularly clear.
Putting your own copyright on a piece of PPC fiction carries its own risks, because the original work's copyright owner may claim you are trying to copyright their own work.
Most people who aren't familiar with the PPC will be more likely to come across the works of Trojie and Pads, Foxglove and Laburnum, Dafydd and Selene, Nume and Ilraen. The only reason I knew about the agents from their own original universes is because I do a lot of Wiki-diving in my spare time.
Norinj
Appearance: The beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish. Black, white, red, blue, and yellow feathers.
Species: Fenghuang
Gender: Huang (Female)
Universe: I haven’t fully created it yet…
Personality: Highly curious about species of mythological creatures from other universes as her world is populated only by mythical things. A bit wary of works that have creatures that are entirely good or entirely evil depending on their species (such as Redwall and Lord of the Rings) due to a historical event in her world concerning a republic that had the same mentality. Might have trouble thinking of Mary-Sues as being completely evil. Perhaps should be told that Mary-Sues are to Original Characters what criminals are to ordinary folk.
Ability: Flight and sings songs to create facsimiles of people, creatures or even locations which will behave in accordance to their originals’ personalities. For example, “It Doesn’t Matter” will create a reproduction of Sonic the Hedgehog that will strive to protect the innocent and defeat evil. Norinj can even manipulate nearby instruments to play. The summoned can’t affect those who can’t hear them. (Will they work on inanimate objects?)
Misc.: How did she get the ability to sing magically? She swallowed a rock that she wasn’t aware had special properties for her gizzard.
I'm willing to tweak it. Advice and thoughts please!
I don’t understand what you mean there. Mythical from our point of view? Form a random universe’s point of view? From Norinj’s point of view? If everything in her world is “mythical”, would she think of these totally normal things as “mythical”?
HG
I meant her world's populated only by what we consider mythological creatures, like fenghuang, unicorns, satyrs and Ogopogo whereas creatures such as humans, foxes and komodo dragons are considered fictional by her world's standards.
But it's not the only world...
There have been several precedents, after all.