if someone wrote a book with robert jordans ideas?

[red_wolf]

i am currently writing a book called dragon eye, and since the wheel of time series is the best series in the world its hard not to use ideas from Jordans books. I want to know what you guys would think if I used ideas from his books.

Also, if anyone has any idea how to contact Robert Jordan or Tor for that kind of issue please tell me.

[Kadere]

First off I don't think that's such a great idea, but I also think it depends on what kind of ideas are you using?

 

Ideas such as reincarnation, a dark one, a warrior to battle the dark one, and trolloc type creatures are all ideas I think you could use depending on how. It's not as though a lot RJ's ideas haven't been used before.

[Mightelove]

It's not as if those ideas didn't come from authors and story cycles written before Robert Jordan.

[SinisterDeath]

It all depends on what you want to do.... IF your basing it off RJ's world, as a prequil/post ect... you would want to contact them. and your answer would probably be a no..

If it were just sharing similar ideas, and not taking names like.... Rand al'Thor the dragon reborn, ca'car'an, and the whatever.. Then you'd have problems..

[GoodGrief]

SD, I think you meant that if he was taking names like Rand al'Thor the dragon reborn, ca'car'an, and the whatever, then he'd have problems.

 

Some ideas are just so generic that it isn't really an issue to use them, though having an original take on them that fits your plot is essential. Things like Macguffins, non-human evil races, dark gods, dark lords, messiah figures and prophecised heroes, spunky heroines, elitist orders of magic users, desert warriors, magic swords etc etc. If you use those no one will accuse you of copying Jordan (unless you blatanty use identical names and/or descriptions) but use too many and you will be branded unoriginal.

When you look at a list like that, you realise that the only thing WoT is missing is dragon-guarded treasure and a talking cat. Kinda depressing, really.

[Guest Egwene]

Those are probably left for the next book, Good Grief

 

I think on any copyright questions (which is what it boils down to) if you are unsure, write to the publishers http://www.tor.com/

You can also send mail to them for the attention of RJ.

 

Good luck in the meantime with your writing.

[Zachary]

Yeah. There should be a talking cat. And I think that the Access key to the Chodan Kal, or whatever it's called, could count as Dragon guarded treasure.

[Asgard Thorin]

Using RJ for inspiration is not wrong. I can't count how many times I have read books that used Tolkien's Moria model, almost down to the hobbits' furry feet.

 

Just don't plagiarize, make it original.

[Werthead]

i am currently writing a book called dragon eye' date=' and since the wheel of time series is the best series in the world its hard not to use ideas from Jordans books. I want to know what you guys would think if I used ideas from his books.

Also, if anyone has any idea how to contact Robert Jordan or Tor for that kind of issue please tell me.[/quote']

 

Terry Goodkind got away with it and he went on to sell 11 million books. However, since Robert Jordan admits to having been inspired by Lord of the Rings (and was very clearly inspired by Dune as well, if not moreso), my guess is that Jordan is reluctant to accuse others of plagiarism. I'd try to come up with an original idea though.

[Zardi]

And I think that the Access key to the Chodan Kal, or whatever it's called, could count as Dragon guarded treasure.

That made me laugh :P

 

Using generic fantasy ideas that RJ also used would be fine, as all fantasies do that to some extent. However, please, please put some sort of original spin on it. My biggest beef with Eragon after I read it was that too many of the creatures and races felt like they'd come straight out of the D&D Monster Manual. Not illegal, maybe, but not very interesting either.

[Gondring]

Dark lords, Twisted evil (Trollic like) creatures, Magic, Good and Evil. To me those are all givens, if your going to write a book, freely use those.

Now to steal plot, or something like the idea of Saidain/Saidar, isnt right.

Ive read about 5 series so far, and written a couple novels for fum of my own. Ill admit its hard not to use stuff like that. I had to slap myself on the back of my hand several times for quoting Tolkien or Goodkind :? (Dont kill me lol).

But i ended up with an Elemental "Old Magic" And a more integrated "New Magic" for mine, along with dragons as the God Like creatures. Nothing too origional but its what you throw into it that counts. Hell i even have the hero having twin Magic swords that glow, Star Warsy but nonetheless you can spin it to be your own.

Nonetheless its what seperates great authors from the mundane if you can sit down, brainstorm and come up with something thats you own.