wheel of time short stories

[valic]

So due to my busy life I was just now able to finish the memory of light and I am super bummed that it is over. Now to the topic does any one plan on writing and short stories that take place after the last battle? I my self am thinking about doing one but not sure if it should take place right after or a few years later.let me know what you think

[Suttree]

RJ was not open to fan fiction and DM has followed along with that. A thread touching on the topic here.

 

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/83819-what-is-the-origin-of-this-oft-repeated-thing-about-wot-fan-fiction/?hl=+fan%20+fiction

 

Interview: Dec 9th, 2002

Wotmania and Dragonmount Q&A

Question

How do you feel about WoT-oriented fan fiction?

Robert Jordan

I am really only barely aware that it exists, I'm afraid, and the question is a delicate one. I don't go looking for it, but if I find out that someone is writing using my characters, and publishing it (including posting it on-line) then I MUST do something about it as a matter of protecting my copyrights. (Although this is a different matter, some other time, I'll go into why pirating books and stories to post them on-line is no different from taking somebody's ATM card and making a series of withdrawals from their bank account. Whenever I see anyone post a defense of pirating, I really, really want to get my hands on his ATM card and PIN.) Writing in my world is a different matter I think; my lawyer may tell me I'm dead wrong on that. The one thing I do try to keep an eye out for is /slash/ or KS fiction using my characters. If you want to write erotica, fine. I like reading erotica, sometimes. But if you write erotica using my characters and post it, I WILL find you, and I will come down on you like the Hammer of God. I've found some very raunchy, and very badly written, examples of that, and I don't like it a bit.

 

& one from here at DM

 

Jennifer Liang

Fan fiction has never really taken off in the Wheel of Time fandom. Partly the reason for that is because Robert Jordan did not like fanfic—he didn't like other people playing in his sandbox—and so when me and Jason became aware that he didn't like fanfic, we pretty much killed it on Dragonmount, and because we killed it on Dragonmount, that meant everybody else killed it too, because people pretty much follow our lead, so there's never really been a lot of fanfic in the Wheel of Time. There is some out there—if you look around you can find some like on fanfic.net—but it's never really taken off for whatever reason. And I think it's partly because we killed it very quickly, but I think it's also partly because a lot of what is special about the Wheel of Time is the unique voice of Robert Jordan, and for the most part other people writing in that universe, it's crap. Even if they're a really good writer, it's...[brandon] is really the only person I like writing in the Wheel of Time universe other than Jim, so...I think that's another reason why it doesn't take off, because it's pretty obvious it's not Robert Jordan.

 

 

That said I know of a number of long time fans that have been "reworking" the last three books due to not being satisfied with the end product. It's just not something that can be promoted here at DM.

[valic]

Thanks for posting that. Do you think that sometime down the line some one write book that picks up a few hundred years after the last battle?

[valic]

If some one was allowed to write more books for the wot who did you think would do the best job that would make r.j happy or at less pleased?

[Mr Ares]

If some one was allowed to write more books for the wot who did you think would do the best job that would make r.j happy or at less pleased?

RJ was deeply reluctant to allow anyone else to write in his world. Even allowing the series to be finished was something of a last minute change of heart, as previously he'd claimed that he wanted all the notes burned when he died. If more stories were to be written, no matter who they were by, no matter how well they were done, RJ would not be happy. As Harriet knows that, and as she has the rights, we can be pretty sure that but for the encyclopaedia, WoT is done.

[valic]

Man such a bummer so much more could be done but that was r's wishes

[Nick Trano]

Honestly dude, write the fan fiction if you want to. That quote from Jordan is pretty clear about what he doesn't want. Namely, erotica with his characters. There are seven ages, and five of those can have all the raunchy sex you want in them. The other two, just most of it. Wheel of Time fanfiction will occur eventually, and the fact that RJ doesn't want it to happen doesn't make him right about it. Fanfiction is how you gauge your success as a writer anyways. If, down the line, I were to become a published author I would know I hit the big leagues the moment I saw people writing fanfiction of my work. Without fanfiction, this community is inevitably going to die. You need new ideas, adventures, images, etc. to form. If AMOL is destined to be the end of this journey, then this site is going to be running a skeleton crew within a few years, and dead a little ways after that. 

 

The idea that Brandon Sanderson is the only one who can write in the WOT universe aside from Jordan is based in a business deal, not in any kind of unique merit - after all, how many people were pissed off about AMOL? The last two books of the series were essentially fanfiction anyways. Jordan's voice isn't what made Wheel of Time special, it was his vision. If you're a good writer, you can write in the universe and I'll be happy for it. I imagine most people would, at that. You don't need to write about Mat, or Rand, or Perrin. Their stories are done, at least as main characters. Cameos and references are fine, but there are thousands of stories waiting to be told. There are two entire continents that have yet to be explored, and one that has only been seen for the duration of one snowy night. Drop the big man's voice, and carry his vision. It's fine. 

 

So, uh... yeah. Write that shit bro, and see if you can help expand the community in your own way. Jordan was a great author, and probably a great dude (I didn't know him), but that doesn't make him God. The same goes for his wife, and the owners of Dragonmount. People constantly make the mistake of following the "fandom" or "community." You're your own person, just because a couple people you'll never meet have said they don't want you to do something, it doesn't mean you shouldn't.

[Suttree]

 Fanfiction is how you gauge your success as a writer anyways.

 

Huh?

 

As for the rest I clearly stated that I know a number of regulars reworking the last three books due to being dissatisfied with the finished product. Again though, that's not something the mods will allow to be promoted here.

[Nick Trano]

What I mean to say is, if a large group of people want to write in a world you've created, that means you've succeeded in building a fandom. The fact that your readers are now creating something within your universe means that they're invested in it in a way that transcends simply talking about it for a while. That constant cycle of creation is what keeps fan bases going and growing. For instance, if Elder Scrolls games had no mod support they'd be deader than King Tut.

[Mr Ares]

Honestly dude, write the fan fiction if you want to. That quote from Jordan is pretty clear about what he doesn't want. Namely, erotica with his characters.

Actually, he said he wasn't happy with any of it, he just wouldn't go looking for it. Erotica with his characters just crosses the line from "don't do it" to "I will hunt you down and kill you". He points out that it's an issue of protecting copyright, for one thing.

If, down the line, I were to become a published author I would know I hit the big leagues the moment I saw people writing fanfiction of my work.

Funny, I think for me it would be my incredible sales figures and critical acclaim.

Without fanfiction, this community is inevitably going to die.

Even with it it will die. Many things can keep a community alive besides fanfic. And frankly, I'd rather see DM die than see it surrender its once proud heritage to the ravages of fanfic. Are we not better than that?

[mike hunt's here]

I'm one of those disappointed with amol as much as I was with the True Detective finale...but anyways its been a while since i trolled this board and I just finished reading "red country" by joe abercrombie.

 

My point is - I would love to see a "red country" type story with Rand or even Mat as the ninefingers character.  spoilers if you havent read red country (haha)  I think it would be cool to read about a 50 or 60 year old Mat or Rand forced back into the "life" due to no fault of theirs...like logan/lamb.

 

ok.

[Jak 0' the Shadows]

Meaning no disrespect to anyone, but I do not think the fan communities will die. Has the lotr community died? No. That may be at least partly due to the movies, but the fact remains that the fan community will remain as long as there ARE fans. Rather than lose popularity, works like lotr and even the works of Shakespeare have only become more popular and more famous. You don't need new content for the work to stay popular, not if it was worthy of the popularity it had in the first place. But I think we CAN help the community flourish by spreading the series, by telling people and recommending it to them. As long as there are fans, there will be a community.

[Jak 0' the Shadows]

Meaning no disrespect to anyone, but I do not think the fan communities will die. Has the lotr community died? No. That may be at least partly due to the movies, but the fact remains that the fan community will remain as long as there ARE fans. Rather than lose popularity, works like lotr and even the works of Shakespeare have only become more popular and more famous. You don't need new content for the work to stay popular, not if it was worthy of the popularity it had in the first place. But I think we CAN help the community flourish by spreading the series, by telling people and recommending it to them. As long as there are fans, there will be a community.

[dawnflower8]

I think you should definitely write WoT fanfiction if you want to. I've considered writing it myself, but I just wouldn't do the books justice. 

 

I'd suggest posting it on fanfiction.net though, not here on DM.

[BFG]

I think you should definitely write WoT fanfiction if you want to. I've considered writing it myself, but I just wouldn't do the books justice. 

 

I'd suggest posting it on fanfiction.net though, not here on DM.

Fan fiction isn't allowed to be posted here. Site policy to respect RJs views on the matter

[dawnflower8]

That's exactly why I think they shouldn't post it here.

[Nick Trano]

Haha, it's sad that the primary forum is held in such a death grip by Jordan's opinion on fan fiction. It'll pass eventually when people wise up, but still. Best anybody can do is write their stories, and do a good job of it. 

 

As to what you were saying about Shakespeare and LOTR, Jak, those communities constantly have new content being put out! Movies, games, mods, novels, songs, paintings, crafts, tabletops, you name it. LOTR is a perfect example of how you keep a game going. The Fourth Age mod for Medieval 2 is an amazing LOTR gaming experience, for instance. As for Shakespeare, well, on top of the movies and novels and stuff it's kind of difficult to die out when you're required reading in most of the civilized world. 

 

I don't want anybody to think I'm some crazy fan fiction super-fan, either. I don't think writing fan fiction is a cure for all ills, or anything like that. It's just one piece of the puzzle, no greater or lesser than anything else, that is oddly missing from the community. 

[valic]

I haven't read through all the post but seeing how Sanderson is the only person to write In the wheel of time world maybe we will get lucky enough to see him write a few more if Harriet would let him

[NeverTame]

I believe all parties have stated quite clearly, on multiple occasions, that there will not be more WoT novels.

[TwoFace1980]

Eventually the copyright will enter the public domain.  it may not be in our lifetime but it will eventually. 

[NeverTame]

Yeah no, obviously fanfiction will happen and is happening as we speak, and personally I don't see how it would be harmful to the canon or the canon creator. (Not liking it is one thing, a very understandable thing considering the nature & quality of a lot of fanfiction out there, feeling actually threatened by it is quite another.) However, as stated above by BFG and elsewhere by others, here at Dragonmount the site policy follows RJ's wishes to not publish or explicitly discuss the writing of fanfiction.

[Nick Trano]

It wouldn't be harmful. That's what makes a lot of this kind of sad. The terrible quality of most fan fiction is also its beauty, in a way. Fan fiction is an avenue through which inexperienced writers can hone their fundamental skills before moving on to creating their own works. It's also a way for good writers to continue the story after the end of the official books.

 

(Wow, note to self: Do not write from a cell phone, or else you sound like a sixth grader writing his first essay).

 

The thing that strikes me as massive hypocrisy, however, is the fact that we have such a huge roleplaying section on the site. The message is, essentially, that fan fiction is okay as long as you do it in groups. Pretending to be an Aes Sedai or a Warder is fine, but if you write multiple Aes Sedai and Warders then you're writing fan fiction which is somehow suddenly bad. If anything, it goes to show that RJ hated his fan base almost as much as Tolkien did. :P

[dawnflower8]

I find it kind of strange he didn't want us writing fanfiction. He was probably worried that a lot of it would be bad, because lots of fanfiction IS bad. But I think most of us WoT fans would be sorta ok at writing it, since, well, WE READ WOT. And if you read WoT, you've got to be a very good reader, and good readers are better writers in general. 

 

But it completely makes sense why he really doesn't want us writing erotica.

[Nick Trano]

Haha, Dawnflower, you're very wrong about good readers being good writers. A famous writer whose name escapes me once said that people who read books are very strange compared to, for instance, people who listen to music. A person who hears a beautiful symphony doesn't instantly think he could write a symphony, yet a person who has read a few books always somewhat believes he could do just as well on his own. Reading a good book doesn't make you a good writer; writing does. 

 

EDIT: As for erotica, well, people have got to get their rocks off somewhere right?

[dawnflower8]

Well reading a lot makes you have a higher vocabulary, that's why. 

 

Not all people who read well write well, but nearly all people who write well read well.