Playing in other people's sandboxes...

I recently picked up Vols 1-5 of "The Man-Kzin Wars" at a swap meet for about a buck apiece. I've read Vol 1 and am eagerly diving into Vol 2. What's really fun about this is that here you have a bunch of pro-fic writers delving unapologetically into someone else's universe...and the creator of that universe is not only okay with that, but enthusiastic.

Larry Niven, who is a creative genius, isn't threatened by others writing Known Universe stories. Lee Goldberg, who *cough* isn't much of a creative genius, is. Granted, the people playing in Larry's sandbox are well-respected authors in their own right and not a bunch of amateurs like me...but somehow it gives me warm fuzzies to realize that, as long as I don't butcher the KU, Larry probably wouldn't have much of a problem if I decided to write fic in it.

Playing in other people's sandboxes...

I recently picked up Vols 1-5 of "The Man-Kzin Wars" at a swap meet for about a buck apiece. I've read Vol 1 and am eagerly diving into Vol 2. What's really fun about this is that here you have a bunch of pro-fic writers delving unapologetically into someone else's universe...and the creator of that universe is not only okay with that, but enthusiastic.

Larry Niven, who is a creative genius, isn't threatened by others writing Known Universe stories. Lee Goldberg, who *cough* isn't much of a creative genius, is. Granted, the people playing in Larry's sandbox are well-respected authors in their own right and not a bunch of amateurs like me...but somehow it gives me warm fuzzies to realize that, as long as I don't butcher the KU, Larry probably wouldn't have much of a problem if I decided to write fic in it.

*yanks hair out by the roots*

I'm beginning to think that my passion for the Buffyverse is gone, finito, kaput. All I have lately is Firefly on the brain. Spike has left the building. Illyria has returned to whatever dimension spawned her. Fred isn't speaking to me. Buffy has turned her back.

Xander? Xander who? Why did I think I could write him? I've written a total of TWO Xander fics in my entire writing career, both under a thousand words. I didn't even see most of S7; I had to rely on transcripts. But I wanted to write dinosaur fic. So I signed up for ludditerobot's Scatterlings and Orphanages Ficathon and picked Congo, because dinosaurs = cool.

And I have two sentences. Count 'em. For a ficathon assignment--that I chose!--due on the 19th. *yanks hair out some more*

Heeeerrrre, Antubis! I have some tasty damned souls for you....

*yanks hair out by the roots*

I'm beginning to think that my passion for the Buffyverse is gone, finito, kaput. All I have lately is Firefly on the brain. Spike has left the building. Illyria has returned to whatever dimension spawned her. Fred isn't speaking to me. Buffy has turned her back.

Xander? Xander who? Why did I think I could write him? I've written a total of TWO Xander fics in my entire writing career, both under a thousand words. I didn't even see most of S7; I had to rely on transcripts. But I wanted to write dinosaur fic. So I signed up for ludditerobot's Scatterlings and Orphanages Ficathon and picked Congo, because dinosaurs = cool.

And I have two sentences. Count 'em. For a ficathon assignment--that I chose!--due on the 19th. *yanks hair out some more*

Heeeerrrre, Antubis! I have some tasty damned souls for you....