New or existing worlds

[Hawkmoon]

Hi just wondering what peoples thoughts are on using an existing world for your book/s ie Forgotten realms or to create from scratch?
Cheers
Hawkmoon

 

[CupofJoe]

I start from scratch but will always borrow [steal] a good idea if I see something useful [I wants it my precious!!!!!].

 

[D. Gray Warrior]

I prefer to invent my own worlds, but I will use ideas from other worlds, too.

 

[Terry Greer]

Using an existing world is fine if you never want to claim or publish it properly - but the original IP holder is liable to get very shirty if you distribute it in any form (even free) - unless you square it with them first (i.e. before letting the public read it).

Some IP holders don't mind and allow fan fiction (within limits - normally they only allow the author to create free works) - others (such as Disney) are litigious bastards that allow nothing without a licence (I lived in Devon years ago and the forced a children's nursery to remove a mural of Disney characters when they found out about it).
Aother example is a company (which i can't remember the name of) claiming Conan and various Conan names as trademarks - despite these now being out of copyright.

So be very careful using an existing world setting.

Having said that there are some great shared worlds in fantasy such as the Thieves world books and the man Kzin wars series.

 

[Queshire]

My world uses the nine worlds of Norse mythology, well I say that but I'm pretty much just stealing the names and using them for inspiration. Since these are from mythology and public domain they're fine but except for the legal great area of fan fiction I naturally enough shy away from copy righted worlds.

 

[Trick]

I have way too much fun creating my own worlds to use someone else's. That said, no world a writer creates is pure and without influence. My vote is adapt your favorite bits and fill in the rest with imagination. Smoother sailing in the long run.

 

[Terry Greer]

My world uses the nine worlds of Norse mythology, well I say that but I'm pretty much just stealing the names and using them for inspiration. Since these are from mythology and public domain they're fine but except for the legal great area of fan fiction I naturally enough shy away from copy righted worlds.

I think they're relatively safe from IP holders and well out of copyright

Joking apart that's a great approach to basing a world on an existing place.

 

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks all. Just curious for two reasons. Firstly, everything I think of is similar or inspired from other sources. Secondly, was wondering how the different authors write using the same world ie. D&D based worlds.

 

[Caged Maiden]

Salvatore wrote in the Forgotten Realms world because Wizards of the Coast had many writers writing books for their world and they were paid to do so. Those authors were hired for the specific purpose of writing in the shared world. They could not have published those books without permission or lawsuits.

If you like a previously invented world and wanted to write in it, you can certainly do it for fun, but if you want to share your work on your social media, submit it to ezines, or self-publish it for free on Amazon, you will have to either get permission to use the world/ character or you will be inviting negativity.

There are tons of fanfic sites. I'm sure there are sites devoted just to fanfics in certain genres. You may search those out if you have a specific world you love.

 

[ThinkerX]

I've written a grand total of one story set in 'Forgotten Realms'. I didn't write any more than that because there was just one market - TSR (Wizards of the Coast).

That was my sole venture into established fictional worlds.

My stories are set in worlds of my own creation. I do borrow concepts and creatures from Lovecraft's works, but that is 'open source'.

 

[Terry Greer]

According to Gary Gygax D&D was actually partially inspired by Jack Vance's fantasy worlds (The dying earth series).
Though there were many other influences the D&D approach to magic is often known as Vancian magic (where magic users are capable of only memorizing a small number of spells - and then forget them after use so they have to learn them again) in his honour.

 

[Hawkmoon]

Cool info everyone. Thanks for the insight.

 

[SBDanes]

Writers tend to write what they know. A lot of times creating a new world means that you take bits and pieces from other worlds. But as long as you give them enough of a twist it won't seem like their existing worlds.

 

[JamieMaltman]

I love history and playing with settings borrowing heavily from human history, but without feeling like I'm putting words into actual historical figures' mouths. I read an interview a couple of years ago with Guy Gavriel Kay, and he said something along those lines, and that confirmed it for me.

So that's what I went ahead and did.

 

[Jabrosky]

I love history and playing with settings borrowing heavily from human history, but without feeling like I'm putting words into actual historical figures' mouths. I read an interview a couple of years ago with Guy Gavriel Kay, and he said something along those lines, and that confirmed it for me.

So that's what I went ahead and did.

I like doing this too. I like to rip off history for settings, but modify it just enough to make the world fit my tastes better.