Both of my grandfathers served in WWII and I thought I’d share this:

Recently, a very famous author started an internet scuffle over her loathing and disapproval of fan fiction. Allow me to state upfront that I don’t read fan fiction. Nor do I write it. What’s more, I respect every author’s right to take their own stance on this issue since it’s all a murky grey area that we’re trying to sort through. I’m trying to come up with a policy of my own.

Because fan fiction is by nature a derivative work, there are copyright issues involved, and some authors simply cannot abide seeing their characters portrayed in ugly ways. (Let’s admit it. A lot of it is pornographic slash fiction at best!) But fan fiction isn’t piracy. It’s not plagiarism either. It’s a community experiment–a discussion with the original narrative fiction. And the way I see it is this: as long as fans aren’t trying to make a dime off my hard work and aren’t costing me a penny, there’s got to be a way of allowing and even encouraging fan fiction in a sensible and respectful way.

I might be unusual in thinking this way. I write modern mythology, which is, in its own sense, a type of fan fiction. Just because we don’t know who first came up with the Greek gods of ancient myth doesn’t mean that I’m not playing with someone else’s source material. Moreover, because I ran a role-playing game for many years, I’m quite used to other people taking my characters and putting their own unique spin on them. I suppose playwrights experience similar things. The performance of their work is never the same, and is interpreted through the language of different actors. But as far as I’m concerned, fan fiction is written by people who are passionate about the source material. They are the kinds of people who will talk up your books, your world, and share it with others.

In short, I hope fan fiction becomes a big problem for me one day.

So what do you think? Any of you writing a hot incestuous slash story between my two sexy demi-gods, Phobos & Deimos? I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to read it, but I think I’d be flattered!

Okay, everybody. These are the mock ups for my new historical website. (The pen name, and possibly the fonts will change.) I love the colors on #2, but it might be a little too sexy for a website that will market LILY OF THE NILE in which my heroine is eleven years old. I also love the ethereal nature of #1, but maybe it’s too muted and dull? I dunno. What do you think?

This article from The Onion has me howling with laughter. Because I’ve authored a love story about a gorgon for HQN, I’m incredibly tickled by this and grateful to my friend and fellow writer Tom Doyle for pointing it out. A few months ago, The Onion also did a skit about the Minotaur, so I think somebody over there may have a classical mythology fetish!

If you need a laugh, I advise that you read the whole article, but just this opening salvo cracked me up:

Well, another wasted evening, another potential “Mr. Right” walking out of my life. I guess I should be used to it by now, because it’s just so typical: Men will talk all day about how much they value ambition and intelligence in a partner, but when they finally meet a successful, educated gorgon, all of a sudden they head for the hills.

Needless to say, a smart and sophisticated companion isn’t what these men are actually looking for. No, what they really want is some easily impressed mortal who’ll laugh at all their jokes. Someone who won’t challenge their minds or disagree with their opinions. Someone who lacks a visage so terrifying it turns all beholders into solid stone.

I suppose I could giggle, bat my eyes, and absent-mindedly twirl a fanged, hissing serpent around my fingers—but that’s not who I am.