Reply to Comment

steffiebaby140 said: You know, this is something that I think every creative type thinks about.  And I don't think there's any wrong or right answer.  Personally, if I become a super uber famous writer one day and then get plastered by a bus (and let's face it working in San Fran makes it a distinct possibility for me!), I would love it if my ideas lived on through people who enjoyed and were passionate about my work while I was alive.  Obviously I would not want them messing with MY stuff, but if you want to make a porno addition to one of my stories, have at it!  You want to add 20 new books to a series with a bunch of other writers, be my guest!  To me, writing is meant to be enjoyed, and if someone continuing my legacy provided that enjoyment then I would have no problem with it.  But I would want some of the proceeds to go to my heirs or a charity since if I was still alive I'd be getting a cut for using my IP anyway! 

But then we also have to look at how far should we should take this idea of protecting an author's property when they die.  Case in point....Stieg Larsson died with 3 unfinished manuscripts which were published after his death.  If someone had put a halt to the whole thing because he died then it would have remained 3 unfinished manuscripts gathering dust in the closet somewhere.  And if that happened, the 27 million+ readers wouldn't have been able to buy the books and enjoy them.

But as a writer I totally get the possessiveness of it.  I feel like my characters are my friends, I know them better than people I've known my whole life!  There are days when their exploits have me thinking of writing in a nuclear bomb attack to finish them off, and other days when I sigh with contentment and realize it was a job well done.  But possessive though I may be, I wouldn't want people to stop adding to my worlds when I die if there's a demand for it.