Playing in Someone Else's Sandbox

For our newest writer roundtable, let's take a look at writing characters created by other people. There are several ways we can do this, from being hired to write a licensed character (like Superman, The Phantom, She-Hulk, etc.), reviving a public domain character (like The Black Bat, Domino Lady, Sherlock Holmes, etc.), or being hired to ghostwrite for someone else's plot and character ideas.

What is the single most valuable lesson you've learned from writing characters created by other people?

Ron Fortier: There are only two approaches to do other peoples’ characters.  The first is complete ignore what went before and re-create them any way you want. Now if these characters are licensed, option two is off the table. At the same time, if you are working the licensor, you are hamstrung by what they will let you do or not do.

You also need to do your homework. If these are popular characters that have been around for a long while, they already have fans out there. The more you research what’s been already done, the more you can stay in tune with the essence of the characters and hopefully maintain them.

Alan J. Porter: Respect the source material and any boundaries that are set -- but it’s also okay to get creative and push those boundaries a bit. You may be surprised what gets approved.

Bobby Nash: I learned about getting to know your characters because if you write an already established character out of character the readers will know. Moreover, they will let you know you got it wrong. I also learned restraint. The difference between writing Zorro as a media tie-in and writing Zorro fan fiction is that there are rules with writing licensed characters. You can’t just write whatever idea pops into your head. You can’t marry them off or kill them, unless you put it back to how you found it at the end of your story. As you once told me, Sean, and this is a piece of advice I never forget, “Don’t blow up Cleveland. We might need it later.”

I often use Star Trek TOS as an example of how to write established IPs or licensed tie-ins. Almost every episode starts with the Enterprise flying through space. Everyone is happy. Then, some bad stuff happens that they have to deal with, but the story ends with the Enterprise flying through space. Everyone is happy. Unless you’re instructed otherwise by the publisher or license owner, that’s writing other people’s characters.

Brian K Morris: I love working with other IPs. I feel flattered when someone trusts me to work with their brainchildren.

My greatest lesson in writing other creations is, as one of my comic artist friends says, I need to leave the woodpile higher than when I found it. I not only don't have the right to alter a character drastically to suit my whims, I should leave behind some characters for other writers, including the creator, to utilize later.

Sean Taylor: Probably the most valuable lesson I learned from writing other folk's IPs, especially for pay, is that the owner if putting a great deal of trust in you to treat the fans and the characters fairly. Now, "fairly" doesn't mean what a lot of rabid fans on the Internet today think it means, mainly not changing anything and keeping details true to the version of the characters they best remember. Instead, treating characters and fans fairly, at least to me, means putting the characters in a good story that doesn't reflect only your take as a writer. Honor as much as you can what has gone before but never be locked into the past history of the character. The IP owner trusts me to tell a story that offers some kind of new approach that still honors the old and takes the character into new ground for a new readership.

What are the pitfalls you've experienced in writing other people's creations?

Brian K Morris: I don't see it as a pitfall so much as a challenge, and that's to find the voice of the character as the creator made it. This means when I research a character's history, I also study their vocal patterns, their psychology, and their quirks. Abraham Snow's tough guy wise cracks won't sound right coming from, say, Captain Steven Hawklin. or Major Marjorie Pettice I will even alter my prose style slightly to emulate the IP owner's. My purpose is to blend in.

Sean Taylor: Oh, god, the pitfalls are numerous. Nowadays, perhaps the biggest one is Internet trolls who want to cancel your work based on a blurb or a mere single illustration taken out of context. The fear of someone being in "control" of a character who feels differently about the character can drive some fans crazy. Now, I'm not blaming fans, because there are writers who bring their chosen story (you know, the one they writer regardless of the character they are charged with) and force-fit it on each gig they get.

Not just that, you have to be really careful when it comes to your research. I'm currently writing the adventures of the Golden Amazon for Moonstone, and that's character has a more convoluted history than Donna Troy (or so it feels sometimes). So, it's crucial that I write the version of the character Moonstone wants me to write. I need to be judicial with the research I do on my own and focus more on the story bible I'm provided by the publisher. 

Alan J. Porter: The people charged with approving the work may not know the property as well as you do, and sometimes you just have to accept that and pivot a story idea.

Ron Fortier: No matter how good your intentions are, there will always be old-time fans who hate what you are doing to what they believe to be “their” characters. People get passionate about classic characters and only ever done one way all the time. With them, you can never win and better to invent your own creations.

Bobby Nash: There are simply going to be stories you are not allowed to tell, for one reason or another. You don’t own these characters. You are being allowed to play with someone else’s toys so don’t break them. Most of the time, writing company-owned or licensed characters comes with a huge set of do’s and don’ts. From time to time, I hear people say, “If I was writing (insert your favorite character here), I’d (insert totally off the wall scenario the IP owner won’t let you do in a hundred years).” That’s not the way it works. The IP owner’s job is to protect their characters. Learning to play within those boundaries will work in your favor. I go into tie-in work knowing what kind of stories ‘not’ to pitch.

What are the benefits you've experienced in writing other people's creations?

Bobby Nash: Oh, yes. Certainly. I’ve been fortunate to write a few characters that I grew up loving as a kid. That’s just fun. I got to put words in the mouths of The Green Hornet, The Lone Ranger, Nightveil, Carl Kolchak, James T. Kirk, and more. How cool is that?

From a business perspective, these characters come with a bit of a built-in audience. Writing Kolchak: The Night Stalker put new eyes on my work that might never have heard of me. The hope is that those readers will go and check out some of my other work. We’re always looking for ways to reach new readers so sometimes it happens.

Alan J. Porter: Finding out just how much some characters mean to people, and the impact you can have on their enjoyment and appreciation of those characters.

Sean Taylor: There's a built-in, ready-made audience. That's the biggest benefit. New eyes on your work who may not have seen your previous stories. Plus, there's also the joy of finally being asked to contribute to the ongoing story of characters you love. 

For me, there's also one other fascinating benefit -- the possibility of telling that story that maybe no one else has written because it may not (at first glance) fit the character but clearly does by the time the story is over. For example, when I was asked to write Lance Star: Sky Ranger by IP owner Bobby Nash and publisher Airship 27, the first comment I got back when the editor read the story was, "He's not in his plane. Where's the plane? He's a pilot."  My response was, "Sometimes it's interesting to see what a character must challenge himself/herself/themself to do when they are out of their regular element, and sure enough, after a few pages, Lance was back in the sky chasing his villain in his suped-up plane. He just had to figure out how to get there from the Paris Catacombs first. 

Ron Fortier: There’s an inherent learning experience that comes from writing established characters. The restrictions make it possible to challenge your own creativity and challenge yourself to bring something new to the character that doesn’t contradict what’s been done before, or change them. That’s a huge challenge and when met, can expand your own writing skills a great deal.

Brian K Morris: Aside from having fun working on other people's creations, a large benefit comes from showing my work to a different audience. That's why when I was kinda forced to write full-time because I lost my office job, I took advantage of the late, lamented Kindle Worlds program. I was already a fan of the Bloodshot comic book, which KW had the rights to use, so it was an easy decision to write a Bloodshot book to tap into that existing fan base. Many of my Bloodshot fans followed me to other projects, I'm glad to say.