From: mdhangton@gmail.com   
      
   It happens that J.Pascal formulated :   
   > I was wondering who'd committed fan fiction (and was willing to confess) and   
   > what effect you think it had on your writing ability and career?   
   >   
   > Also... what property engaged you enough to make you crazy enough to write in   
   > that world?  Did you just love the setting that much to want to play in it   
   > with a new cast, or was it the characters you wanted to see more of?   
   > Something else?   
   >   
   > I'll start.  I've never actually done it.  I've only been tempted.   
   >   
   > Once to have Taura bear Roic's baby before she died and have the little girl   
   > (girl, obviously) delivered to Vorkosigan house.  Not a plot, obviously, just   
   > a situation.   
   >   
   > My other temptation was Highlander - New characters and my idea of how a new   
   > TV series ought to work.  I've actually written some of that one.  Plotted   
   > out episodes and done a bit of character development and sketches.  In that   
   > case it's sort of heartbreaking to work on even though it fascinates me   
   > because it's simply impossible.  And don't say "file the serial numbers off"   
   > because that completely kills it for me.  As soon as I think of trying to   
   > separate it from what I think is SO COOL... it dies.   
   >   
   You've reached a skill level where you're not going to have trouble   
   finding a TV show or TV show script or TV show character that sucks.   
   Ask yourself what quality *this one* has that makes you want to fix it.   
    Then try to write something with that quality that isn't somebody   
   else's commercial property.   
      
   I don't know everything, but that's my advice.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)