Some of you may know -- or may not know -- that I like to write fiction. That is...I like to write fiction when my muse isn't being a huge bitch and deciding that she'd rather be uninspired than help me out.
Which is why...when I had an actual good idea for a short novella of sorts back at the end of August, I was stoked. I wrote the piece and finished it in November. I posted it on the site where I have posted for the last EIGHT years. And that was that. It was all published. People liked it. Hell, it even got nominated for a fiction award.
And then yesterday, I get an e-mail from someone telling me that they were reading on a Fan Fiction site for Tokyo Hotel and came across this story...and low and behold...IT WAS MINE. Someone ripped OFF my story and then tried to pass it off as fan fiction...only bothering to change the names. They even kept the same summary that I'd posted on my original story's site.
The first feeling I had was disappointment that someone would stoop so low. Then I got angry.
Here was this "author" who said they wrote the story after a "dream" (which is not at all where my inspiration came from...how lame). People could comment on the story...and I got mad when I read comments telling the "author" how great the story was...then got even ANGRIER when I saw that the "author" had responded thanking them for their kind words and they were just "hard at work on the next chapter" (yeah...copy and paste is just SOOOO difficult). There were lies within lies in these comments and the more I read, the more pissed off I was.
I sent the mods at the board a long e-mail letting them know that this had occurred...here was the link for my story...notice these publication dates. Would they please take it down? Etc. Etc.
The second step of the process was to alert my readers that this had happened. I posted a rather long and lengthy author's note expressing my concern over the issue and stating that if the matter wasn't dealt with in 24-48 hours, I would be removing the story and pulling out of the Fiction Awards.
40 minutes after that message to the mods of the fan fiction site...the story was no longer on the site and the user's account was taken down. I don't know if it was the mods or the actual poster who did this...but I guess that at this moment...that's not really important. The work has been taken down.
Which leads me to my rant within a rant.
Many of my reader's responded to the author's note with words of encouragement and I am so incredibly grateful for their support.
In fact, my best writer friend (and one of my closest friends even though we don't talk nearly as much as we should because we're both busy) Heather called me to check on me and see how I was holding up. If you stumble across this post...thank you Heather...for being so supportive of my writing and for taking the time to call me and talk to me about this. You calmed me down immensely. I super appreciate it.
But then I got a few messages from others that just infuriated me even more about the whole issue. Some of them stated that I should be "flattered" that someone would take my work. That must mean it's good. That this other person just couldn't come up with a better idea than mine. How could stealing my work possibly be insulting. The other author and I both know who wrote it...and shouldn't that be enough?
HELL NO, that's not enough. I know that this is something I faced when I published online. I guess I just figured people had good morals. That they know that stealing intellectual property and passing it off as their own isn't just morally shitty...it's ILLEGAL. And the fact that someone doesn't get how this could be insulting is just an insult in itself.
I pride myself on my work. Do I think I'm amazing or fucking incredible? No. Do I think I'm going to be the next big literary "It" girl? No. Do I write merely for reviews and fans? No.
I write because I like to. It's an expression and extension of myself. And for someone who's fictional work has been so blocked lately...this was just a huge slap in the face.
There's a difference between linking to a story you enjoy and actually claiming its yours. It's just sad to see how some think that line is blurred and don't realize how bold it really and truly is.
And that's all I'm saying for the last time on this subject.
--J
PS: Okay...one more thing. Tokyo Hotel? For real? FOR SERIOUS? God. I like some terrible music...but Tokyo Hotel? Good God. That in itself is another insult entirely. Jeez.
PPS: THAT'S all I'm saying now. Thanks. :)
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