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WarlockII
Seeker
50 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 13:02:55
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It's a thought I've had for a while. I like my Campaign and bias aside since it's my campaign, I do think it might make a decent book.
So I've been wondering what are the options?
The campaign revolves around a timetraveler who returns to post spellplague and then foretells some events and these lead to some changes in the history.
So even though I'm butchering some cannon stuff, it's happening in this alternate reality.
Even then I'm curious as to what kind of options I have, if I want to write and puplish the story as a novel?
Some feedback would be great 
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3254 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 13:46:26
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As long as you're using the Forgotten Realms IP (names, places, events like the Spellplague), you won't be able to publish without getting WotC/Hasbro approval.
Now, if you rewrite the story so that it does not reference the Realms at all, then other publishers will at least take a look at it. The downside to that is that you'll no longer have the backstory from all the published Realmslore to reference, so 'rewriting history' doesn't come across too well when no one knows what the original history was... |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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WarlockII
Seeker
50 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 14:21:28
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I wasn't thinking of rewriting it. I was wondering how one goes about getting their approval?  |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 14:32:43
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quote:
Originally posted by WarlockII
I wasn't thinking of rewriting it. I was wondering how one goes about getting their approval?
Call their office up, tell them your idea of writing a story that un-changes what they changed, and expect them to hang up on you. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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WarlockII
Seeker
50 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 15:15:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Alisttair
quote:
Originally posted by WarlockII
I wasn't thinking of rewriting it. I was wondering how one goes about getting their approval?
Call their office up, tell them your idea of writing a story that un-changes what they changed, and expect them to hang up on you.
actually it was a serious idea, and no I'm not planning on unchanging the spellplague in any way, just a few other things :P |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 15:27:35
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quote:
Originally posted by WarlockII
quote:
Originally posted by Alisttair
quote:
Originally posted by WarlockII
I wasn't thinking of rewriting it. I was wondering how one goes about getting their approval?
Call their office up, tell them your idea of writing a story that un-changes what they changed, and expect them to hang up on you.
actually it was a serious idea, and no I'm not planning on unchanging the spellplague in any way, just a few other things :P
I guess it depends on what your time-traveler changes. You got nothing to lose. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3254 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 17:20:02
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This has been discussed in a few other scrolls around the `keep. The overwhelming advice is that they will NOT accept any works set in the Realms from new authors. If you want to write for them, you have to establish yourself first, and then let them know you'd be interested in writing for them.
Also, if you do that and they do hire you, they will have certain restrictions on what you could write, so I'd doubt you'd ever get an alternate history published (unless it involved kender, they break all the rules).
It's harsh, I know. But it's the truth. |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 17:39:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
This has been discussed in a few other scrolls around the `keep. The overwhelming advice is that they will NOT accept any works set in the Realms from new authors. If you want to write for them, you have to establish yourself first, and then let them know you'd be interested in writing for them.
Also, if you do that and they do hire you, they will have certain restrictions on what you could write, so I'd doubt you'd ever get an alternate history published (unless it involved kender, they break all the rules).
It's harsh, I know. But it's the truth.
There should be something explaining this on the Wizards website somewhere under Writing Guidelines or some such area (the site is blocked for me I can't go get the exact details but check it you'll find it). |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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WarlockII
Seeker
50 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 18:00:15
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well that is discouraging 
how much do the WotC actually own? What part of realmslore is copywrite if it's not all of it. Like much of the now free 2E does that count?, do the maps count? |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3254 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 18:34:48
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ALL YOUR BASES BELONG TO US.
*ahem* Sorry, don't know where that came from. Everything published by TSR/WotC/Hasbro since they purchased the IP off of Ed is copyrighted by them and cannot be used without their permission. In fact, that's one of the reasons the Compendium hasn't been updated. Some of the wording of the Fansite Kit implies that if you use the kit and create fan material, they may be able to claim it as their own and republish it (with or without the author's approval).
Edit: And there's not any technical 'free 2E stuff'. Even the pdfs they give away are still protected under copyright. |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
Edited by - Ashe Ravenheart on 09 Apr 2010 18:37:29 |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 19:19:20
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quote:
Originally posted by WarlockII
well that is discouraging
You could write a piece of fanfiction, although there can't be any monetary gain and it would never get published and become official that way though (making the work kind of pointless unless that brings you enough satisfaction). |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
735 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2010 : 19:23:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
ALL YOUR BASES BELONG TO US.
Sorry, Ashe, but I cannot stand by and watch this magnificent quote be mangled by the likes of you.
ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!
THAT's how you do it
Other than that, Ashe is right. The fact that some of the 2E books are available as free PDFs from the website does not mean that they are copyright-free. That includes the whole enchilada, maps, and whatnot. |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3254 Posts |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36996 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2010 : 00:01:15
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| I also want to add that many aspiring writers have the idea of making their campaign into a novel. I'm not saying that no campaign could ever become a novel, just that the idea is unfortunately not original -- which makes it less likely for them to like it. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2010 : 01:59:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
ALL YOUR BASES BELONG TO US.
*ahem* Sorry, don't know where that came from. Everything published by TSR/WotC/Hasbro since they purchased the IP off of Ed is copyrighted by them and cannot be used without their permission. In fact, that's one of the reasons the Compendium hasn't been updated. Some of the wording of the Fansite Kit implies that if you use the kit and create fan material, they may be able to claim it as their own and republish it (with or without the author's approval).
Indeed. The apparent vagaries inherent in the Fansite Policy make it somewhat difficult for Candlekeep to weave its way through the legal minefied that has always been an important consideration for any and all FR-related material produced and/or hosted at this site. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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WarlockII
Seeker
50 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2010 : 02:30:17
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that's even more discouraging....  |
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Rosemary Jones
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2010 : 05:46:02
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I hate to see writers discouraged. There's a variety of ways to end up writing from WOTC, if that is what you want to do. The submissions guidelines are on the site. At the moment, as far as I know (and I'm one of the last to know anything), the Realms is pretty much closed to new submissions. However, this often changes and with little notice.
If you attend one of the Cons that the WOTC editors attend, such as the fabled Gencon, this is a good question to ask!
At the same time, if you have a good story idea and it doesn't need to be set in the Realms, explore some other ways of getting it published. Sites like Ralan list a number of publishers of all sizes that are interested in fantasy.
Best wishes to everyone who wants to write -- the world always needs more stories! |
Rosemary Jones
www.rosemaryjones.com |
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So if you want to write a book, about a campaign??
