Filing off the serial numbers

[Sablesword]

and slapping on a coat of paint - an example.

We have Michael Moonsmith, last of the old Star Rangers or the first of the new, depending on your point of view. He is a hero of the rebellion that overthrew the empire and restored the Old Federation. As a Star Ranger he can draw strange powers from the Well of Life ("the Well," for short). He flies an antique Daggerjet starfighter; he first flew it on the desperate mission to destroy the first Imperial Mauler, a gigantic spaceship that could destroy a planet with a single shot from its Vortex Gun. Other characters are Jasmine Ebon, Assemblywoman from the planet Ebon (since destroyed by the Mauler) to the old Federation Assembly. And Jon Mono, smuggler captain and owner of the Thunderbird, a flying-junkheap of a freighter. And...

And its easy to fix stuff that one doesn't like about the original (Mort Vad, the grim henchman of the Emperor, is a clone of Michael's father, which is why he claims to be Michael's father himself. And his claim is true - from a certain point of view.)

Also, one can use this technique to bring in mergers: In a far corner of the galaxy is the United Stellar Republics. Hailing from there comes the starship Adventurous, skippered by Captain Toma J. Knight (human from the planet Dobe). His first officer is Mr. Hawk, a half-Human half-Avian. He takes mostly after his Avian side - emotionless and coldly logical. He, like all Avians, has a deep connection with the Well, but is mostly unable to use it. Unlike Michael Moonsmith and the other Star Rangers, Mr. Hawk and the other Avians are limited to touch-telepathy, to a psionic knockout known as the Avian Shoulder Claw, and to a general ability to keep others in the area from projecting the power of the Well outside of themselves. And then there are the other crewmembers (human and non-) of the starship Adventurous as it encounters the Empire and the Rebellion/New Federation.

 

[Journia]

I like this technique.

 

[kopfhorer1]

This technique has been used by popular singers, songwriters and musicians for centuries!

 

[Sablesword]

Sure, it's a technique that's "older than dirt." My point is that people should use it more. In particular, every writer her who sits down to commit fan fiction should take a minute to seriously consider filing off the serial numbers and slapping on a coat of paint, instead.

It has lots of advantages: You can fix things, you can easily add in elements from other sources, you can combine two story-worlds without having the seams show so much, you can make major major changes without fear or guilt - and you get to enjoy the great smug feeling that your changes are canon.

And if you're using fan fiction as training wheels to learn how to write, then the filing-off-the-serial-numbers technique works as a better set of training wheels.

So for all the fan-fiction authors here in TT: Please. At least consider it. At least try it once.