Rewriting the Endings to Your Favorite Novel?
Some great novelists, those who sell millions of copies, can spin a great story, yet fall short on the ending. Not having completed a novel yet myself (I’ve started a few, but never finished any), I assume it would be difficult to make sure all the loose ends are wrapped up at the end, all the while focusing on bringing a story to a satisfying conclusion.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to rewrite the ending of your favorite novels that may suffer in that area? I’m thinking this would be a great writing exercise if nothing else. It would be interesting to read what different endings were conceived by others.
Would there be any legal issues to posting such endings on a forum such as here on WordsForWords.com? While the whole novel would not be reproduced here, there would most likely be usage of characters, locations and some events that may appear in the original novel. Are there any copyright issues with publishing those here?
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Posted on March 15th, 2006 by jason
Filed under: Writing
Technically, no. If you attempted to publish it for profit, the answer might be different, but generally U.S. copyright law doesn’t cover general plot and characters. That said, if you borrow too much and call it your own, an author might take exception - welcome to a litigious society.
My suggestion: If you’re rewriting an ending, simply open the entry with a credit to the original author, note that the new work is NOT that of the original author, and note that the rewritten element borrows characters and/or plot scenarios.
Most importantly, if an author or publisher does take exception, immediately comply with their request to take down the posting unless you’re willing to take a free speech standing!