What draws the line between fiction and fanfiction?
For example, if someone wrote a fanfiction, but then it progressed into something more than a fanfic, but it still kept base things from the series, would it still be a fanfic?
(I also apologise in advance if this isn't the place to ask such questions.)
I agree with Khai and Jonathan makes a good point too. But he also states this as homage not plagiarism, which is why people don't get sued for making their detectives modern examples of Sherlock Holmes.
It is de rigeur to have a detective who extrapolates all data (gathers all information, makes connections everyone else misses, then solves the case), has an extremely odd, even mysanthropic, personality, and spots seemingly insignificant evidence that everyone else tramples into the ground. So it can be done in that sense.
I should also like to congratulate Jonathan on his role in the remake of Randall and Hopkirk (deceased). Joke, buddy. Just a joke. Really nice tie and tux. Award ceremony perhaps?
Cheers all.
PabloJ.
I agree with Khai, though there have been instances where fanfiction has been published in it's own right. There was a recent case (name escapes me I'm afraid) which was approved by the original author, who received a proportion of the royalties.
I confess to mentioning a favourite fictional character of mine in my stories. I'd call it more homage than fan fiction since in both cases it amounts to a few words and the references aren't that easy to spot. Plus I did tell the (well known) author what I'd done.
But using other writers' characters doesn't really appeal.
Sorry, that last line should read: For it to become an original work, it would need to shed every identifiable element invented by the original creator.