Story Idea: A possible Babylon 4 series?

[WorkerCaste]

I just took a spin through the thread and did tallying. Here's what I found:

Allow story ideas - no restrictions: 2
Allow story ideas - special forum: 1 (* 2)
No story ideas: 7 (* 6)

* One person thought a special forum was OK, but when Jan said it is probably either or, they switched to "No"

Is this enough to establish for a decision?

[NotKosh]

No on story ideas & fanfic.

[bulletproofmonk]

Count me in for NO.

[Spoo Junky]

Me too - no story ideas and the like. I prefer stuff with JMS input.

[grumbler]

I just took a spin through the thread and did tallying. Here's what I found:

Allow story ideas - no restrictions: 2
Allow story ideas - special forum: 1 (* 2)
No story ideas: 7 (* 6)

* One person thought a special forum was OK, but when Jan said it is probably either or, they switched to "No"

Is this enough to establish for a decision?

I would say a 70% vote, even with a small sample size, is enough.

[Harrdy]

Well, didn't know that story ideas are such a "hot topic"... sorry then, and I wouldn't have written any fan-fic myself anyway, maybe just in german 9-)

I still think the idea of telling the past (with each episode) is quite a new idea for storytelling, and by itself is no idea for a story but only a way of telling the story. Well...

PeAcE

[Kloreep]

Unfortunately, it is a problem JMS when he's surfing the net. Due to legal issues with story ideas, he has to avoid them lest he read something he has already thought of himself, and thereby be prevented from using it. (I'm not sure if you're aware, but "Passing Through Gesthamane" almost didn't happen, and was delayed from Season 2 where he originally planned to write it. See here and here.)

I think you have an interesting idea. However, since this is a site devoted to Straczynski, it seems a little odd to make the forums a place he can't visit. So, since Jan says it is indeed an all-or-nothing deal for him... please take no offense, as it is not a problem with you, but I think it would be best for all of us to post any story ideas on other Babylon 5 forums.

[Kris79]

Not to mention, being a writer, storyteller, filmmaker myself, I would prefer to stay away from sites and forums that have story ideas, which is why I only come here and to B5tv (where only one such story ever has appeared in my time there and it was noted in headings)...that way I don't read them.

I've been looking at the development of this topic over the past few days, pondering my view on the matter and I feel I also have to alter my decision to allow fanfic on this site.

I like Andrew and many others enjoy the conversations generated within this forum and I now believe that fanfic would not be appropriate here. It is a shame that the legality issue plays a big part in this - however, considering that JMS is to this day the only creator/exec. producer of a series to personally message its followers on various topics, I'd hate to see that disappear due to the risk that a fan, fellow writer may in the future question a story development that JMS has put together.

The same is very strict with the Star Trek franchise and others. Hell, I've developed two additional serials for the Babylon universe and would love to let you all know about them, but wouldn't get anywhere with them.

May I suggest that if you feel strongly about your creations, you contact the relevant people and possibly create it as a novelisation. The world of books doesn't always have to follow the standard time line and (in most cases) the appeal of a prequel or alternative reality to a recognised legacy is greater.

The Star Trek novels that were designed to feature a whole new crew, new ship, new destiny were highly popular in the UK, let alone anywhere else. I guess this is just something to be considered.

[Harrdy]

Ouch, real hot Topic it seems. After reading the two links I propose that I am gladly and ready to sign any contract saying that my idea is not (only) my idea, just to keep B5 running... but on the other side: IS it still running? It's kind of sad to see that the movie stopped. I'm not sure if there will be more stuff (soon?). Anyway: Again sorry for any trouble and send those partnership collective attorney drones to me if I am blocking anything...

PeAcE

[Andrew_Swallow]

Fan fiction can be found at

https://www.b5tv.com

https://www.isnnews.net/forums

[Woolie Wool]

The whole lawsuit thing seems a bit dubious. Many people would be honored for their story ideas to be used in a B5-verse series. Besides, George Lucas took several elements from the EU for his prequels and nothing bad happened.

[Jan]

But then, it doesn't really matter if they would feel honored or not, or if they'd sue or not or who else has done what when. The point is that writers have to be careful and that JMS doesn't allow himself to be exposed to the risk. Do a search on the archives if you want to see more of his own posts.

Jan

[Capt.Montoya]

The whole lawsuit thing seems a bit dubious. Many people would be honored for their story ideas to be used in a B5-verse series. Besides, George Lucas took several elements from the EU for his prequels and nothing bad happened.

The Star Wars case would be a different one. The Extended Universe books would likely have been works for hire, with the rights belonging to Lucas's company already.
The other option would be that Lucas had provided an outline but given the way his prequels have turned out that I doubt very much...

If you check the links to the "Gethsemane" story problem you'll realize that it was only because the person signed a legal release that we got the episode.
Many a shark-lawyer would smell the blood-money and counsel the person who posted the idea to sue for millions.
Under that risk JMS would rather NEVER tell a story than risk losing everything.

I found the post where JMS says he will not tell the Babylon 4 story precisely because someone was "enthusiastic" enough to suggest the idea to him:

>How about a one or half season series about valen and the shadow war a 1000
>years ago.
>Valen could come into the series after a 1 or 2 episodes, after wee see how
>the minbari were left with no central HQ.

{...}

2) DO NOT SEND ME STORY IDEAS *EVER* FOR ANY REASON, ESPECIALLY IN EMAIL!

Understand that my being here is always a precarious compromise. If somebody
sends me a story idea, and it happens to be anywhere NEAR what I am thinking
about doing or might do in the future, it puts me at SUBSTANTIAL LEGAL RISK of
being sued.

Think it's an unnecessary concern? Ask Marion Zimmer Bradley, who lost a whole
NOVEL due to EXACTLY this sort of thing.

Because this has been posted here, you can be absolutely sure that I will now
not do ANYTHING like this, at ANY time.
{....}

Emphasis added, for the full post go here: http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-159...ry=valen%20war

And contrast that to a much earlier post:

{original post had no questions}

Thanks, and I'd love to someday tell the story of Valen and
Zathras in the most recent shadow war. It's quite a tale, actually....

jms

http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?ID=1-5344

I don't know who we have to "thank" for losing any chance of ever seeing the B4 story, but I'm glad our current situation with forbidding story ideas stemmed from one story idea that has already been screwed up and will not be told.

For a site dedicated to archive the posts of JMS, with the multiple warnings against story ideas therein, it is completely fitting that the policy prohibits story ideas in the forums.

JMS has gone on record to say that he visits the archive himself < http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-16690 >
Any lawyer could use that against him and say that if he visits the archive he could very easily have visited the forums and read and stole any story ideas.

The ultimate effect of having story ideas at the domain www.jmsnews.com could well be denying JMS himself access to the site.

I don't think anyone here would want that to happen.

[WorkerCaste]

The whole lawsuit thing seems a bit dubious. Many people would be honored for their story ideas to be used in a B5-verse series. Besides, George Lucas took several elements from the EU for his prequels and nothing bad happened.

Tell that to the people over at Pixar, who were sued over Monsters, Inc because an artist had already created a ball creature with arms and legs, and who were also sued over Finding Nemo by an author who had created a story about a clown fish. These are just off the top of my head. The suits may not succeed, probably won't, but cost a lot of time, energy and money to fight. A lot of people might be honored, but there are a whole lot of people who are looking for their ship to come in.

[Harrdy]

Well, it seems to me the "intelectual property" law is broken... but who am I to say such a thing 8o)
(must be a Commie *g*)

PeAcE