(no subject)

[ellyssian]

Ah, last night, after having spent much of last evening posting this quiz or that meme or what-have-you, I thought of more meaty content by the dozens. Alas, I am still required to type to transfer from mind to medium, and that interface is simply not fast enough - or available as inspiration may strike - to capture even the barest fragment.

In a comment-stream, scribbling_elf responded to a question of mine and indicated she had some worries about posting original work on the net because of copyright/plagiarism issues. I thought about this for a while, and wondered what my position was on this exactly. It is a subject that concerns me deeply.

From that point, in a somewhat related jump, I've decided that - as I think of them - I shall detail some ideas and concepts for various inventions, methodologies, and so forth. Rather than keeping them secret - and undeveloped - I would rather see them escape into the wild and see how they fare there, on their own.

But of my writing, do I want that to escape and allow others to profit from it?


Well, yes. And no.

If they take my work, repackage it or not, and sell it under their own name, that is something I'm certainly not in favor of. But I do want others to read my work, and if they gather up something from it that benefits them in some sense: an idea or concept that strikes a chord, or a piece of knowledge or thought connected; well, that is exactly what I want.

Although I do not attempt to be preachy (and at times I succeed), I do like to package little lessons, thoughts, or concepts in my work. They are little gems I deem important, something to emulate or avoid, and they are often something I would like to see others take to heart. A moral is of little use to the fable if the reader isn't allowed to walk away with some sense of ownership.

I like to think of them as True Things, or Truths, and often they are as old and as long of beard as thought and dream itself: in a sense, they aren't mine to begin with. I may write them down, twiddle some bits so they appear upon screen or ultimately a printed page, but when I write I think of myself as more of a conduit than a creator, a craftsman perhaps, or even an assembler. Words aren't new or invented (save some exceptions, some of which I promote or even instantiate - "edgertonian" and "aeffect" most notably), but are pulled from here and there, and, with ideas from this influence or that, called to certain orders and structures to speak to others.

I hearken back to an elder tradition - whether it be the composer who writes variations on the theme of a contemporary and assembles tunes collected from the countryside; or the author who does much the same with old stories told from one generation to a younger. "A nod and a wink", says I, to others I admire - frequently I implement a thought of Gaiman, a mood of Lovecraft, a breath of Tolkien, or a jest with de Lint, and I do so to honor them. These names are known - others, should I mention them, might not be so commonly recognized, and some even belong to strangers who I've merely overheard, but even then, the spirit is the same: promote a meme, broaden its awareness, and bring about a connection to that which may not have been apparent.

So quote me, link to me, pass on Truths, and I am happy. Publish me, however, and I expect a request first, and whatever form of compensation - be it riches or merely a byline - is appropriate and agreed upon. Replace my name with yours, though, and I am truly sorry for you, and would not wish to be in your shoes when the time comes.