What is considered "fanfiction", and what is considered outright plagiarism? I ask this because I recently saw some information written by an individual in another community entirely, that was blatantly from The Wheel of Time. I don't necessarily want to start any trouble, but as someone who is an artist (and what is writing if not an art?), this always alarms me a little bit. Input?

Fan fiction is using the characters or a world from someone else's fictional universe but creating your own story with your own words - plagiarism is using phrases or parts of the writing from someone else's story without changing it or else changing only a little through paraphrasing while not indicating that it is someone else's words or work through citation or quotation. Fan fiction can of course be plagiarism though. If they are somehow making money off it or plan to officially publish it that is definitely something that should notify an author or their representative about - if its just someone toying around on a writer's forum I probably wouldn't do much more than make it known to the forum that he/she is plagiarising and probably leave it at that.

^ what Taltos said.

 

but keep in mind with regards to the Wheel of Time specifically.  RJ was very much opposed and disliked anyone doing fan fiction for this series.

OK! Well, there is an individual using things directly taken from The Wheel of Time (even so far as using images directly from the Wheel of Time wiki), and making his own story with them but not really crediting anyone for the ideas. It is a completely different universe he has inserted stuff from WoT into. What would you guys recommend that I do? Should I link it to someone, or say something to this individual myself? 

Could you give an example of what he is taking and how he is using it? If he is just using characters or other elements from the Wheel of Time but making his own story with those objects rather than copying passages or paraphrasing the plot, then it sounds just like most fan fiction. However, if he did not make it known that the Wheel of Time is the inspiration behind it, and is instead presenting those characters as his own original creations, I would ask him what he thinks he is doing first, as long as he didn't give me some other reason to dislike him personally, and then if he won't publically come clean that his characters aren't his own, I would tell others on this website that he is a thief at the very least.

He is using Shaidar Haran specifically, in name and description -- as well as an image from the Wheel of Time wiki, and acting as if his character created Shaidar Haran. There's no mention of being inspired by anything, and I think he's taken a couple other characters as well and done the same sort of thing. It made me a little uncomfortable, and I haven't said anything yet just because I want to do the right thing. I definitely understand fanfiction, and I can respect that but this felt a little off to me. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed wrong to be roleplaying this character with a bunch of people with not a single mention of inspirations or anything.

does the site you're on have any rules regarding character creation and copy right issues / plagiarism.

 

 

if you do feel uncomfy about it, i would suggest to contact a mod over it on the site rather than confronting him directly and express your concern.