The Midnight Sun situation
I was as shocked as anyone yesterday to hear that MIDNIGHT SUN, the re-telling of TWILIGHT from the hero's point of view, has been postponed indefinitely.
If you haven't yet read Stephenie Meyer's letter to fans, then please go here first.
Finished reading? Okay.
I suppose my reaction to this could probably best be summed up by eavesdropping on my phone conversation this afternoon with Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
PHONE RINGS
Me: Hello?
Jen: It's me. Did you hear about--
Me: Midnight Sun getting posted by Internet pirates!?!
Jen: YES!
Me: I would die.
Jen: It's awful. I won't even go read the pages she went ahead and posted because I would never want anyone reading MY first drafts.
Me: I would die.
Jen: What a terrible situation. She must feel so violated.
Me: I would die.
(fast forward through five minutes of Jen making very knowledgeable and well-formed statements and me saying "I would die" fifty more times.)
Jen: So what are you doing?
Me: I've got to dry my hair and then go buy puff pastry so that I can make apple turnovers.
Jen: Okay. Well, I better let you get back to that then.
JEN HANGS UP AND THEN GOES AND DOES SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE PUFF PASTRY.
I've spent a lot of today thinking about Internet piracy and author's rights and--perhaps most importantly--the ROLE of the first draft.
1. Internet piracy: it's shoplifting. Pure and simple. It's no different than walking into a bookstore, shoving a book down your pants and then leaving. So it's bad, in other words. Don't do it.
2. Author's rights: An author's ownership of their work is an incredibly important and personal thing.
This situation is not unlike having someone post pictures of you in your underwear on the Internet. It's not so bad as truly indecent pictures, but it's definitely not showing a person in their best light or even the light that they choose to leave the house in.
I don't know who leaked the draft or why or how. I have met Stephenie--once. For about two and a half minutes, so I'm not saying this as her friend--I wouldn't presume to use such a label. I'll say it simply as an author: I would die.
Some people might point out that I have, in fact, posted draft versions of deleted scenes for my books to this blog from time to time, but this is different. So very different.
I chose what scenes to post. And when to post them. And how to set readers up for them. I made those decisions. The thought of having someone else make those decisions for me is terrifying.
Also, those drafts were posted AFTER the final book was in place.
It's one thing to show readers a finished product and then show them what the book looked like in its rough form. It's a very, very different thing to see a rough draft and then try to imagine what the finished book will be.
Most people never get past first perceptions.
I can't even get past first perceptions.
(CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY entered this world as an incredibly bad book. In my mind it will always be an incredibly bad book even though 99% of readers, my editors, my agent, my friends, and my mom all say they like it better than Love You Kill You.)
So that's why I would die.
Because something very, very personal was taken from me without my permission.
And because I would be so humiliated that the world saw me (and my work) when it was at its worst.
3. And that brings us to the role of a first draft...
I don't know how Stephenie works, but I do know that very few writers write first drafts as if they're supposed to be finished drafts.
For example, it's not uncommon at all for my drafts to say something like "insert something funny here" or "come up with a way for Bob to get the magic crystal"...
And then just skip to the part where Bob is looking at the magic crystal.
And you know what? THAT'S OKAY. That's the role first drafts serve for me and my writing process.
But if BOB AND THE MAGIC CRYSTAL was slated to be the biggest book of 2010...
And if millions of people around the world loved the most recent book in the series, BOB AND THE ENCHANTED EMERALD...
And if the BOB AND THE PSYCHEDELIC SAPPHIRE movie was about to come out...
Then I highly doubt that people would "get" that first drafts and finished drafts are incredibly different things that serve incredibly different purposes. People would instead just talk about how crappy BOB AND THE MAGIC CRYSTAL is and about how I must really be slipping as a writer.
Books are like people--they will change a lot between the ages of one and thirteen and thirty—they’re supposed to.
At least my books do.
And that’s why if the draft of Kat/Heist I’m working on right now made it onto the Internet…
I would die.
posted by Ally Carter at Friday, August 29, 2008
52 Comments:
I'm not a writer so I can't say how I would feel, but I can imagine, especially based on what both you and Stephenie have said on the matter. I have to say I horribly dissapointed that it got leaked, and that now she's not going to finish it. I was looking foward to it even more than I looked foward to Breaking Dawn. Sigh.
Ohmygosh! I heard about that when I was on vacation and I felt SO BAD for Stephenie Meyer! She must have been so embarrassed! I'm a big fan of the series, and when I heard about it I was totally shocked. Nothing like this even happened when Breaking Dawn was coming out!!! I feel so awful even though I didn't read the illegal postings or the one on Stephenie's site (even though I REALLY want to!) because if I were as huge as her or you, I would DIE if someone saw my first draft of ANYTHING they werent supposed to see! It's just so awful!
OMG!!! I read that yesterday and i'm freaking out! I feel so bad for Stephenie, and i'm SO MAD at whoever leaked her draft. This person ruined a chance for a great book for Stephenie and for all the rest of her fans. I can't even go on her website because it gets me all depressed to see her latest blog entry. I hope she will feel better about this eventually, and maybe finish Midnight Sun. But if she doesn't, then these are going to be sad and dark times for all twilighters.
Hey Ally, I FULLY agree about the whole internet shoplifting thing, it's so rude! I like drawing (but I suck at it) so if someone took my drawings and put them online?! man that would suck, I hate half of my pics because I haven't really refined more then five. I have to say though I read the draft. Not the shoplifted one the one steph posted. It was really good, and I read the whole thing in half a day.
I have to agree with the I would die theory and I'm a reader not a writer. Someone was trying to cash in on the Twilight name and probably made lots of money by selling Stephenie Meyer out. This is wrong on so many levels, but most of all that person caused everyone who wanted to read the finished product to miss out for no telling how long. I love the whole Twilight series and was counting down to Midnight Sun with everyone else.
i totally understand that. i've often found myself cringing when people want to read what i've written. i went to a writer's conference where we had to finish a first draft then turn it in for critique.
i NEARLY died.
my head was saying, but it's not done! this isn't anywhere NEAR what i can really do. this is suckish. to the tenth power squared! maybe add a few more zeros on for good measure. either way, it's almost embarrassing, having someone read your thoughts in their purest, haphazard form.
so internet piracy. bad form. a good way to kill any writer, i'd say. :(
Briana
I havent read What Stephenie posted either.. i really want to but since she wasnt ready for us to read it i wont. i think it is only fair. but i do hope that this feeling will past and she will continue writing it one day and sell it because i was so excited about it.. i love edward and couldnt wait to read from his perspective. But if she decides to definately never start writting it again .. i just might have to go in a read it.
wow. that's ridiculous. I really can't imagine how upset I would be. if she's been writing that for the past, say, two years, then having the drafted leaked would mean losing two years of my life, and I really don't know how much I could bare that.
as for piracy, I used to download music illegally up until college. when I got there I realized how much so many artists struggle to make a living on their art, and I started to pay for my music as I should. anything else would give me a bad taste in my mouth.
if you were the writer, how could you ever forgive the pirate? especially if they were a trusted friend. if you were the pirater, how could you ever forgive yourself?
eegh. That sucks, i'm not really a big fan of the twighlight series (no offense Twighlight author!) But i still feel bad for her. I like to write too, and I know that if my story as it is now(unfinished, unedited, and very, very, rookieish) were posted all over the internet I wouldn't feel like writing any more on it either. But on the plus side, I'm the first one to post! Yay! Happy Labor day ALly.
I saw that on stephinie's website and I think i died. I felt so bad for her! She seemed devastated! I would hate it! People need to respect other peoples work and just wait for it to come out!
when i found out midnight sun was postponed indefinitely i was absolutely a MESS. SO MANY fans around the world were already looking forward to it, since stephenie first mentioned writing it and posted that first chapter on her website.
so my question is: do you think there are AAANNNYYY SLIM CHANCES that stephenie will eventually start to write it again and hopefully still publish it??!!
this is truly a tragedy : ( !!
Oh my gosh! That is so awful! I cannot believe that someone would do that. I feel terrible for her.
-Lisa
i totally agree with you Ally. Its an invasion of privacy. and if anyof my little stories i just write to write every leaked into the internet without my permission, well i would die, too.
I cried. I literally sat in my room and cried. And not because Midnight Sun was put on hold indefineately, but because Stephenie Meyer's rights were violated in such a hideous way.
OMG I feel so bad for her too.
I can't believe that there are some people that would do that!!!
Oh my gosh, when I read that I was so upset!!! As much as I wanted to read Midnight Sun I never wanted it to be posted on the Internet illegally and unfinished!! I can't believe that happened AND the rest is being postponed! It totally ruined my day. I'm still upset about it and probably will be until another one of her books come out in who knows how many years. So yeah, it's bad. I would die too if it were me.=(
i get incredibly embarassed when my brother reads my stuff without permission. i cannot imagine what it is like to have a whole draft read by so many people before it was anywhere near ready. poor stephenie, and i hope she doesn't get to discouraged.~M
Hey Ally,
I heard about Twilight from you. I started reading them and could not stop! My friends and I are serious Twilighters. We were awaiting Midnight Sun's arrival. BUT! When this happened I called my friend. WE SCREAMED FOR HOURS! She had to come over so we could talk about how maddening this is. I agree with you. NO author should EVER have this happen to them.
this is a message to whoever leaked it: Nice going. Now we have to wait sixty times as long for the book.
But whatever. Hopfully we will get it at some point. I'm going to buy it even if im like 40.
Thanks for blogging about this Ally. Best Luck with getting GG3 out there (no leak-age). Title yet???? No. Okay guess my friends and I will have to keep guessing.
From a Twi-hard,
Wghoops21
I read what happened on Stephenie Meyer's website a few days ago, and I was hoping you'd post something about what happened. I don't understand how it would feel, and I hope I don't have to. I'm working on a book (obviously not a big thing) and I would feel really violated if someone read it right now. Its not done and its not how I'd like it. I feel so bad fore her.
I'm an aspiring writer and i know how this feels. I lent out one of my copies of one of my books to someone i thought was a friend and showed it to almost the whole school. I felt so violated and i stopped writing for almost 6 months. I totally agree with Stephenie about how she can't write in that mind frame because she would end up killing everyone. I feel so bad for her. she has all of my support and i back her 100% on holding off the book.
To the fans: don't give them the satsifaction and read the leak. give stephenie you're support. she needs it now more than ever.
a fan
PS. bob and the magic crystal? lol nice title...
NOTE: To all the obsessive Twilight fangirls who may or may not read this, please don't get upset or anything about my opinions on Twilight. A lot of people don't take opinions so well. So, anyway...
I never really liked Twilight. I'm not going to say I hated it--I just thought certain main characters were annoying.
But, as a writer, I feel like ripping up a pillow over this...and I don't even consider myself a fan of the series. I just...couldn't even imagine what I would do.
Stephenie Meyer has taken it so much better than I would have. I would...well, die.
~ You-Know-Who
I know! I am so incredibly mad and upset at whoever posted it. It is so unfair to Stephenie. And, she said on her website that it was given to "trusted individuals", and to have that trust be broken has to be incredibly hard. Plus, I was really, really, really looking forward to reading Midnight Sun. It was going to be an entire book devoted to Edward's perspective. And, now to have it be determined as "I might publish it" is just so...sad.
when i read the blog she wrote she sounded so depresssed and I felt sooooo bad for her. I didn't read what she had posted because even though she had posted it, it wasn't really her choice and I didn't want to violate her privacy any more than it already has been.
she's really not going to write it? Do you really think she won't... I think that's terrible. In a way, I think she should finish it, sure take a break, but in the end I don't think it's right to give up on it. :(. I'm a writer, and this summer ALL of my writing from the past year was lost. I didn't think I'd ever be able to write again, but of course I have gotten back into it. I forced myself. I just can't help thinking it's wrong to say 'never'. I love Stephenie, and I hope she can get past this.
i'm not much of a writer so before my teachers help me edit my papers they look pretty bad and so i would totally die if someone saw my first draft. I totally feel bad for Stephanie I was sooo looking forward to the book to like more than Breaking Dawn!!!!!
I WOULD DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That post of hers seriously made me cry. I can understand how she feels, but even worse she made her post SOUND like how she felt. I love when writers do that in books, to get the emotion across, but the fact that this was REAL made it terrible!
I understand not reading it, too. I know I'm not going to, but not just because of her feelings, or because I'm lazy. (Those are both true, but still...) It would feel so wrong! Reading something so unfinished, something she is so sad about happening that she QUIT writing it. I would feel terrible just looking at it!
I was so looking forward to that book, too. It makes me feel sad, too. (Though, probably not on the same level)
I want to find whoever leaked this to the internet, and beat them with their keyboard. Honestly, she gave them that copy in faith and trust, and they betrayed her. I hope she takes this person to court! I hope she can come to peace over this eventually, though the sting will always be there. As much as I've been dying for Midnight Sun to come out, I won't go near the posts. I want to read it the way she wants her fans to read it, nothing less.
I really, really hope she does start writing it again. Twilightlexiconblog.com and other fansites are doing stuff, so the fans can show their support for her. Like a banner you can put on your myspace, blog, LJ, basically anything. They're also doing a virtual quilt and a video thing. Stephenie gave the PDF for 264 of Midnight Sun on her website, and after having quite literally just finished, can I just say that she MUST continue this? Midnight Sun was and still is the only thing getting me through the heart break of the series being over.
I'm not a published author by any means, but I do write and consider myself a writer. I can't imagine what I would if one of my rough drafts got distributed all over the internet, but I really hope she starts writing on it again in nearish future.
I almost didn't even read the one she gave the fans permission to, but I couldn't resist reading it. She doesn't give herself enough credit in writing the rough drafts though because it's brilliant, especially since it is a rough draft. But that makes me sad too. If the rough draft is this good, imagine the final, beautiful copy.
The only people who read my rough drafts are very rarely my two best friends, and my betas for my fan fiction, who are both rather ruthless in editing.
I found out about this, the indefinite hold, my jaw dropped, and I was sad and mad at the same time. The whole situation sucks for everyone, especially her, because not only where her rights violated as a author, but as human being.
wow that must be terrible for Stephanie. i know i don't want the world to see my first drafts of my stories. they're TERRIBLE!!!!! i feel sooooo bad for her. hope it never happens to you. -LEC :)
can't wait till GG3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think that is enough maybe one more !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man that sucks i can't beleive someone would do that especially to her. I'm a big fan of the series b/c its is great! but i don't know how someone would do that to her
Yeah, I was so shocked. I just randomly went on Stephenie Meyer's website, and Bam! How sad. But I must say, I loved your 'Bob and the Magic Crystal' analogy. That's hysterical. :)
Hehe. You're so creative... But I think I can kind of relate to this whole "my writing. can't touch" thing :) Well, I like that Bog and the magical crystal spoof!
that is so not fair at all ! A person's book supposed to be exploited like that. I am working on a book and i would hate if that would happen. ( also i personnally loved Cross my heart to spy).
I would die too, Ally. I just read Twilight a week ago in like two days, because it was sooooo addicting. I'm now one of those die-hard Twilight fans in love with Edward Cullen. I wish I read Twilight sooner, but I didn't but now I'm in love with it.
But i feel so bad for Stephenie Meyer. People can be so rude. It's ridiculous. We all have to wait for Midnight Sun those people that pasted it on the web ruined it on not only us but on themselves they should be ashamed!
OMG! I haven't read Twilight so I haven't heard about this. That is completely and totaly awful though. I can't imagine how Stephenie must feel, that is a total violation of privacy. I'm writting a book right now and if anyone ever leaked it I would die. That is so completly awful. I can't believe that anyone would ever do something like that. That is truly awful.
its so horrible. what kind of person would do that!?? I refuse to read it because its a total violation of stephenies rights as an author and a human for someone to have done something so cruel to her.
All of the above tis true. It was horrible what happened. If anyone even saw my IDEAS for some of the drafts I am writing like "Pinkies First" and "The Dress" I would die. The titles aren't even good. I am reading what she put out though because it's actually really good. I can't imagine any of my first drafts being that good or having paragraphs. i hate paragraphs with a passion.
Ally, when I read her post, I did die!
How could someone do this? We Twilighters have been well known for our good rep in keeping the books out of the public eye until the day of!!!!!!!! And now someone has completely distroyed not only our reputations, but Stephenie as well.
This stinks.
I did die.
I just want to say to whoever did this,not only have you broken the hearts of millions of fans, you have also broken the heart of the genius behind it. Shame on you!
Was that too harsh? No, no it wasn't....
Support Stephenie Meyer day: Sept. 13. Wear black, white, and red.
I can understand that Stephenie doesn't plan to finish the book. I think what happenned is horrible, and it kills all the suspense. But I really hope she can get past this, so she can write some other really amazing books. And if another one was leaked I think I might die. Because The Host is my favorite book. (no offense to your books ally I <3 them too) On another note, I am excited that Stephenie is going to direct a Jack's Mannequin music video! - anyone who has read The Host and listened to "Rescued" probably understands.
P.S. I refuse to read the unfinished version of Midnight Sun.
I would totally die too! I mean I am writting novels and I only let my friends read what I have so far... with hesitations! THat is ABSOLUTLEY HORRIBLE!!!
Man, it stinks soooo much that Midnight Sun us never coming out! I just found out about the whole thing today since I was out of town, and I am so sad.
ugh:[
im so depressed.
i started crying when i read that on her site. its depressing, really. it just makes me soo mad that someone could be so ignorant and just plain stupid enought to do something like that!
Reminder: Support Stphenie Meyer day is Sept. 13th!
i think it's totally inappropriate that someone did this. not only is it a violation of Stephenie Meyer's privacy, it's a violation of her rights as a human being. this person has hurt so many people just in one action. the fans who eagerly awaited this book, and stephenie. from what i've read her feelings are really hurt and because of this so are her feelings toward the book and it's characters.
even though i'm sad that she's undecided in the decision to continue writing it in the future, i applaud her in her choice. she should do exactly what she thinks is right for her books.
I saw that the day she posted it!! I was so freaked!! I feel so bad for her and I wanted to read "Midnight Sun" SOOOO BAD! But thanks to the dang internet Pirates.... the people that are honest and truley love Stephenies books won't get to see it published!!! Im gonna go cry now....
I feel so bad for Stephanie. I am not a writer, but even for like rough drafts of essays I do stuff similar to that, and it would be horrific if my teacher took THAT paper as a grade. I just feel so bad for her, but i think that she handeled it the best way possible.
Actually, I like Love you kill you waaay more than hope to spy. I hope you're not offended. I think it is because I felt like nothing was resolved at all at the end, and then first one was funnier. They also had more moments of victory, that mattered. I felt like all Cammie did was lose at stuff in this book. I wanted her to kick some butt and show that girls are as smart and as tiff as boys and I just didn't see it. I felt she was totally outdone by Zack all the time, when he needed to learn some lessons in humilty. And then the end seemed really abrupt for some reason, dunno why.
haha so kat/heist is going to be about bob and his crystals! haha i love your blog ally. i read it every day. it makes the day that much more bareable. and i feel so bad for stephenie meyer because she is such a great writer. (not that it would have been less horrible if she was a bad writer). i really hope those people feel really bad about what they did.
Im so angrey that Midnight Sun got pirated on the internet. I only herd about this a few days ago!! I can only imagine how Stephinie Meyer feels! Im tempted to read the draft that Stephenie posted up on her site but i don't think i will. Why read it if you won't be able to read the actual book? this is like a huge blow to vampire fans and book readers every where!!! It so sad...
Oh my goodness. That makes me so angry I want to go hit someone (I definitly will not though). She must definitly be hurt. Words can't describe how mad I am at the moment.
-Devin
I was very shocked when I learned on the day it happened. I cannot even possibly imagine it happening to anyone. It must be sooo hard for her. I agree with you a hundred percent on that I couldn't read the first draft. I really don't know why she put it out for everyone. But I guess I don't know what shes going through either. I don't really want to read the first draft because I like reading a book at its best and how the author imagined it should be. Thank You for making this blog discussing the matter.
First off, I do feel sorry for Ms. Meyer. Since she's an emotional writer anyway, I understand why she and others in her situation feel violated enough to not be able to continue a project.
Yes, I agree that the person should not have spread the text without the author's permission. I even understand the tear-up-a-pillow response. That doesn't mean I share it.
Anonymous said, "I'm an aspiring writer and i know how this feels. I lent out one of my copies of one of my books to someone i thought was a friend and showed it to almost the whole school."
Same thing happened to me with my first major writing project. I was 14, and I gave a few friends at school copies of the novel I was working on. Next thing I knew, most of the high school (of umpteen people) had read it. ...Okay. Freaky, embarrassing, but okay.
Then I got a ride back to school from a field trip with a classmate's mom... That's how I found out that my classmates were sharing my work with their parents, too.
Was I embarrassed and spooked? Yes. Did I stop writing that project? No.
That first horrible novel may repulse me, but it's proved useful. Like one of my writer friends is all morose because I'm so much better at writing than she is. I just show her where I started a mere 7 years ago.
I say this as an example of an alternate reaction to the text's release. Focus on how useful it can be to aspiring authors if they can have the original draft in one hand and the finished edition in the other. It helps. A lot.
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