{"id":25010,"date":"2022-03-01T03:00:14","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T11:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=25010"},"modified":"2022-03-03T19:34:22","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T03:34:22","slug":"tied-in-knots-writing-tie-in-fiction-by-bobby-nash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/01\/tied-in-knots-writing-tie-in-fiction-by-bobby-nash\/","title":{"rendered":"Tied In Knots: Writing Tie-in Fiction by Bobby Nash"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tied<\/a>Let\u2019s welcome back monthly columnist Bobby Nash<\/a> as he shares with us \u201cTied In Knots: Writing Tie-in Fiction.\u201d Enjoy!<\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Beth and I had a conversation about writing media tie-ins recently<\/strong>. She asked that I share some information on what it\u2019s like to work in this field.<\/span><\/p>\n

As long as I\u2019ve been a reader, tie-in fiction was a big part of my TBR file. So long ago in fact, I didn\u2019t know what TBR or media tie-in meant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Media Tie-in?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Media tie-ins are stories based off of a property from another medium. <\/span>Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Firefly, Doctor Who, Zorro, The Lone Ranger<\/span><\/i>, and a lengthy list of properties fall under this umbrella and are translated and adapted into novels, short stories, comics, audio, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

I often hear comments saying that we\u2019re just writing fan fiction.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

While, in one respect, that\u2019s true, the reality is that tie-ins are not fan fic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Media tie-in projects are licensed from the IP (Intellectual Property) owner(s) to a publisher for use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These licenses usually come with a character\/series bible and a list of do\u2019s and don\u2019ts the writers have to follow.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is where the difference between tie-in and fan fiction begins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fan Fiction vs. Tie-In Fiction\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

Fan Fiction<\/span><\/h2>\n

With fan fiction, you can write whatever you want, however you want, and anything can happen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re doing it for fun.<\/strong> There\u2019s absolutely nothing wrong with that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve written fan fiction. Many writers start that way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It allows us to practice our writing ability on a known entity<\/strong>. It\u2019s a great place to grow your writing skill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Licensed Media Tie-in\u2019s<\/span><\/h2>\n

When working for a publisher, an author has to work within that publisher\u2019s guidelines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are some universal guidelines<\/strong>, but each publisher has their own guidelines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professional writers work within those lines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With a media tie-in property, you also have to work within the license holder\u2019s guidelines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the owner\/custodian of the IP<\/strong>, part of their responsibility is to protect the property.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, all <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i> novels, comics, games, etc. have to be approved by Lucasfilm before going to press.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Likewise Paramount\/CBS approves all media tie-ins for <\/span>Star Trek<\/span><\/i>. If you\u2019re doing <\/span>Star Trek<\/span><\/i> comics, the actors (or their reps) sometimes get final say over the art. If you\u2019re drawing Captain Picard, he needs to look like Patrick Stewart.<\/span><\/p>\n

The guidelines for tie-in work vary from IP owner to IP owner<\/strong>. Some properties come with lengthy documents on the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts I mentioned above. Others are less restrictive. Each situation is a bit different.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Write Tie-ins?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Knowing all of this, writing tie-ins can be a lot of fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have been fortunate enough to write stories based on characters I grew up watching. It was a thrill to write things like<\/strong>, <\/span>Let\u2019s Roll, Kato!<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Look, Kemosabe!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Great moments that will stick with me forever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of my favorite tie-in moments came when a publisher I work with acquired the license to the <\/span>AC Comics<\/span><\/i> line of comic book characters and were planning to release a line of novels featuring the characters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a long-time fan of the character<\/strong>, Nightveil, I threw my name into the ring, reached out to the publisher with a pitch, which was approved, and I wrote <\/span>Nightveil: Crisis at the Crossroads of Infinity<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only was the book well-received, but it even won an award, which was simply a wonderful bonus. This was a dream come true gig thirty years in the making.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Do I Join the Fun?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

By this point, if I haven\u2019t scared you off with the added steps, you\u2019re probably asking yourself, how do I become a media tie-in writer?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a question I asked myself once upon a time as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I won\u2019t sugarcoat it. It\u2019s not easy.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

As with the extra steps in writing a tie-in story, there are extra steps in getting hired to write them as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first step is getting hired by the publisher.<\/b> This is a brick wall that so many of us, as writers, run into and have trouble getting past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once a publisher signs off on you, in some cases,<\/span> the license holder has to sign off on your involvement<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are all questions they will ask of you:<\/span><\/p>\n