First off, don't worry. I'm not leaving, and not stopping for good.

There are a lot of circumstances in my life right now that require the greater part of my attention, and therefore it's better if I go on sort of a hiatus until I can get them properly sorted out.

I don't care to go into any particular details, as they are nobody's business but my own. Rest assured it's nothing life threatening for me or any loved ones, just getting my affairs much better in order than they currently are. The sooner I can get this stuff worked out satisfactorily the sooner I can get back to my play-space here.

Take it easy, everybody. I'll be back as soon as I can manage it.

Once in a while someone who enjoys my work here will drop me a note or pop up in my comments saying they've got some story ideas for this or that character or setting I present here. Please, do not do that. I will not even look at them. I will delete any files without even opening them, and then politely ask the sender to desist. I hate to hurt someone's feelings that way, especially since they enjoy my stories, but it is quite necessary.

The thing creatively inspired fans NEED to understand is that although you may love this or that story or franchise or character or whatever, the creators who produce them cannot... CAN NOT... accept unsolicited ideas, because to do so muddies the provenance of their own ideas, and subjects them to potential accusations of intellectual property theft and lawsuits. This is why the creators of this or that show will absolutely NOT read your fan fiction, and why unsolicited suggestions or concepts will go right in the trash unopened and unread. They mean you no ill will and they appreciate that you love their work, but they just can't take the risk.

This applies to big media megacorporations and one man bands (like me) putting their stuff out on the internet. Someday, if the stars align and the circumstances allow, maybe I'd want to pitch some of my characters and stories up the media chain. (Unlikely for mostly furry cheesecake/porn, I know, but you never know what direction your work can take you.) I can't do that if someone can claim, even spuriously, that I stole their ideas from them.

While I myself am known for MLP FiM fanfiction, understand that I only post it in publicly accessible fan fiction venues, and never would dream of sending it directly to the show runners or Hasbro or Lauren Faust or any other stakeholders in that particular Intellectual Property. Said creators of MLP stay well away from FimFiction and DeviantArt. They are legally bound to do so. So it's essentially like small fish swimming in their own tank separate from the big fish. Or playing a pickup game of softball with friends in the park, never expecting to take the field in a major league game in your home team's stadium.

Unless a collaboration is agreed on, unless they ASK for submissions, keep your ideas for other people's characters to yourself, or turn them into your own thing.

This post was inspired by running across this post on tumblr:
http://freifraufischer.tumblr.com/p.....ow-writers-and

as well as this response to it:
http://jenniferrpovey.tumblr.com/po.....om-history-why

CLARIFICATION!:
This post is not about fan art! I love fan art of my characters. This is not about other artists wanting to try their hand at rendering one or more of my characters. This is about people trying to insert their ideas into the stories I am writing and drawing.

It's not entirely simple or clear cut, but there is a difference between the two concepts. With fan art the fan artist is putting some work into expressing the inspiration that the original source has given them. Unsolicited story ideas are more like trying to hijack the author's creative process. It's like backseat driving. It's not generally malicious, but it is insensitive. Like I said before, if you think you have some good ideas, then do the work and realize them yourself.

 genecatlow

I just learned of Albert Temple, a.k.a. Gene Catlow's passing, and I'm stunned by the news.

Gene was one of the first friends I made in this fandom, way back when I was stumbling onto the internet in the '90's. We exchanged copious emails through the years, and we always signed off with "Clear Ether", a well wishing phrase from E.E. "Doc" Smith's science fiction classic "Lensmen" books.

He was a kind and gentle soul, a talented artist, and a good man. My heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones, and to all the friends whose lives were enriched by knowing him.

We will all meet again someday, in the sweet by and by... but until that blessed time he will be missed.

Well, just so folks know what the plan is, I'm gonna re-upload the images of Edmunda and Beatrix's battle in the near future, but I'm gonna wait a little 'cos I imagine there will be a glut of re-uploads from myriad users. I have the vote tallies so those will be recorded for posterity.

We'll try again starting the championship match with Callie Vs. Keilana next Monday.

In the meantime I've got something else I'm gonna be putting up that I hope folks will enjoy. So stay tuned.

Thanks to the FA staff for their handling of the recent attacks. Bummer about the data loss, but such is the way... Best of luck with the security upgrades.

Chin up folks. Carry on.

Patreon a go go!
Here's the URL: https://www.patreon.com/warrenhutch

I'm thinking of starting up a Patreon for my work. I'm also working out publishing some of my stuff using Lulu.

I'm a bit uncertain about some of the nuts and bolts of doing either. Would anyone be so kind as to share thoughts, impressions, and ideas?

Thanks in advance.