Story Layering

It was once unheard of that someone could/would be able to take a piece of fiction and be able to manipulate the story or add their own layers.  It would be considered somehow disrespectful to add on or have an idea that is different than what the creator intended.  And the, copyright laws would be the enforcer of this sacred ground. But, the world has changed. 

Not only has the internet opened up the possibilities, but even creators and artists realized that having other collaborators, including fans, get engaged had a positive multiplying effect. My best friend from college went to work for Disney in the early 90's.  He was given a Disney character bible that detailed what characters could do and not do and as you can imagine, it was strict.  No one messed with Mickey Mouse.  By the early 2000's Disney had licensed their characters to the makers of the Final Fantasy video game for a successful video game called Kingdom Hearts.  This week Disney promoted their Story Theater apps where kids can now manipulate the characters and story lines to create their own stories for others to experience.  The same is happening in the book industry as Amazon Singles now give a place for these types of layered stories to live.  This all points back to the desire and advantage of engaged consumers and fans.

I can also make the argument that Mark Twain understood this better than anyone when he created the character Tom Sawyer who knew that getting others to paint the fence for him was the best way to go.

(For a further faith based application of this post you can visit:  http://purposedworking.blogspot.com/ )