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Published and Incomplete

Explore the trend of famous authors’ first drafts and unfinished novels being published. Should authors publish these unfinished works? Or does it take away from the canon of their own literature?

  • Lauren Mead, looks good. I think you have to mark it fixed. It doesn't look like I have the option. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Cool idea! Off the top of my head I know that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has two different drafts published that make distinctions in the representation of the monster. – Kevin 8 years ago
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  • Did they do this with any works by Tolkein? I know there was a lot of talk about it once upon a time. Now people are constantly talking about whether George R.R. Martin will live to see the completion of his books (which I find very rude) and "who will finish them in his place?" I feel like it's all about what the authors wishes are, but maybe showing some examples of it going wrong or right in the past would make a good article to drive an opinion towards the future of unfinished famous authors' works. – Slaidey 8 years ago
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  • This is an interesting topic. I think it would be worthwhile to include in the discussion authors like J.K. Rowling who are supplementing their published works with online snippets while they are still living. – C8lin 7 years ago
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  • As an author, I say: please, only do this to me after I'm dead. :) Seriously though, I have to wonder how the actual authors feel or would feel about it. My concern is not that first drafts take away from canon, but that they might expose thoughts and feelings the author wasn't ready to share. Then again, certain "draft works" give us fresh insight into certain writers. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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  • Interesting topic. Sadly, the idea has been explored extensively in academia. – T. Palomino 2 years ago
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