Re the 'stolen plot' scenario, it is very annoying to be sure but I agree with you - fanfiction is such a grey area, we are 'stealing' from the original creator's ideas the whole time anyway. When I still wrote LOTR fiction, I know that I borrowed a few little plot ideas from other writers but I ensured that I contacted the writers in advance for permission (and they were only tiny, not essential to the story).
In another case (again with permission from dear Knightley) I took a plot revelation from one of her stories as the launching point for my unfinished fic 'A Denial of Souls'. I have the whole of that story in my head and I MUST finish it one day.
Finally, I just want to warn yourself and Blueslashicons that Annie McCaffrey is VERY unhappy at the thought of fanfiction in the world of her Pern series. Her son Todd has taken over the series and, knowing both Annie and Todd, she and Todd are very capable of action through their publishers. It is sad, because I adore her books and would love to read fanfics in this universe, but I thought I'd better alert you anyway in case you were planning to post any stories soon.
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In another case (again with permission from dear Knightley) I took a plot revelation from one of her stories as the launching point for my unfinished fic 'A Denial of Souls'. I have the whole of that story in my head and I MUST finish it one day.
Finally, I just want to warn yourself and Blueslashicons that Annie McCaffrey is VERY unhappy at the thought of fanfiction in the world of her Pern series. Her son Todd has taken over the series and, knowing both Annie and Todd, she and Todd are very capable of action through their publishers. It is sad, because I adore her books and would love to read fanfics in this universe, but I thought I'd better alert you anyway in case you were planning to post any stories soon.