4 - Plagiarism and Fabrication

Hannah Diffee

Professor Reppert

Media Law and Ethics

March 2025

4 - Plagiarism and Fabrication

What is Romantasy?
Romantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction that has recently gained immense popularity. The term, a combination of the words "romance" and "fantasy," refers to literature that features elements of both genres. This subgenre provides readers "the best of both worlds: epic fantastical realms intertwined with heart-pounding romance" (Hire a Writer).

Historically, the two were regarded as separate genres with little overlap. For example, Star Wars features romantic themes but primarily centers on the protagonists' adventures in a distant galaxy. In contrast, traditional romance stories focus almost entirely on the romantic relationships of the main characters. They may feature tropes such as "enemies to lovers," fake dating, and second chances, with characters experiencing trials in their romantic and personal lives. As audiences began to seek more diverse narratives, the genres blended to form romantasy as it is known today.

Above: Popular Romantasy Novels

Most romantasy books follow a similar premise: the protagonist, usually a young woman, discovers that her world is anything but ordinary. She uncovers the existence of mythical creatures- faeries, vampires, werewolves, or demons- which disrupt her mundane life, thrusting her into a fantastical realm governed by complex hierarchies and intricate political systems. As the story progresses, the character learns she has powerful supernatural or magical abilities, which become vital in her battle against an impending doom. In some books, the protagonist is aware of her powers but undergoes training to hone them. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Renata (@renata_watsonn)

Above: Fanart of Aelin Galathynius from the Throne of Glass series

Many romantasy books follow a similar narrative and feature three primary character types.

Common Romantasy Character Types (According to Hire a Writer):

• The Hero(ine):  the central figure or protagonist who often has untapped powers or a hidden heritage
• The Brooding Love Interest: often a mysterious, "morally gray" character with a dark past
• The Loyal Friend/Sidekick: a character who offers support to the protagonist, provides comedic relief, and may serve as a foil to the hero or love interest
  
• The Mysterious Mentor: a wise, older figure who has a wealth of knowledge about the protagonist's magical/supernatural abilities and offers them guidance

Plagiarism in Romantasy: Fact or Fiction?

Above: Attorney and author Lynne Freeman

On January 6, 2025, The New Yorker published an article entitled "Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Novelist Steal Another Writer's Story?" The article examines a lawsuit involving family lawyer and writer Lynne Freeman and bestselling author Tracy Wolff. According to the lawsuit, Freeman entrusted her former literary agent, Emily Sylvan Kim, with promoting her novel, Blue Moon Rising, to publishers. By March 2014, Kim had pitched the book to over a dozen publishers, but it was rejected by all except one. Kim and Freeman parted ways, and Freeman withdrew her novel from the final publisher, Entangled Publishing. The suit claims that Kim had Freeman revise her manuscript several times and create new material so that Wolff, Kim's friend and longtime client, could incorporate the content into her own series, Crave. 

In 2021, Freeman began reading Crave and noticed similarities to her unpublished novel. See below:

Additionally, in both books, the heroine's parents bind her power with tea, and the male protagonist faces guilt and grief over the murder of his older brother. It is difficult to believe these similarities are coincidental. Adding to the evidence, Wolff's series was published by Entangled, the last publisher with access to Blue Moon Rising. This circumstantial evidence provides Freeman with grounds for a copyright infringement case.

The lawsuit reads:

____________________

"The substantial similarities between the various versions of Freeman's manuscripts and the books in the Crave series are overwhelming and undeniable. In addition to the similarities in plot, characters, dialogue, mood, theme, and pace, there are a substantial number of lifted scenes throughout the series, and an overwhelming number of similarities of words, phrases, and language between the works, which could not be coincidental. Many of these similarities occur in page number proximity between the various versions of Freeman's manuscripts and the Crave series of books, using Freeman's language, expression, plots, subplots, and characters."
____________________

Wolff and the Entangled CEO have denied ever reading Blue Moon Rising or hearing of its author. Kim shared that she recalls "nothing of this manuscript" despite working on it closely, as Freeman claims.

The New Yorker article argues that Freeman will have difficulty proving copyright infringement because of the "tropification" of popular romance novels. Many romance books follow a similar narrative structure, and romantasy is no exception. As Mary Kate Carr asks, "Is it a case for copyright, or a case of someone feeling undue ownership over a genre that is now essentially famous for its repetitive tropes?" We shall see. Freeman will also face challenges because of the complexities of copyright law. View the TikTok below for more information:

@slantagne #CapCut #copyright #lawprofessor #ip #lawtok #intellectualproperty #copyrightinfringement #lynnefreeman #tracywolff #crave #craveseries #lawsuit #ideaexpressiondichotomy ♬ original sound - Pop Culture Law Prof