Will

[susanstinson]

Moved to do this by the death of John M. Ford (a writer people on my friendslist are mourning and missing), Neil Gaiman has posted a simple will for writers and other people with creative property, along with instructions on how to use it.

I've downloaded the form, and, while it is very simple, it's going to take some thinking for me to figure out who I'd like to ask to be the executor and the creative trustees. But it does seem like a prudent and considerate thing to do, and also a generous and constructive response by Neil Gaiman to the loss of his colleague and friend.

Comments

[beelavender.livejournal.com]

When we had our wills drawn up the attorney simply did not understand what to do about intellectual property rights. I had to figure it out and explain it to him! It isn't something most people have to deal with.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Amazing. I'd never thought of it, but those rights are definitely the most valuable thing I have.

[slit.livejournal.com]

Related -- a lot of my writing lives on software my partner built, and detangling that is something that worries me if we ever split up on bad terms. Not that I expect us to, but I was shocked at the end of my previous marriage to learn all my writing was considered "joint marital property." Can you believe that?? It still stuns me.

This time around I had a pre-nup written, specifically to cover this.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Your writing was joint property? That stuns me, too.