George R.R. Martin: Hands off my characters Game of Thrones stars touch down Stars of Game of Thrones discuss the success of the show at Supanova in Brisbane, with the author telling fan fiction writers to stop borrowing his world 'without authorisation. PT2M30S http://www.smh.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2x6ik 620 349 November 8, 2013 - 4:55PM George R.R. Martin has told fan fiction writers to get their own stories. The author, whose books have been turned into the incredibly popular Game of Thrones series, has arrived in Brisbane ahead of this weekend's Supanova pop culture expo. He was joined on Friday afternoon for a media conference by Game of Thrones actors Michelle Fairley (Catelyn), Jerome Flynn (Bronn) and Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon) for their first Australian media conference. Wearing his distinctive cap and braces combo, Martin discussed the topic of fan fiction, where lovers of his sprawling A Song of Ice and Fire books create their own stories in his universe. "It's a lazy way to go when you're just taking my characters," he said. I recognise that it's an act of love ... I would rather they make up their own characters and their own stories and not just borrow my world. Martin said he didn't read fan fiction but heard bad reports of its overall quality. "These characters are real to me, I've been living with them since 1991," he said. I know what they would do and what they can't do, and some fan writers take over them and make them do things to my mind that are wildly out of character. He urged aspiring writers take on the challenge of creating their own world. "Tackle the big thing and you'll be a better writer at the end of it," he said. Martin applauded Australia for having the dubious title of the place where Game of Thrones is downloaded most, describing it as a blessing and a curse. "In one sense it shows a tremendous interest in the show," he said. [But] if people were actually paying for the show, all that money could go into the show, we could have more special effects and more dragons and more actors, that would be good. Mark Addy, whose character Robert Baratheon died unexpectedly halfway through series one, said he wasn't surprised by the outpouring of grief over the infamous "Red Wedding" episode of series three. "George writes such fantastic characters that he's not afraid of letting a few of them go, which is, for the actors, not great," he laughed. But it's great to be a part of something so strong and so beautifully written that you have that wealth of characterisation, [but] they are expendable. Michelle Fairley said she found every aspect of the series invigorating, despite the physical and emotional demands of her Stark matriarch character. "I love Catelyn, I love her emotion, her strength and her power and her passion," she said. To get stuck in, abandoned and lost ... that to me is a joy, it's not a chore at all. As sellsword Bronn, Jerome Flynn spends much of his time protecting Tyrion, the clever, cunning youngest Lannister. Flynn said he grew up watching great double acts like Abbott and Costello, and it was a "complete joy" to create one with actor Peter Dinklage. To have Peter to act with who just captures so much of Tyrion's character and more ... it's one of the reasons it's made it one of the best jobs I've ever had. There is some bromance there.