Things To Know
"I love this series, it is my go to when I am in need of cheering up."
"This is absolutely brilliant and so beautifully written!"
Who's the target audience?
Is it Canon Compliant?
The Personal Journal of Mycroft Holmes is a Mystrade-centric series. It is written for fans of the BBC Sherlock adaptation who have embraced the ship of Mycroft Holmes and Greg Lestrade. While this ship dumbfounds the casual viewer, it remains one of the most common ships among devoute fans, second only to Sherlock and John. Johnlock is speculated in this series but never confirmed nor denied. While anyone is welcome to read, this series is best understood after viewing all episodes of BBC Sherlock through Season 4, Episode 3, The Final Problem.
With the exception of Mystrade itself, these stories are completely compliant with Moftiss canon. They are not "fix it fics" (except, perhaps, the prologue of the first installment).
Only one discrepancy exists around which the author had to make a decision, as Moftiss canon contradicts itself. Herein, Lady Smallwood's first name is Elizabeth. This aligns with Steven Moffat's script for His Last Vow. In The Lying Detective, we see, but never hear, the name Alicia. Let's assume this was a Properties Department issue that slipped by Sue, Steven, and Mark alike.
Also in this series, D.I. Lestrade carries a sidearm. This is not true in Moftiss canon and is also not accurate in the real world. A plain-clothes New Scotland Yard D.I. does not carry a weapon on the daily. However, this is fiction after all and Greg having a gun allows for more intriguing story lines as well as a look into policing talents and skills, such as marksmanship, at which he can excel despite being constantly overshadowed by the Holmes' intellect.
Is fanfiction legal?
It is generally accepted by US courts that transformative fanfiction lacking commercial distribution is not in violation of direct copyrights. Anyone considering becoming a fanfiction writer should do their own research in their own country and territory as well as that of the writer(s) whose work they find inspiring.
Fanfiction is not without its lawsuits. Some authors are known for their disdain of the genre and have pursued litigation against individual fans. Others embrace it as the sincere form of flattery that it is.
The genre falls into a very gray area, legally. This gray area, combined with fair use doctrine and works in the public domain have allowed a lot of commercially-distributed fanfiction to exist. West Side Story is Romeo and Juliet. RENT is La Boheme. Even The Lion King is basically just Hamlet.
We are lucky in the Sherlock fandom. Steven and Mark don't read our work (though others involved in the series most certainly have), but they also don't object to it. After all, Sherlock is itself an adaptation. It's also important to remember that much of Mark's early work was also fanfiction. In fact, his love of Doctor Who fanfiction led him to eventually create a somewhat authorized spin-off.
"I'm on the edge of my seat!"
"Oooooh. That was delicious!!!"
The work presented herein is intended for the personal use of the author and other members of the related "fandom." It is written with complete respect for Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This work in no way aims to change, correct, or significantly alter theirs.
While Doyle's work and, therefore, the name Mycroft Holmes, are now in the public domain, the author understands that material written and created by Gatiss, Moffat, and Thompson is still rightfully protected.
This story is for fun within the Sherlock "fandom" only and will never be used for profit. It is presented in good faith, knowing that much of Gatiss' early work could also be considered part of the fanfiction genre. When presented as a published eBook or physical book, the reader may incur a cost to access the material, but only in the case that the author has had to pay for hosting or printing. The author will never profit from this work. Any requests to remove or destroy this work made by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue, the estate of Beryl Vertue, Hartswood Films, BBC, or any other related entities will be honoured immediately without question.
No copyright violation is intended.
Similarly, any request made by Rupert Graves, Lisa McAllister, their management, or associated photographers to remove the images used in the background of this website will be honoured immediately.