I read Ellison’s original script for “City on the Edge of Forever.” It was a great script, but it was unfilmable. It had to be altered to fit Trek and to comply with standards & practices of the time. He’s been complaining about that for 45 years, but with the alterations, it gave him a much higher profile and accolades than he would’ve received had he said “no” and walked away with his script intact. That’s often been the problem with writers, they frequently want complete creative control, and they almost never get it.
I am a writer. I have had some of my works published, in various small houses.
The editor does not think up the original idea, that became my work. The publisher does not have a whit about the things, places, plots and characters that have run though my head.
I not only have the original pieces in type, I, also, keep them aqmong my many journals in ink. Computers are great for some things, but I have never trusted them to keep any of my works, digitally.
I was a contributing columnist to the local regional newspaper for six years. I have my written copy, typed copy, the emails containing my submissions - nothing no how no way in any word processing format - and a copy of each newsprint of the column, along with the emials from the editor when they DID lose my submitted story!
Harlan’s script was not used. Roddenberry re-wrote it, and called it his. A legal battle ensued that spanned a length of time, but was settled in Harlan’s favor.