Writing a book using real names

I am curious to hear what fellow memoir writers think about this topic. In this way, creative nonfiction is a great way of imbuing real stories with an. A lot of people from my past were negative relationships and i do not speak to them, nor. How to use real people in your writing without ending up in court. This is what gore vidal does in the seven books comprising narratives of empire. The answer i usually give my clients comes in three parts. Its really a matter of how comfortable you feel revealing their real names and what sort of things their names. Each quote will be 12 sentences long, and the accurate sources and authors will be included. I usually use names of persons who are deceased, but even in that case im reluctant to use real names if there are survivors who might be embarrassed. For that reason, my publisher made it clear to me from the beginning that i would have to receive legal permissions from any character i chose to give his or her real name. Its also becoming common place to include a section in books that tells the. Use of trademarked names in fiction does not violate intellectual. A lot of people from my past were negative relationships and i do not speak to them, nor would i want to. I am going to write about some terrible experiences and some.

With regard to the stories you mention in your comment, i would. Real writers can write anywhere some authors write their books in restaurants and coffee shops. Tricks and traps of using real people in your writing. Im writing a book of cryptograms, using quotations from mystery novels. Some novels use fictional settings and some use real ones. While typically i wouldnt expect that to be an issue. I am writing a nonfiction novel using my own diaries as reference material. Helen sedwick, a writer for the book designer, cleared up all of my questions in her article should you be using a pen name. Using the real world in writing writing stack exchange.

In fiction writing, it is common place to use real life businesses and location. A brief history of female authors with male pen names. In the united states, a persons right of publicity is balanced against the creators first amendment rights. Anonymous thanks for your advice, i am using real people and organizations in my novel but portraying them in the best light possible, good publicity for. I am in the editing stages of my first book and th. Writers have adopted pseudonyms or pen names to disguise themselves for a number of reasons. The answer, of course, is that there is no best it all depends on the particular story you have in mind. Why do some writers choose to write under a pen name. However, the story i am writing is entirely fictitious, imagining a relationship between two of them that results in what actually did happen. Can i use real names in an autobiography or should i change the names. Writing a book real place names or fictitious place.

Write your first draft exactly as it happened, using all real names and. Stores actually like being mentioned in books under the following circumstances. When i decide not to use a real name, i often use a madeup name. I also have a few neutral reasons that are a bit sticky, like obscuring your. Can i use real names first and last in a memoir, as long as im not. My first full time job was at a newspaper where 40 of us clacked away on manual typewriters in one big. My first adult book was a bit racy so we needed to keep the genres separate.

Tackling real life characters in fiction is fine as long as you do it well to paraphrase voltaires biographer, i might not like what sharon dogar has to say in annexed, but id defend to the. If the reason you want to use a pseudonym is that its a stage or professional name, facebook already has other options available. The first amendment usually wins unless the work is purely advertising, including political advertising. The book involves real places such as entertainment areas, different baseball stadiums, different universities. Isaiah wilsons mother is all of us, as black twitter crowns her the real mvp of the 2020 nfl draft. The legal consequences of using real people in fiction ask. Another reason an author might use a pen name is if their real name is the same as an established author writing. Using real names in a non fiction book i have written a non fiction memoir in which i use real names and real events. Using real names in memoirs september 16, 2016 september 16, 2016 note. I would like to set my story in the city of detroit. If you have the good fortune to have sold your book to a publishing.

Can writers model characters after real people and name names without. The main question to ask yourself is whether revealing the name of this person is centralcritical to your book, or if using fictitious wont take anything away. Im not a lawyer, but i can offer you some guidelines. But generally, you may name names in your memoir or other book. Id just written a childrens story called lucy the diamond fairy under another. Can i use real names first and last in a memoir, as long as im not lying. Same name or not, the question of defamation is whether a person is. Using a male pen name often helped a female author get her foot in the door, past male publishers who didnt think the literary world was a place for women. Defamation is an untrue statement of facts which tends to harm an identifiable and living. When deciding whether to use a real trademark in your story, there are.

Pen names have also been used by established authors who want to write in another genre and want to use the pen name to target an entirely different audience. Tricks and traps of using real people in your writing, part 1. Can i use names of existing ships and submarines, regiments names. Either way, if your book becomes a best seller, you dont want to run the risk of causing harm to that person, or risk litigation. Anytime you are writing a memoir, you are dealing with real people and real incidents. Different novels demand different settings for some, real. Authors have been writing under pennames for hundreds of years. Also, how can i be sure to protect myself from any possible litigation. Trade publishers are notoriously wary of using the same author name across different genres, or of using a name that they feel is inappropriate for a particular book hence the morphing of joanne rowling into the more masculine j k rowling, even though she doesnt have a middle name. Once you put it into print theres always a possibility of a lawsuit.

When writing a fiction book, can i use the names of actual. Its also becoming common place to include a section in books that tells the reader who owns the trademark to those businesses. Consider what you can and cannot write about before writing your story. Write the unabridged, unbridled truth, and use real names when you do. My main character is loosely based on a real person. I never identify him by name hes my exfriend and ive made up 90% of the events that happen in the book. I changed the characters descriptions and names but its probably obvious how i was able to write it.

But here are a couple of reasons why this isnt such a great idea when writing a book. However, there are good reasons to avoid using name brands in books even though observing what people buy in real life is one way we assess them, whether we admit it or not. Writing about real people in your life is tricky, especially if you cast them in a negative light. Anonymous thanks for your advice, i am using real people and organizations in my novel but portraying them in the best light possible, good publicity for them. If, however, youd rather not mention genitalia in your book, youre still left with the question. I want to use a real city and real streets in my next novel so when my readers drive around the city and town they will feels like they are. Using real names in a non fiction book ask me help desk. I am starting to write a book and dont know whether to use real place names or make them up, but base them on places that i. Write your first draft exactly as it happened, using all real names and places.

Augusten burroughs, rightly or wrongly, was sued by the family of his psychiatrist for running with scissors the family accused him of making up events to make his book. How to use brand names in your fiction just like the fault in our. If i write a true story, but change the names, is it fiction or nonfiction. If the story is a factual account, with only the names changed, then it would be nonfiction. Can i use real names in an autobiography or should i. How to use a fake name on facebook without getting flagged. I m writing a book on a war between several countries, it involves the use of todays weaponry from the three services. They recommend you set up a facebook page using your real. I do publically speak about it and let the audience know that my mother was diagnosed with 8 personalities she passed away a few years ago and i share the disturbing things she did to my sister and i. I see it all the time in my work with memoir writers. Writing creative nonfiction how to stay safe and legal.

If using a real person is too constricting, another method is to use historical figures as a backdrop to fiction. Using someone s name, image or life story as part of a novel, book. If you change names to protect privacy you can put a disclaimer on the page of the book. Plenty of very famous authors dont use their real names on their books, including many writers of worldfamous classics. I m writing a book on a war between several countries, it involves the use of.

But dont let any of this stop you from writing a book you feel you need to write. All relatives of these folks are long dead save greatgreat grandchildren, and the stories are in common use in history books locally. Consider any interviews, writing conferences, book signings, and inperson events that you may attend. When i write memoir, i use the real names of the people im writing about although usually just the first name unless the last is necessary. I am going to write about some terrible experiences and some dont show people in a favorable light. Using someones name, image or life story as part of a novel, book. Can i use real street names and a city in a fiction book. My question is, can i use the names of real people without their. Tackling reallife characters in fiction is fine as long. For instance, you might want to write the story of an accomplished ancestor. What are the pros and cons of writing under a pen name. Technically, you can write about something that has happened to someone else so long as you arent mentioning real names, but the safe bet is to contact the main party or parties involved. The legal consequences of using real people in fiction. Writing a book real place names or fictitious place names.