Ever since I started writing – and especially now that I’m going to be published, everyone and their mother (well, my mother anyway) wants to be in one of my books. Some of them want recurring roles, and they say things like, it’ll be exciting – readers will start to look for my name in each of your books.
I tell them they need to get out more.
I don’t know why the whole, name in a book thing, is so exciting for them – they don’t want a real part – or any of their real lives on the page – they just want to see their plain old, ordinary name somewhere in a published book. And that got me thinking about how many real life stories I’ve actually put into the books I’ve written. So far, the answer is none, but I’d like that to change.
Years ago, I worked with a woman whose husband was a pretty famous singer. She’d met him when she’d managed his career and she told me an awesome story about one of the first times they’d worked together – one of those, I hate you, moments that ultimately leads to a hot kiss and then much more, which is the kind of moment made for a romance novel.
The problem is, I really want to use this story. And it would end up being pretty close to the way it really happened, since the way it really happened is so perfect. But I haven’t spoke to her in years, wouldn’t know where to find her if I wanted to call and ask her if she minded.
I’m sure I’ll end up using it, since there’s nothing in it that’s defaming or hurtful to either party. But I wonder how I’d feel if a story of mine ended up on someone’s pages. Granted, I’d probably be the only one to recognize it, but is there a certain amount of privacy expected when you tell someone a story. Or, unless they tell you it’s a secret, is anything fair game?
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You know what? I bet she wouldn’t even recognise it. Our own perceptions of our lives are so different from other people’s that, even if she happened to read it, by the time it has been filtered through the medium of your creativity, she’d probably only think – “Gee, that’s a bit like us.”
MInd you , having said that, I think if I was going to use something like this, and was not in a position to ask the person if they minded, I would deliberately change the characters (make the people in the story quite different from the real-life people) and the professions, just to ensure that I was using it as inspiration, not exploitation.
I have warned all the people I know that anything juicy they tell me could well end up in a book. Oddly enough, the juicy detail tell rate seems to have gone up, rather than down lately… ;>
Cheers, Imelda
Agree with Imelda. Another point is that eventsand situations we may think are unique, probably aren’t.
Doesn’t the blurb “all characters are fictional and a product of the author’s imagination” cover this? Otherwise, I’d think the woman who wrote The Devil Wears Prada would have had a huge lawsuit on her hands.
People actually ask to be in stories? That’s pretty funny.
But I haven’t spoke to her in years, wouldn’t know where to find her if I wanted to call and ask her if she minded.
Google is amazing, I bet you could find them in minutes. And the story? It sounds worth writing, especially if you’re that interested in it yourself.
I can’t speak for the story, but I can for the name.
I was reading along (at 2 a.m.) in a Laurell K Hamilton book and there was this very minor character who was at the police station. They go into interview her, and there it is, MY NAME. My name exactly. Even spelled right. I about fell out of bed. It was the coolest and strangest thing all at the same time. It was total coincidence (I hadn’t met Laurell at that time), but it was still …. WOW! I’m in a Laurell K Hamilton book! Then the character turned out to be a lying, sniveling woman who had been manipulated by a bad-news boyfriend … took some of the fun out, but not much!
I’ve discovered that putting people’s names and/or likeness in a story or novel is an very cheap but well appreciated birthday present. It has saved me hundreds. Just a thought.
Wow, none of my friends has ever expressed any such interest. I will admit I love seeing my name in the acknowledgements section of books. It gives me a little tingle.
I would be leary about using the story if I couldn’t get ahold of her. If it was something told to you in confidence, I definately wouldn’t want to use it without permission.
I can’t believe people want to see their names in your books. Are they going to get their feelings hurt if, for example, you put your sister name in the book and the character in the story ends up being a junky whore?
I try to never use the names of people I know and it’s not because of hard feelings, it is because the person I know’s personality overshadows my creativity of the character. I have put words in her mouth that the character would never say but the real person does. I know, I know they are not real people, but it is just easier for me to find another name.
A lady in my writing group has a really cool name and said that a friend of hers used her name for the heroine. It freaked her out and she didn’t want to read the whole book.
A heck go for it! Writing is all based on real life experiences. Or is just me. LOL. Sounds like it would make for a nice book
Ooh, what a good question.
Personally, if the story is flattering, I can’t imagine anyone taking issue with it.
I’ve used some of my own situations in my books, and I’ve had a few men ask me if it was them.
I always say no. Even if it’s really a yes. And let me tell you disappointed they always look, lol!
I borrow from my life and the lives of others, but not verbatim. Instead, I mix and match: I start with a little bit of me, a little bit of her, a little bit of him, and a lot of speculation and “what if.” Then into the dish I toss a little bit of mine, a little bit of hers, a little bit of his, and (you guessed it) a lot of speculation and “what if.”
Stir, bake through editing, rewriting, and revisions, and presto — when done, it’s a story all its own.
PLEASE if you use a real person’s name & they know you are using it in a published book–even if it is in a flattering way–make sure you get a signed waiver that a lawyer says protects you. I know that sounds really tedious, but I know of instances where everyone started as the best of friends & it goes sour, then someone says, hey, you didn’t give permission, you can sue & they’ll settle, ’cause going to court is way expensive & you’ll walk away with a few thousand, their “insurance will cover it, so don’t feel bad.”
I think using the real life incident could be OK if you make significant changes.
If you’re an RWA member, you may be able to get advice from their lawyer or recommendation of who to consult if you don’t have an agent.
Many times it’s just fine, but I’ve seen some “unfortunate events.” so its worth taking seriously. Private citizens can claim loss of privacy even if the commentary is nice(celebrities can’t).
For myself, there are certain names that I make a strong point of avoiding in books, simply because they are connected with me in some way/shape/or form.
I worry more that someone will recognize their own life in my stories, and tehy’ll be shocked in how I perceve them. Especially in the contemp series I’m toying with. But I also consider that the ones who I’d probably use wouldn’t read what I write anyway…
So, unless I see a reason to say anything, I usually don’t, and let them guess…
Anne Lamott suggested that if you base a character on a real person that you change at least three identifying characteristics about that person so that the character isn’t exactly the same.
Which led her to the hysterical suggestion that anyone who’s male should be written up as having the smallest, ahem, manroot possible, (paraphrasing) “like an egg in a little nest”, so that the real-life person would be that much less likely to come after you for using his likeness without permission.
I thought it was funny, anyway.
Makes me think of this t-shirt, which I’ve bought for myself and several of my writer friends:
http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/whatonearth/Item_Careful-Or-Youll-End-Up-In-My-Novel-T-Shirt_AV1741T.html