Writing based on real life characters.

@puppynut (370)
New Zealand
January 8, 2012 12:57am CST
I am writing a book which is based on my life but will be published as fiction and I am using characters based on some of my friends. It is a fictional book but I am a little concerned about how they might react. I have asked most of them if I can write about them or based on them and they usually say it's ok. I even thought if I make anything out of it I could write up a contract to share some of the profit with them. I don't know if this is a good idea or if I should just mix up the characters and publish as pure fiction, but that would be hard to do and keep the amazing strong characters my friends have. I think as long as they read it first and signed the contract I should be alright with it? What do you think I should do? Their stories are amazing and I think on a whole it will make a great book and maybe even movie (I'm being very optimistic).
1 person likes this
8 responses
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
8 Jan 12
I understand what you are doing and its great. You can protect your sources easily in fiction but it is fair to them if they are aware you are extracting their stories for that purpose. Only bio's and non-fictions need contracts I think, change the names, places and some details of the story to your liking and you are free to publish. The only consideration as a writer, I think, you need to make, is deciding if the work is fiction or non-fiction. If the stories are really good then maybe non-fiction will work best as a selling point, on the other hand fiction opens the stories up to even more amazing things which is fun. It is good that you are thinking of this at the beginning.
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Jan 12
You can even take true events and disguise them into fiction. I agree .. you need to decide from the start if you want to write fiction or non-fiction. I think you will complicate things if you go splitting up your proceeds amongst your friends… unless you are paying them to use their stories… and in that case it would be non-fiction. If you are going to write fiction, then just change the events, places and names.
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
9 Jan 12
That is excellent point and one I share but what if you just want to involve the other person in the story and the proceeds are merely for reward or acknowledgement?
@bloggeroo (2167)
• Philippines
8 Jan 12
Fiction has certain demands. And a writer of fiction is under obligation to move the story to its logical conclusion. It's not the same as writing biographies no matter how interesting the stories of your friends may be. I found out from a book and later, from writing attempts that using bits and pieces of our lives and people we know can interfere with the process of writing good fiction. How? Often, we have unresolved issues in real life. The only time they get resolved is when we die. But the major issues in a fiction story must be resolved. So what happens next? The writer, because of his/her affinity with real life characters, won't resolve or will fail to resolve the issue in fiction story. The ending becomes weak and fall short of the expectations of the readers. It is your duty as fiction writer to create characters and not pick them out of your neighborhood. In any case, imagining your characters in the person of people you know may be a good technique for making your dialogues authentic. But it should probably stop there.
@puppynut (370)
• New Zealand
11 Jan 12
How very interesting that there are so many accomplished writers on myLot.I am not to concerned about concluding the story. Some characters will have better endings than others, but if I struggle I will force it into a conclusion state I suppose. It is a story of hope and even when things don't end well for all there is always more hope for the future...(and a sequel?) The characters have exaggerated descriptions of who the people really are in a literary sense, but for me, and my style of writing I would prefer to base on real people, because I am writing about the very world we live in, not some imaginary version, even though the story itself is fictional and embossed. Thanks for your suggestions.
• United States
8 Jan 12
I actually like making up my own characters, it's one of my favorite writing things to do lol. But making characters based on people you really know could def. have it's benefits. I would just make sure you get the okay from all of them (not sure a contract would really be necessary). And make sure to ask them if there is anything in their life they DON'T want you to bring up. Don't want to add anything that would upset them!
@puppynut (370)
• New Zealand
11 Jan 12
I struggle when inventing characters and find they are often based on people or a combination of people I know. I think these characters will be stronger left as they are but it's difficult. I may have to talk to them more about their actual feelings on issues to get a real idea of their reasons for doing things, not just what I assumed their reaction was about, because a lot of things that happened to them didn't happen to me. I think that's a good idea to omit anything really upsetting and I think the book will be powerful enough in it's drama without absolutely everything included. To be honest my character is probably the most rotten so they may take comfort in that! lol
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
4 Mar 12
Hi puppynut! It sounds like you have a great book in the works! Congrats! I think that as long as you are careful and make sure that everyone you have used in your book is ok with it, it will be fine. I would definitely protect myself with a contract like you have mentioned though. It is always important to take precautions even if you never think anything would come of it. Take care and great luck with your book and potential movie!
@shibham (16977)
• India
8 Jan 12
The first thing is intimacy, if you a close intimacy with your friends then it will a great work and no need to take their consign. Again, if you have reflected some negatives of them, then you should let them know first, otherwise, it may run in court. My second novel was published on 2004 which was a real story and we were four friends including me on leading characters but they accepted all easily although i wrote almost 80% truth. All the best.
@puppynut (370)
• New Zealand
11 Jan 12
I am hoping that the positives at the conclusion of the story will outweigh any of the negatives. The hard thing is the sensitive nature of a lot of things that have happened to them but I think maybe if I let them read it first they can let me know if they don't want something in there, but because it is not really about them but only based on them I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to print most of it. I think it is really important to tell the story of myself and these people so people can learn from our mistakes. It is going to be a long hard journey writing it so we have plenty of time to discuss it. The reason I want to share the wealth in some portion with my friends is because it is their story too.That is inspiring to hear that you published the story of you and your friends also.Thanks!
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
8 Jan 12
If it is fiction, I wouldn't worry about it unless you are using their real names. Some of the best novels were written by authors who based their characters on people they known.
@puppynut (370)
• New Zealand
11 Jan 12
Yes I'm tossing it round and round in my head how much to get them involved. I am trying to respect the friendships aswell. But I may get away with involving them very little as it is fiction. Thanks
@derek_a (10873)
8 Jan 12
I would imagine that if your friends have said it's OK, just to go ahead. As long as they are not named, they cannot be identified, and they may have fun identifying themselves. I don't think you need to share and potential profit with them, as you are doing the work. Back in a writing workshop I wrote a similar fiction work based on my life as a musician, from when I started gigging around in my teens until I became professional later on. All names were changed, and whilst I told some of the friends, many of them has long sinced disappeared. Incidents were similar, but so exaggerated, that I don't think that anybody would recognize themselves. Anyway, it is all academic now because whilst I sent it to one publishing house, I didn't send to any others. It's now just stored away on a drive somewhere. I enjoyed writing it and reading it in the workshop, and our teacher suggested I submitted it, but once I wrote it I just let it go at that - it was like a completion for me. I hope you all the best with your book, but I wouldn't worry too much about it's characters, especially if it is going to be listed as fiction.. _Derek
@yaso4u (502)
• India
8 Jan 12
Hi puppynut, First, my best wishes for your story writing job. As per me,you can go with the idea of portrating your friends character along with your story. As your very much confident in those character,please go ahead with it because the interest in you make that characters into good shape. The readers will like these kind of real life characters than a fictional once. All the best for your book to get succed in high range.