When you write characters, even if--especially if--the characters are fictional, how much do you base them on people you know in real life? I like to borrow names from my friends, as an homage to them, but I don't base the character named after them on those particular friends. But am I still setting myself up to be sued? It's not something I'm going to worry about very much, but then again, I'm not published yet, so there IS nothing to worry about. But suppose a publisher wants me to change a character's name. Once I'm using a particular name, I have a real problem changing it in the middle of the manuscript. My brain latches onto details like that and won't let go.
How do you handle character name and inspirational real people?
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2 comments:
All my characters are based on real people, with certain characteristics exaggerated. Sometimes I use their real names when writing, but change them later. Because I "write what I know."
But I'm not sure if someone like me, who doesn't even use her real name when she blogs, has a right to an opinion on the matter. ;)
For characters based on people I'm not fond of...I usually change enough about their physical appearance, traits, background. After all, being sued is bad!
However, usually good characters are an amalgam of different people. However, with this current work in progress, I based one very cool character on someone real. I changed his eye color and made him fictional, yet many of the observations/notes/thoughts the main character has about this other person, are my direct thoughts and feelings. But everything is positive, and the person knows he was the inspiration for it.
Good blogging - keep it up!
Elaine
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