Is real person fiction legal?

Using real people in your fiction—whether they are correctly named or not—can be legally hazardous. If an author includes enough details that a specific fictional character is identifiable as an actual person, that person could possibly pursue legal action.

Is writing fanfiction OK?

Writing fan fiction can help you become a better writer by providing a fun means to experiment with characters, genres and ideas. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your craft, take a break from your current manuscript, or find inspiration in something new, fan fiction might just have the answer.

Can I write about a real person?

First, a simple rule. If what you write about a person is positive or even neutral, then you don’t have defamation or privacy issues. For instance, you may thank someone by name in your acknowledgements without their permission. If you are writing a non-fiction book, you may mention real people and real events.

Did you know fanfiction writers didn’t know they were writing about real people?

However, the fanfiction writers didn’t know they were writing about real people, and not just characters from paranormal books. Elijah Wood has given RPF a nod on the Graham Norton Show, about slash fiction and art featuring him and other Lord of the Rings actors.

Do you have a problem with fanfiction?

Even though I don’t have a problem with fanfiction, I’ve always felt fictional stories about real people should be kept private and not shared on the internet, especially when it can get back to that real person or people close to them and offend them.

Do you judge fan fiction writers?

Unfortunately, fan fiction writers are in a constant stream of this kind of judgment on all sides. People make weird assumptions about us and get super judge-y, and yeah, I could just keep my mouth shut about it for the rest of my life and not worry about dealing with this, but fan fiction is important to me.

Why do people read fan fiction?

Fan fiction, for many people, is just a gateway drug to all other fiction writing. We obviously have the chops to commit ourselves to long pieces of works, and the imagination to go wild with somebody else’s characters.