Writing about people you know – treading the fine line | TJ Withers-Ryan
Questions often arise about memoir writing regarding the legal rights we have as writers who write about people in their memoirs. Many question about the possibilities of being sued by characters included in the memoirs. Click the link below to read what TJ WithersRyan has to say about the issue.
Writing about people you know – treading the fine line | TJ Withers-Ryan.
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dgkaye
D.G. Kaye is a nonfiction/memoir writer, who writes from her own life experiences and self-medicates with a daily dose of humor.
12 Comments
IdealisticRebel
Excellente!
tjwithersryan
Thanks for the reblog, Debby! Love your title photo – “Don’t forget to breathe!”
dgkaye
Thank you TJ! 🙂
Carol Balawyder
A very insightful post, Debby. I particularly liked the Virginia Woolf quote for I think that this applies to fiction as well as memoir for writers of fiction often draw their characters from people they know – changing the hair color here, the sex there. It’s why in novels you’ll often find a disclaimer stating that all resemblance to any person is coincidental…Of course, the line is much finer in memoir for the facts are real. 🙂
dgkaye
Absolutely agreed Carol. 🙂 It makes a lot of sense that our imaginations stem from reality.
Christy Birmingham
This is good to know! I think even fiction always has hints of reality in it… 🙂
dgkaye
Absolutely. And coincidentally, that seems to be the common consensus with other writer. 🙂
Aquileana
Great post… I enjoyed reading it and particularly the three points regarding defences to libel actions. Thanks for sharing dear D.G . I hope you have a great weekend ahead.
Best wishes Aquileana 🙂
dgkaye
Happy weekend to you Aq! Thanks for visiting and glad you enjoyed. I hoped this post would answer some questions regarding libel and slander.:)
Let's CUT the Crap!
I had no idea problems might arise. Good to know.
dgkaye
Oh yes, libel abounds! 🙂
Let's CUT the Crap!
Tsk. Tsk. Sigh.