{"id":181,"date":"2011-03-05T10:30:44","date_gmt":"2011-03-05T18:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=181"},"modified":"2011-08-13T17:56:04","modified_gmt":"2011-08-14T00:56:04","slug":"fictional-or-real-characters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2011\/writing\/fictional-or-real-characters\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Real Characters In Fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, I read about an interesting court case in the USA. Katherine Stockett, author of debut novel, The Help<\/em>, is being sued by the maid she based her fictional character on. It seems Ms. Stockett used a fictional name closely resembling the real maid’s one. Also, the details in the novel mirror what the author experienced in real life with the real maid in question. For more, see Jane Friedman’s excellent blog, http:\/\/blog.writersdigest.com\/norules<\/a><\/p>\n

We’ve all heard, write what you know. The art is how to let your imagination fly, protect the ones you write about from public scrutiny, and yet tell the truth.\u00a0 That’s great fiction. For more on how the law interprets these writerly questions, Mark Fowler, an attorney working for media companies, has a great blog on the subject. http:\/\/www.rightsofwriters.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, I read about an interesting court case in the USA. Katherine Stockett, author of debut novel, The Help, is being sued by the maid she based her fictional character… <\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[25,24,132,97,130,133,131],"class_list":["post-181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","tag-author","tag-characters","tag-fictional","tag-jane-friedman","tag-katherine-stockett","tag-novel-jane-friedman","tag-the-help"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1LuVB-2V","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1889,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2015\/writing\/the-hard-truth-in-fiction\/","url_meta":{"origin":181,"position":0},"title":"The Hard Truth In Fiction","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"6 \u041b\u044e\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"When I read a novel, I want to escape and get into someone else\u2019s world for awhile. I want my imagination to run wild. I want to cheer for the protagonist when she fights for what she believes; I want to fear for her life when she\u2019s in jeopardy; and\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"My Sister's Keeper","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/my-sisters-keeper-lg.jpg?fit=430%2C670&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2557,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2016\/writing\/writers-gold-found-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":181,"position":1},"title":"Writers’ Gold Found In Memories","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"31 \u0411\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0437\u043d\u044f, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Drawing On Memories With Easter come and gone, I'm struck by how memories, of what once was, hit me during this time. A few tears were shed as I recalled generations sitting around the table feasting on my mother's delicious cooking, followed by the cracking of coloured eggs and Ukrainian\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Memories","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_6384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_6384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_6384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_6384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3015,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2017\/uncategorized\/writing-the-setting\/","url_meta":{"origin":181,"position":2},"title":"Writing Settings For A Novel That Engages The Reader","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"18 \u0421\u0456\u0447\u043d\u044f, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Writing the settings for a novel is one feature of a Novel Writing Workshop I'll be giving at the North Vancouver library.\u00a0In thinking about my presentation, I thought I'd share a few things I've learned over time. Setting is the world of our characters. Without a backdrop, characters would have\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"writing the setting","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/different-nationalities-1743392_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/different-nationalities-1743392_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/different-nationalities-1743392_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/different-nationalities-1743392_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/different-nationalities-1743392_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":782,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2011\/writing\/the-help-black-and-white-and-red-all-over\/","url_meta":{"origin":181,"position":3},"title":"The Help: Black and White and Red All Over","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"14 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The 60s was a time when the relationships between the Blacks and the Whites grew embarrassingly red for many. The shame of it all is brilliantly captured in Kathryn Stockett\u2019s novel, The Help. It\u2019s not surprising then, that the book is an international bestseller.\u00a0 The author portrays three extraordinary women\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Film"","block_context":{"text":"Film","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/film-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/The-Help.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":428,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2011\/writing\/a-writers-passion\/","url_meta":{"origin":181,"position":4},"title":"A Writer’s Passion","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"27 \u0422\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u044f, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"As I see my Star Magnolia flowers come and go, I'm reminded again of the passage of time.\u00a0 So, in thinking of all the writing I still want to do, a read through of\u00a0Jane Friedman's Blog was both helpful and timely. Her post on the 6 key components of an\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/P1070772-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3133,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2017\/writing\/a-writer-takes-stock-in-february\/","url_meta":{"origin":181,"position":5},"title":"A Writer Takes Stock In February","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"23 \u041b\u044e\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As a writer, I've enjoyed February so far, even though the early weeks brought some disappointment. It was a rough winter by Pacific Coast standards. We normally get little snow, but this year the big snow dumps did some damage. We were lucky though to get away with just a\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/crocus.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/crocus.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/crocus.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/crocus.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/crocus.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}