I’m a writer blog

Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Using country names in my book?

Asked by: Kevin Samuel

Country names are not copyrighted features of someone else’s work. You can set your work wherever you want to. A caveat is that if you set all or part of your work in China and you don’t know anything about China, it will be unrealistic and the reader may lose their suspension of disbelief.

Can you use names of places in a book?

Towns/City Names: You can use the names of real towns and cities without any problems. I tend to use real large cities and make up the names of smaller towns. It’s easier to “create” a town to your story’s specifications and needs. You can take liberties with real places by making up the names of streets or businesses.

How do you name a country in a book?

Also try:

  1. pick a foreign-sounding word you like the sound of e.g. sorelle.
  2. Change a consonant for effect e.g. germanic military use harsh sounds so “sorek”
  3. Change a vowel e.g. “sorok”
  4. Add nationalistic trimmings e.g. People’s Democratic Republic of Sorok.
  5. Check google for meanings in other languages.

Do you need permission to use a name in a book?

No permission is needed to mention song titles, movie titles, names, etc. You do not need permission to include song titles, movie titles, TV show titles—any kind of title—in your work. You can also include the names of places, things, events, and people in your work without asking permission. These are facts.

Can you use real names in a book?

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.

Are place names copyrighted?

Can names be registered with the UK Copyright Service? As names are not copyright works, they should not be registered in their own right.

Should I use real places in my novel?

Writing a book set in a real town makes research easy, and it gives you an interesting marketing hook. People like to read about places they know. A real-life setting for your story anchors your fiction in reality, and adds another dimension to your story.

What are some good fake country names?

“It is doubly fictional, as it is fictitious in the story as well.
Here they are, in alphabetical order:

  • Ambrosia. …
  • Angria. …
  • Archenland, Calormen and Narnia. …
  • Atlantis. …
  • Avalon. …
  • Averna. …
  • Buranda. …
  • Carbombya.

How do you create a fantasy country?

5 steps to build your fantasy world:

  1. Plan the lie of the land.
  2. Give your fantasy world concrete rules.
  3. Think about the tone of your fantasy world.
  4. Plan magic, religious, social and political systems.
  5. Learn how to create a believable world via plot.

How do you create a fictional world name?

Take names from places and things around you



Doom is as simple as it can get and yet, it’s iconic and brilliant. For your fictional world, you don’t need to have any complicated or fancy names. You want something unique and not too similar to other well-known worlds in fiction.

How do you avoid libel when writing a book?

Do tell the truth

  1. Don’t make claims based on assumptions or opinions. Adding “in my opinion” before a statement won’t save you in a libel case.
  2. Don’t embellish or exaggerate. If your book is nonfiction or memoir, then make sure it is truthful in every detail.
  3. Don’t overlook invasion of privacy laws.

Can I mention a famous person in my book?

The good news is that celebrity names are not copyright protected, just used as a name. If the name is only used to describe the person, it is not covered.

Can you be sued for writing a book about someone?

Understanding Invasion of Privacy



Even if everything you write about someone is completely true, you still need to consider her privacy. Invasion of privacy occurs when you publicly disclose private facts not related to public concern. As with defamation, only living people can sue for invasion of privacy.

What are the 5 elements of defamation?

The five requisite elements of a defamation lawsuit?

  • A statement of fact. Of course, for defamation to have occurred, somebody must have made the statement that is considered defamatory. …
  • A published statement. …
  • The statement caused injury. …
  • The statement must be false. …
  • The statement is not privileged. …
  • Getting legal advice.

Can you write a book anonymously?

Yes, you can publish anonymously, and many authors prefer to publish some or all of their books this way. But you should make sure that it is the right choice for you.

How can I write without being sued?

12 Ways to Avoid Getting Sued When Writing Your Memoirs by Angela Hoy, WritersWeekly.com and BookLocker.com



  1. Change your name. …
  2. Change the names of everyone else in the book, even pets.
  3. Change the descriptions and even the gender of some of the folks portrayed in your book.
  4. Change all locations.

How do you protect your work as a writer?

To protect written ideas and stories, apply for a copyright from the U.S. Copyright Office and pay the $30 fee to register your work. If you have a script, you can register it with the Writer’s Guild of America. Just submit it to them with a check for the fee, which is less than $25.

Can you use real places in fiction books?

Yes. You can make up places. Just make sure to indicate in the foreword that everything in your writing is purely a work of fiction, especially when you use the names of famous places. Otherwise, you might confuse readers – especially the young ones – if such a place exists.

Can I publish letters written to me?

As the recipient of the letter, you cannot, however, publish the entirety of the letter without my consent (except for another possible limited exception I will come to in another minute). The reproduction right remains with me, as the copyright owner — as does the right to create a derivative work.

Is a letter protected by copyright?

The law in the US has now been changed and all original works of art, including letters, are automatically protected by copyright.



Who owns a letter once posted?

Once a person owns copyright in a piece of work, the law allows them to restrict others from copying or sharing that work without permission. So, the content of the letter belongs to the writer of the letter – although the actual physical letter belongs to the recipient.

Can you publish emails in a book?

Finally, some information contained in emails may be subject to copyright protection. If the contents are an original work, including literary works, photographs, movies, or software, you may need authorization to publish it publicly, whether or not it’s already been published.

Is it illegal to leak an email?

The intended recipient of the author’s expression is not allowed to copy and re-distribute the expression. Accordingly, because e-mail forwarding deprives the sender of privacy, it violates common-law copyright.

Is it illegal to publish private emails?

Publication of Private Facts: The legal claim known as “publication of private facts” is a species of invasion of privacy. You commit this kind of invasion of privacy by publishing private facts about an individual, the publication of which would be offensive to a reasonable person.

Are emails legally private?

This should come as no surprise anymore, but your email isn’t private. In fact, it’s one of the least secure methods of communication you can use. In contrast, phone calls typically aren’t recorded and stored, and even if they were, your employer and law enforcement would have to go to court to gain access to them.



Can police intercept emails?

The answer seems to be yes. Earlier this year the Sunday Times reported that the police now have the capability to hack into people’s personal computers and examine the contents, a practice they call remote searching.

What does BBC stand for in email?

Bcc, or “blind carbon copy,” lets you add multiple recipients to an email — in other words, lets you send an email to multiple people at once. However, when they receive the email, none of these Bcc recipients will know who else received the email via Bcc.