I’m a writer blog

Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

What are the ethics of using real-world house addresses in historical fiction?

Asked by: Remy Taxi

In historical fiction use real address for real historical events. If a real historical figure lived in a house that is there to this day, use it. If some real place was a famous hangout of some society, use it. If you know of historical events that took at a specific location, have them re-enacted there in your story.

Can you use real addresses in fiction?

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 you use real people in a fictional story?

The defamed person need not be identified by name. The writer need only use enough identifying information in creating the fictional character so that the real person is identifiable to readers. The real person must be living to sue for defamation (the dead cannot suffer reputational harm).

What are the rules of historical fiction?

Ethics: Rules for Writing Historical Novels

  • Don’t invent history. …
  • Try to be fair. …
  • You can leave doubt about what happened. …
  • Keep the chronology as accurate as possible. …
  • You can leave things out. …
  • Complete historical truth is unknowable. …
  • How to test if you’ve done a decent job?

Can you use real places in a novel?

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.

Can you write characters based on real people?

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.

Can you sue someone for putting your name in a book?

As with defamation, only living people can sue for invasion of privacy. In a case against Girl, Interrupted author Susanna Kaysen and her publisher, Random House, a court said that details revealed in a memoir fell under First Amendment protection as long as they furthered the public interest.

Can someone sue you for writing a book about them?

Authors are not often sued for libel, but it can and does happen. While you can never be 100 percent sure you are not at risk, there are some basic dos and don’ts that can help you reduce the probability your book could result in a lawsuit.

What is based on events that happened in real life or was personally experienced by the writer?

A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit.

Do you need permission to write about a place?

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.

Can I use people’s real names when writing a book?

The First Amendment usually wins unless the work is purely advertising, including political advertising. Using someone’s name, image or life story as part of a novel, book, movie or other “expressive” work is protected by the First Amendment, even if the expressive work is sold or displayed.



Can fictional places be copyrighted?

So you cannot legally “copyright” a name, but you could definitely trademark one, and many authors do. For example, the character of Harry Potter is legally trademarked by Time Warner Entertainment, so that no other works of published literature can use the name Harry Potter or the character associated with it.

Can you copyright a storyline?

Once you discover the meaning of your story, that meaning becomes the guide, theme, premise, or through line. Under U.S. Copyright law, in its broader outline, a plot is never copyrightable. There can be no copyright in a movie’s general themes, motives, ideas, or “scenes a faire”.

Will Mickey Mouse enter public domain?

In 2024, the copyright protection for Mickey Mouse will expire, putting the original, old-timey version of the mouse from the “Steamboat Willie” animation in the public domain. That can’t be said for all of the other characters he created later.

What is copyrighted in Harry Potter?

Everything from the names of the books and movies, to house names, and the term ‘Muggle’ are trademarked.

Are the Hogwarts houses copyrighted?

Neither can character types, although sometimes they can be trademarked. (Gryffindor and Quidditch are trademarked, but not the concept of wizardry schools.



Does J.K. Rowling own the copyright to her books?

J. K. Rowling, whilst inspired by other authors, created the story of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone. She was then able to license her copyright to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, who published the book and rewarded her financially.

Does J.K. Rowling own the copyright to Harry Potter?

Rowling, her various publishers and Time Warner, the owner of the rights to the Harry Potter films, have taken numerous legal actions to protect their copyrights, and also have fielded accusations of copyright theft themselves.

Who did J.K. Rowling rip off?

Rowling’s series, was plagiarized from Jacobs’s 1987 book, “The Adventures of Willy the Wizard — No 1 Livid Land.” In a statement Ms. Rowling said she was “saddened that yet another claim has been made that I have taken material from another source to write ‘Harry.

How can it protect Harry Potter from intellectual property infringement around the world?

The answer to the above questions is yes, Harry Potter is protected under the Trademark law and it is also a registered trademark, and all these rights are owned by Warner Brothers.

Was Harry Potter a stolen idea?

The lawsuit, filed in a London court, claims Rowling’s book “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” copied substantial parts of Jacobs’ 1987 book, “The Adventures of Willy the Wizard – No. 1 Livid Land.” Jacobs’ estate also claims that many other ideas from “Willy the Wizard” were copied into the “Harry Potter” books.



Did J.K. Rowling rip off Troll?

It’s important to make it clear that no one is claiming that J.K. Rowling ripped her story from Troll. In fact, Troll screenwriter Eh Naha laughs it off and says in a statement to Huffington Post, “I think the only thing similar, aside from their names, is that they were both kids who spoke English.

Is J.K. Rowling richer than the Queen?

So, yeah, J. K. Rowling is rich. In fact, she’s richer than the Queen of England. The once beloved and now controversial writer has made an absolute fortune off The Boy Who Lived—she’s currently one of the wealthiest authors in the world.

Is J.K. Rowling Rita?

J.K.Rowling was actually Rita Skeeter in the magical world and she got banished due to her way of writing articles for The Daily Prophet and this actually happened when Hermione blackmailed her ( when she found out that Skeeter was an unregistered Animagus), which forced Skeeter to leave the magical world and live …

Is Rita Skeeter a man?

She wasn’t called Rita then but she was a woman.



Why I didn’t get my Hogwarts letter?

The reason you never received your Hogwarts letter is because of Lord Voldemort. Though for many of us it has been years since we waited for our acceptance letter from Hogwarts, there is a theory that Voldemort was the reason why some of us never received an invitation to the magical wizarding world.

What are the ethics of using real-world house addresses in historical fiction?

Asked by: Remy Taxi

In historical fiction use real address for real historical events. If a real historical figure lived in a house that is there to this day, use it. If some real place was a famous hangout of some society, use it. If you know of historical events that took at a specific location, have them re-enacted there in your story.

Can you use real addresses in fiction?

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 you use real people in a fictional story?

The defamed person need not be identified by name. The writer need only use enough identifying information in creating the fictional character so that the real person is identifiable to readers. The real person must be living to sue for defamation (the dead cannot suffer reputational harm).

What are the rules of historical fiction?

Ethics: Rules for Writing Historical Novels

  • Don’t invent history. …
  • Try to be fair. …
  • You can leave doubt about what happened. …
  • Keep the chronology as accurate as possible. …
  • You can leave things out. …
  • Complete historical truth is unknowable. …
  • How to test if you’ve done a decent job?

Can you use real places in a novel?

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.

Can you write characters based on real people?

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.

Can you sue someone for putting your name in a book?

As with defamation, only living people can sue for invasion of privacy. In a case against Girl, Interrupted author Susanna Kaysen and her publisher, Random House, a court said that details revealed in a memoir fell under First Amendment protection as long as they furthered the public interest.

Can someone sue you for writing a book about them?

Authors are not often sued for libel, but it can and does happen. While you can never be 100 percent sure you are not at risk, there are some basic dos and don’ts that can help you reduce the probability your book could result in a lawsuit.

What is based on events that happened in real life or was personally experienced by the writer?

A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit.

Do you need permission to write about a place?

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.

Can I use people’s real names when writing a book?

The First Amendment usually wins unless the work is purely advertising, including political advertising. Using someone’s name, image or life story as part of a novel, book, movie or other “expressive” work is protected by the First Amendment, even if the expressive work is sold or displayed.



Can fictional places be copyrighted?

So you cannot legally “copyright” a name, but you could definitely trademark one, and many authors do. For example, the character of Harry Potter is legally trademarked by Time Warner Entertainment, so that no other works of published literature can use the name Harry Potter or the character associated with it.

Can you copyright a storyline?

Once you discover the meaning of your story, that meaning becomes the guide, theme, premise, or through line. Under U.S. Copyright law, in its broader outline, a plot is never copyrightable. There can be no copyright in a movie’s general themes, motives, ideas, or “scenes a faire”.

Will Mickey Mouse enter public domain?

In 2024, the copyright protection for Mickey Mouse will expire, putting the original, old-timey version of the mouse from the “Steamboat Willie” animation in the public domain. That can’t be said for all of the other characters he created later.

What is copyrighted in Harry Potter?

Everything from the names of the books and movies, to house names, and the term ‘Muggle’ are trademarked.

Are the Hogwarts houses copyrighted?

Neither can character types, although sometimes they can be trademarked. (Gryffindor and Quidditch are trademarked, but not the concept of wizardry schools.



Does J.K. Rowling own the copyright to her books?

J. K. Rowling, whilst inspired by other authors, created the story of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone. She was then able to license her copyright to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, who published the book and rewarded her financially.

Does J.K. Rowling own the copyright to Harry Potter?

Rowling, her various publishers and Time Warner, the owner of the rights to the Harry Potter films, have taken numerous legal actions to protect their copyrights, and also have fielded accusations of copyright theft themselves.

Who did J.K. Rowling rip off?

Rowling’s series, was plagiarized from Jacobs’s 1987 book, “The Adventures of Willy the Wizard — No 1 Livid Land.” In a statement Ms. Rowling said she was “saddened that yet another claim has been made that I have taken material from another source to write ‘Harry.

How can it protect Harry Potter from intellectual property infringement around the world?

The answer to the above questions is yes, Harry Potter is protected under the Trademark law and it is also a registered trademark, and all these rights are owned by Warner Brothers.

Was Harry Potter a stolen idea?

The lawsuit, filed in a London court, claims Rowling’s book “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” copied substantial parts of Jacobs’ 1987 book, “The Adventures of Willy the Wizard – No. 1 Livid Land.” Jacobs’ estate also claims that many other ideas from “Willy the Wizard” were copied into the “Harry Potter” books.



Did J.K. Rowling rip off Troll?

It’s important to make it clear that no one is claiming that J.K. Rowling ripped her story from Troll. In fact, Troll screenwriter Eh Naha laughs it off and says in a statement to Huffington Post, “I think the only thing similar, aside from their names, is that they were both kids who spoke English.

Is J.K. Rowling richer than the Queen?

So, yeah, J. K. Rowling is rich. In fact, she’s richer than the Queen of England. The once beloved and now controversial writer has made an absolute fortune off The Boy Who Lived—she’s currently one of the wealthiest authors in the world.

Is J.K. Rowling Rita?

J.K.Rowling was actually Rita Skeeter in the magical world and she got banished due to her way of writing articles for The Daily Prophet and this actually happened when Hermione blackmailed her ( when she found out that Skeeter was an unregistered Animagus), which forced Skeeter to leave the magical world and live …

Is Rita Skeeter a man?

She wasn’t called Rita then but she was a woman.



Why I didn’t get my Hogwarts letter?

The reason you never received your Hogwarts letter is because of Lord Voldemort. Though for many of us it has been years since we waited for our acceptance letter from Hogwarts, there is a theory that Voldemort was the reason why some of us never received an invitation to the magical wizarding world.