hey guys,
I previously asked a question but had no response so I thought I'd try it again. I was wondering if it would be okay to use someone in real life for the story I'm working on. The individual I would like to use is the current Emperor of Japan, but I'm too scared to start this story in case I cannot use him for my work. He is not the main focus of my novel however the imperial family is. I would really appreciate your advice on this?
I've used people I know in my stories what I did I changed the names and also description, e.g. If she was petite and blonde I made her tall with red hair, or if she was short and plump I made her willowy. If she was plain I made her very attractive. Difference is my characters are ordinary everyday people and not any kind of royalty. Don't know if this will help but it's another idea.
Hey Christine,
well I will be basing the story on the position more than the person but I think I should use a fictional name instead of the real thing just so I am covered in case I have to change the names later down the line. Thanks for your answer by the way!
I don't agree with Raj about the common guy. You need to be careful of libelling anyone, whether royalty or commoner. Even humble people may have the resources to kill your work before it reaches the printed page therefore it's far safer to put words into the mouths of the dead than the living. On the other hand, you can use actual quotes of living persons but be sure to conduct your due diligence and keep a record of the source of the quotation. Same applies to the dead if your quote is not historically accurate. That shifts the blame onto others since you are merely repeating another author's or journalist's quotation.
Example:
“Well, I learned a lot. You´d be surprised. They´re all individual countries!”
(U.S. President Ronald Reagan commenting to the press aboard Air Force One during a 1982 tour of Central America. Quoted by Lou Cannon in his article Latin [American] Trip an Eye-Opener for Reagan in The Washington Post, 6 December 1982.)