You might say John Doe, not real name or name changed to protect the privacy of the person involved. I think, I will be glad to buy a copy .Keep up dude. You are way smart and it helps more to seek legal and non legal advices.
Scott77
If I write a book(scratch) about my life......
by Iamallcool 21 Replies latest jw friends
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brizzzy
I wrote a memoir that's done rather decently, as memoirs go. I changed my JW family's names, as well as the names/identifying details of anyone else I either wasn't in contact with in order to get permission to use their real names, who was portrayed negatively, or whom I thought might wish to retain their privacy for whatever reason. I asked all of my friends who were portrayed in the book whether they would prefer for me to use their real name or an alias (all of them said that their real names were fine). This is standard when you write a memoir; actually, my publisher actively encouraged it.
Also, publishers these days can be really paranoid about memoirs due to the James Frey stigma...so they will likely put you through the wringer and require documentation of or witnesses to EVERYTHING you write, especially anything that might be considered controversial or seems wildly farfetched (as JW stuff, for example, can often seem). Lie-detector tests aren't offered as an option, haha. My publishers definitely put me through the wringer as far as verification goes. They and an attorney went through the entire book, page by page, with a fine-toothed comb and asked me to prove EVERYTHING. They called childhood friends of the family, former co-workers, former neighbors, they wanted my school records, paper documentation, emails, tweets...anything and everything that backed up what I wrote. It was exhausting, but I understand why it was necessary (yet still, to this day, I often get emails/Amazon reviews accusing me of making my story up because it seems too crazy. These people have no idea the lengths publishers go to these days to avoid a "Million Little Pieces"-type scenario.)
My family has never commented, but one person who believed that he was an anonymous acquaintance mentioned briefly on one page of the book, and didn't like the characterization, threatened to sue. However, my publishers basically laughed him off (I had already handed them mounds of proof for everything I wrote prior to publication, including the scoop on this guy), and not a single attorney would touch him, because I had changed the person's name and identifying details, so he had no recourse or claim, or even any proof that he was the person I was referring to.
So yes, definitely change names and also change identifying details (i.e., physical descriptions, workplaces/job titles) if the person is too easily recognizable even with the name change.
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sir82
Chicks dig authors.
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Scully
Some authors will create pseudonyms (aliases) for the people they describe rather than naming real names.
Some will change place names. Some will create composite characters that use the attributes of a few different people.
And quite a lot of them use a disclaimer that says something along the lines of "The names used in this work are pseudonyms and any resemblance to persons living or dead is unintentional" to cover their ass from a legal perspective.
You could also just call it a work of fiction. Then there's no fact-checking required.
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apostatethunder
I would call it “Safeguard your heart”
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Iamallcool
apostatethunder, thank you for your suggestion but I will not name it like that.
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botchtowersociety
You could call it: "Fifty Shades of Fade Away."
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Iamallcool
I believe it is too early to talk about a title for the book. If I need your help, I will let you all know.
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00DAD
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation: if what you say is true, it cannot be defamatory.
Why do you think the WTBTS goes after anyone posting things here that "violate their copyrights" but never go after anyone exposing their hypocrisy and lies!
Here is an interesting website on the subject you broach:
He deals with Defamation, Right of Privacy and Right of Publicity in regard to writers potential liability.
00DAD
BTW, I'd like to read your book. It sound interesting!
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Found Sheep
Sounds like a good thing to do - Loved your book Brizzzy!;) I like to read ex-jw books. I thought about writing one but.... got about 20 pages started but it brought too many memories up and so.... well not for me right now