Basing a story on a real life incident

[Ticklish Girl]

Recently I had an idea for a story about a woman who develops feelings for her brother's best friend. She struggles with these feelings, then finally decides to do something about them – only to have her heart broken when he becomes engaged to another woman. The second half of the story will cover how she handles her feelings of hurt and rejection (not very well). I'm not 100% sure of what's going to happen, but I'm thinking about taking the characters down some pretty dark corridors.

There is, however, one little problem: the story was inspired by a recent romantic disappointment in my personal life. In real life I have come to terms with the fact that this man is unattainable, and I don’t harbor any bad feelings towards him. But I want to set my fictional counterpart free to say and do some pretty nasty things. Furthermore, since she will be the point of view character, the other characters are going to appear more and more unsympathetic as she becomes increasingly paranoid and resentful.

Here is my problem. If I'm too true to the details of the real story, the principals will recognize me as well as themselves in it, and they might assume that I hate them in the same way that my female character hates the other characters. I don’t care so much about what this guy thinks, but I really don’t want to hurt my brother.

Has anyone else ever faced this problem? If so, how did you resolve it?

 

[MaxSebastian]

Well, I have to say I haven't written a story that has ever been completely true, but I have used true elements to help out here and there.

I think there's a lot of things you can do to cope with this, however.

Needless to say you don't use any of the real names in the story - make up new ones, and chances are most people won't recognise there own story. Are all your friends/relatives literotica readers? If they are, then you have much more work to do.

The next thing you can do is to change the setting: set the story in a different town, different state, different country if you can. Use your imagination to change things: that is what writing is all about. You can also set the story in a different time - so perhaps it could be set in Victorian England or Medieval France or even in a futuristic New York.

Then just let your imagination take the story wherever you want it to, don't feel restricted to the real truth.

The more you alter it, the less others will be able to tell it's based on reality, but you can still take advantage of the central core of your original true story by keeping the same characterisation and plot elements.

Hope this helps!

Max.

 

[Ticklish Girl]

Thanks. You did help. I particularly liked this line:

The more you alter it, the less others will be able to tell it's based on reality, but you can still take advantage of the central core of your original true story by keeping the same characterisation and plot elements.

This is exactly what I want to do: remain true to the aspects of the original story that resonate so strongly for me.

After reading your reply I went back and looked at my notes for the story, and I was able to clear away some of the brush and make some decisions about how I want to handle the plot. So thank you for giving me some food for thought.

 

[NaughtyMike]

All my stories are 100% true!!! You mean other people are writing fiction?? I am crushed!!!

 

[jon.hayworth]

Ticklish Girl,

I think that others have said most of what I could say in specifics. Remember writers are like sponges, we soak up experiences, both our own and those of other people and then we retell them. But in retelling them we reasign them to other characters, creations of our imagination maybe. In fact they are reinterpretations of people we know. Either thinly disguised individuals or we have dropped bits of them into a giant cocktail shaker shook up the bits and doloped out characters.

Its the same with plots - there are only a finite number of plot lines, some say 3 some 7 and Polti by sub-divisions got the number to 36. But it runs out there.

My favourite writer Shakespeare was a shameless borrower and adapter, borrowing from mythology, history, and folk-tales and never being afraid to rewrite the truth. If you want to test that read Henry VIII.

Write what is inside you - then you can always edit afterwards.

jon

 

[Hitchhiker]

true events? Heck I couldn't come with idea's like that if they weren't true!!

Found you again hayworth. Yes this addictive.

You gave me idea though. It will put the cat amougst the pigeon's but then we all like a laugh.

How about putting Frodo Baggin's in a situation with the elfin queen. You know some nice little bit of encouragement to keep him on his quest?

As for idea's. They just come, I have some ladies who give me the bones of their fantasies and I put flesh and juices on them.
Shame I'm attached could have real fun and get back my Hitchhiker status at the same time. Few!!!

 

[The Sex Master]

Recently I had an idea for a story about a woman who develops feelings for her brother's best friend. She struggles with these feelings, then finally decides to do something about them – only to have her heart broken when he becomes engaged to another woman. The second half of the story will cover how she handles her feelings of hurt and rejection (not very well). I'm not 100% sure of what's going to happen, but I'm thinking about taking the characters down some pretty dark corridors.

There is, however, one little problem: the story was inspired by a recent romantic disappointment in my personal life. In real life I have come to terms with the fact that this man is unattainable, and I don’t harbor any bad feelings towards him. But I want to set my fictional counterpart free to say and do some pretty nasty things. Furthermore, since she will be the point of view character, the other characters are going to appear more and more unsympathetic as she becomes increasingly paranoid and resentful.

Here is my problem. If I'm too true to the details of the real story, the principals will recognize me as well as themselves in it, and they might assume that I hate them in the same way that my female character hates the other characters. I don’t care so much about what this guy thinks, but I really don’t want to hurt my brother.

Has anyone else ever faced this problem? If so, how did you resolve it?

Leave it ALONE !

 

[Hitchhiker]

Sex Master no e-mail then public

Also what annoy's is guys who like submissive women.And print the whole thread and say one word. Make a comment that's what these boards are here for.If I'm going to travel 23000 mile to read "I agree" well fucking hell mate?
Get a LIFE!

 

[MysteryWriter]

Write it but dont share it with them. I wrote a story about a fictional man with a father no like my father at all. I allowed my sister to read it. She didn't speak to me for six months. Write what you have to right but keep it away from the people it is loosely based on is my advice.

 

[Uther_Pendragon]

All my stories are 100% true!!! You mean other people are writing fiction?? I am crushed!!!

:
I havc a saying. All my stories are true; none of my stories is
is factual.
;
The issue is that your characters act the way people in
that situation would act.
As for *BASING* a story on real life situations,
my story, "Hold That Thought," is based
on an experience in real life. Unfortunately, the sex
isn't. Fortunately -- and no surprise -- getting eaten by
"the Ghouly Man" isn't.
But I *did* have a young kid wake from a nightmare
and tell me that he was afraid of some monster breaking
in the house and eating him; and I did tell that kid that
I would be in the monster's path and would make a
better meal.
So the entire story is *based* on a real event, and
almost all of it is factual.

 

[nemo_quill]

The imagination is like a Mobius strip - you have art on one side & reality on the other, but when you give a slight twist and connect the ends you end up with only one side.

That is the story.

More practical advice would be letting an idea like yours, because of the nearness of the experience, stew for a while. Like fine wine, rich soup, or classic whiskey ideas (those that stick with you) blend and breathe to form a life of their own.

Be like Paul Masson - sell no wine before its time.

Good luck. Look forward to reading this piece one day...


Nemo

 

[Shhh]

Honesty with Yourself

You don't have to name names or use the same places in order to do justice to what you wish to express. To my way of thinking, the emotions and actions you want your character to portray are part of a cathartic process in which you get to express some honest, yet perhaps slightly distasteful urges and emotions you experienced in real life.

The most important thing is to be true to what you need to say through your writing. If you water down the expression in order to "protect the guilty" the process is meaningless - it will not achieve what you need, and that always comes through to the reader in the quality of the work. Good writing, especially fiction, has to involve the reader in something they can feel. Nothing promotes that like honest writing.

Betrayal is betrayal, unrequited love is unrequited love. You can play with the details to cover the identities and still express everything from murderous rage to desperate revenge.

Dark corridors are interesting places to explore. Just remember where the light switch is located.
Good luck.

 

[Shhh]

Paul Masson Wines

"We will sell no wine before its time. Huh? Quarter to four? Well get those goddamn trucks moving, I have VATS of this stuff!"

- Paul Masson, every Tuesday and Thursday.