Cameo of another author's character in your story

[GinnyPPC]

I was just working on a scene in my first story where I realized that with the insertion of a couple words and a name, my character could be sitting next to and interacting with a character from a story I have really enjoyed. It would be done in a way that I think honors the other author's character, and at the same time, if a reader had not read the other story, would not realize it was a cameo. And those that did realize it would get a smile on their face.

So my question is, what is the proper protocol for doing this? I would of course seek permission from the other author and only do the insertion if permission is granted. What would you do if someone like me asked to use your character in a cameo? Would you like to be acknowledged in the chapter foreword or end notes? Just looking for advice.

 

[SimonDoom]

My advice would be to write your own character, with a completely new name. If the character shares traits with a character from another story, no one will ever know. It won't be important to the readers, and it won't be important to the author of the other story. It only matters to you. You can have some fun knowing you've created a character based on a character in someone else's story.

 

[MColton84]

I was just working on a scene in my first story where I realized that with the insertion of a couple words and a name, my character could be sitting next to and interacting with a character from a story I have really enjoyed. It would be done in a way that I think honors the other author's character, and at the same time, if a reader had not read the other story, would not realize it was a cameo. And those that did realize it would get a smile on their face.

So my question is, what is the proper protocol for doing this? I would of course seek permission from the other author and only do the insertion if permission is granted. What would you do if someone like me asked to use your character in a cameo? Would you like to be acknowledged in the chapter foreword or end notes? Just looking for advice.

I would just abandon the idea, unless of course you were wanting to collaborate with another author. If you did decide to go through with it, I would first consult the author. Just speaking from my feelings, I wouldn’t want to find a character of my creating in someone else's work without consent. Simon is probably right. You should just create your own character for your scene.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've made in-house references to other writer's characters, where I've had behind the scenes contact with those writers. Only they will recognise the tribute (and maybe joint loyal fans), so there's no real protocol involved. I wouldn't do it with some random writer's characters, though.

Mister Doom and I wrote "tributes" - a veryy loose interpretation of the word - to each other's (forum) characters in the first 750 Word Anthology. He wrote a Suzie story, I wrote about his mom. But they were part of our give and take, and no penguins were hurt .

 

[Bramblethorn]

I was just working on a scene in my first story where I realized that with the insertion of a couple words and a name, my character could be sitting next to and interacting with a character from a story I have really enjoyed. It would be done in a way that I think honors the other author's character, and at the same time, if a reader had not read the other story, would not realize it was a cameo. And those that did realize it would get a smile on their face.

So my question is, what is the proper protocol for doing this? I would of course seek permission from the other author and only do the insertion if permission is granted.

That is the proper protocol, with acknowledgement or not as the other author requests.

What would you do if someone like me asked to use your character in a cameo? Would you like to be acknowledged in the chapter foreword or end notes? Just looking for advice.

I would take it as a compliment, and I'd consider the request based on individual circumstances.

I'd be more likely to say yes if it's a brief appearance, if it's consistent with my own understanding of my character, if I'm on friendly terms with the requester, and if I'm comfortable with the kind of stories they're telling. I'd also want to check over the story before it was posted.

I don't think any of my characters here have cameo'd in other people's stories, but a while back another author asked for permission to use an artwork that I described in one of mine, and I granted that.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I was just working on a scene in my first story where I realized that with the insertion of a couple words and a name, my character could be sitting next to and interacting with a character from a story I have really enjoyed. It would be done in a way that I think honors the other author's character, and at the same time, if a reader had not read the other story, would not realize it was a cameo. And those that did realize it would get a smile on their face.

So my question is, what is the proper protocol for doing this? I would of course seek permission from the other author and only do the insertion if permission is granted. What would you do if someone like me asked to use your character in a cameo? Would you like to be acknowledged in the chapter foreword or end notes? Just looking for advice.

What you are describing is something fellow authors do frequently. Two that come to mind are a couple of my favorites, Robert Crais (Elvis Cole series) and Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch series).

They both write crime mysteries with the main characters based in Southern California where they frequently run into the main character from the other's books. Since they share the same genre, and consequently readers, the appearance of the characters adds familiarity to their stories.

I think the same could be true on Literotica as long as the two authors are in agreement.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'd do it, but try reaching out to the author to see if they care. Then I'd drop a note in the start or end of the story calling out the cameo and giving that author a shout out.

I had someone recently ask if they could use my character "Incestial" a fictional demon of incest from an old Halloween story, and I told them it was fine, its flattering and I think most people would feel the same.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I did it once, but I got explicit permission to do it from the author. He said I didn't even have to mention his name as a credit (he wrote it as a kind of goof on Loving Wives), but I did anyway. It turned out that he loved how it turned out. But I doubt I would ever do it again.

 

[jaF0]

'Cheryl' in my Mother series has been implied to have been involved in situations I haven't covered. Things she isn't willing to discuss with her daughters. Yet.

I didn't really have a person in mind at the time, but since have figured that she could sort of be styled after Cheryl Ladd.

Now, if she happened to appear in another story, or situation .....

 

[gordo12]

I used a gum snapping process server who appears in many LW stories by another long term prolific writer here. That's all I had to do. The readers got it. It was so generic I didn't feel the need to ask.

 

[GinnyPPC]

Thank you all. I have reached out to the other author with my idea. The other author has previously seen the first couple chapters of my story and like it. So maybe....