How close can I get to an IRL experience story before getting into trouble?

[MrPixel]

Just had a very interesting weekend at our cabin in a nudist resort. Multiple story lines, lots of drama, a fair amount of s-e-x, and unrequited attraction. It would make a great (IMO) story, even in the blow-by-blow (pun not intended). I can obviously use false names for the people and the setting, but the details which make the story could be revealing should any of the various parties stumble across the anonymized recollection. One of the MCs could make the connection since he has read some of my stories on LitE, but he's not portrayed in a negative light (loving, in fact) nor involved in any of the drama at the campground.

OTOH, the individuals involved wouldn't know all the pieces in combination, as in, "Yeah, that sounds like what we were doing, but I don't recall the other parts."

Maybe I should leave it alone... but what if?

 

[SimonDoom]

If you don't have permission from the participants, then you should change the names, setting, and story details enough that you are not invading the privacy of other people who might be distressed at recognizing themselves in a story that relates them doing things they might not want others to know about. With minor changes you probably can avoid legal problems and problems with the Site, but that's not the only consideration. I would recommend making enough changes so you minimize the risk that people will recognize themselves or others they know in your story.

 

[MrPixel]

Heh. But of course.

Now some of the juicy stuff is going to be really hard to totally anonymize 'cause it's so unusual. Like the four ladies in a row riding a Sybian to orgasm in front of a small audience. I might be able to change the setting to a house party, which will deflect nearly all of it since the campground aspect is mostly irrelevant except for the size of the crowd. It would have to be a really big house, or possibly a "hotel takeover", which are frequent occurrences in that community.

 

[Altissimus]

...or give them all masks.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Heh. But of course.

Now some of the juicy stuff is going to be really hard to totally anonymize 'cause it's so unusual. Like the four ladies in a row riding a Sybian to orgasm in front of a small audience. I might be able to change the setting to a house party, which will deflect nearly all of it since the campground aspect is mostly irrelevant except for the size of the crowd. It would have to be a really big house, or possibly a "hotel takeover", which are frequent occurrences in that community.

Do these people know you write for Literotica? Have they even heard of it? How would they connect your username to the name they know you by? Amber Heard was foolish enough to publish under her own name in The Washington Post. (She did the same thing earlier in The Sun.) Then she seemed surprised when she got clobbered.

It's a judgment call. Anything real I may write about happened decades ago, so I don't worry much about such issues. Take the precautions listed above and make the details different enough that it would not be possible to identify you and this particular event.

 

[BobbyLaker]

Just had a very interesting weekend at our cabin in a nudist resort. Multiple story lines, lots of drama, a fair amount of s-e-x, and unrequited attraction. It would make a great (IMO) story, even in the blow-by-blow (pun not intended). I can obviously use false names for the people and the setting, but the details which make the story could be revealing should any of the various parties stumble across the anonymized recollection. One of the MCs could make the connection since he has read some of my stories on LitE, but he's not portrayed in a negative light (loving, in fact) nor involved in any of the drama at the campground.

OTOH, the individuals involved wouldn't know all the pieces in combination, as in, "Yeah, that sounds like what we were doing, but I don't recall the other parts."

Maybe I should leave it alone... but what if?

Maybe just use the broad plot lines but change enough to anonimize.

You could even change the number of Sybian ladies to, say, five

 

[lovecraft68]

How about not saying a damn word its based on anything real?

Assumption here is all these stories are fiction

My assumption is most of the "this really happened' is also fiction.

The "This was so hot I have to tell everyone" is 20 year old frat boy behavior some guys can't seem to grow out of.

As demonstrated here by this thread where we have to know the OP did something 'kinky'

Why can't men grow up?

 

[KeithD]

You can get as close to real life in a story as you wish here. The risk is being sussed out, if you didn't want to be. I have gotten close enough to real life here that I, quite unexpectedly, was identified in real life by another site participant. If I'd known that was possible I would have camouflaged the story/characters better.

That was here. In the mainstream in an anthology set where I lived, I used a neighbor's circumstance to set up a misunderstanding of what he was involved in doing. As the books was going to press, I realized that he could--and probably would--identify himself. It was the behavior that I led readers think he was involved in but subsequently showed that he wasn't that I considered to be problematic. I could have published what I'd written without fear of legal recourse, but at great expense I had the book pulled back and rewrote that section.

 

[EmilyMiller]

How close can I get to an IRL experience story before getting into trouble?​

To answer generically, not specifically, pretty fucking close. It probably helps to leave details of places out and to only use first names or change some of these. Inspired by real events or based on a true story are fine.

Em

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Legally, unless there is some way for an average individual to recognize the participants, I cannot see you getting into trouble for slander or something. As an example. I'm sure that a number of couples have had IRL foursomes closely following any number of porn flicks, but unless there's some way to link it all together, I don't think that's been grounds for legal action. A disclaimer per Erozetta would be sufficient protection. It's all fiction, your honour, but they're the ones saying the shoe fits.

That said, if these folks did see it and are still in your circle, would they be annoyed? Would it lead to a quarrel? Also, as KeithD noted, if they did recognize themselves and tie it to you, your Cloak of Invisibility would be threatened - would that be a problem?

Not knowing your situation, I'd be tempted to go for it, but I'm neither a lawyer nor you.

Good luck.

 

[K155]

If you change enough of the practical details then legally you've nothing to worry about.

Make it a beach campsite instead of cabins in the woods, change appearance, ages, obv names..

Put a disclaimer ahead of saying any resemblance to real circumstances would be completely coincidence.

If you think there is a reasonable chance of one of them finding it and being pissed, I'd suggest writing it and sharing with them before posting. Just say, I wrote it, im pleased with it, I took x, y, z precaution to protect identity, would you mind if I published!

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

My stories have included a number of things inspired by real life (in my life or in those of others), but with different names, locations, mixing things up a bit, and adding new events or details that would make for plausible deniability if anyone ever stumbled across it and felt led to say, "Wait a minute! That's me!" Use your experience and write a fictional account that you can reasonably maintain really is fiction. Good luck!

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I have one IRL story posted here and several scenes in stories here and elsewhere that are 100% IRL based.

I challenge anyone to figure out truth from fiction, even those who may have been involved in the real-life events I write about. I've had some readers send feedback on scenes in my stories that they thought were autobiographical, asking if "I was okay" (the character in question had a stroke - I haven't), or thinking that they knew me or one of my fictional characters. (they don't) I never claim any part of my stories are true, but that won't stop some people from believing them. It's an attraction for some readers and I feed that with many of my stories.

** This of course excludes "1990", which uses real-life historical events throughout with the characters' names changed to protect them.

 

[AchtungNight]

...or give them all masks.

Sounds like a good start. Also make sure you remember everything properly. Wait, your fatigue is still heavy, you were drinking too, and even the smartest people can still get recollection wrong on occasion as proved by many court cases and social experiments. You sure you can remember everything correctly?

Ok, do your best. But do me a favor as a reader. Make it sound hotter and less awkward when necessary. I don’t want to know about how your unsteady girlfriend tripped on the Sybian’s power cord while getting off and had a bad fall. It kinda breaks suspension of disbelief. I just hope she’s ok. Or maybe you can imagine a dimension where it never happened. Or one where another friend of yours caught her when she tripped. She let this friend help her to a safe place and then thanked him sweetly. Your muse can help you out.

 

[ronde]

I'd just change the names and places and write what you want to write. I would bet that whatever you write, some reader is going to be thinking, "Damn, how could he have seen us doing that part?"

 

[StillStunned]

Perhaps you should ask yourself whether any of the people would be hurt, offended, upset or harmed if their story were told. Maybe they shouldn't have been there, or not with those people, or not doing what they did. Perhaps someone might be suspected of "blabbing", even if the story here can't be linked to you IRL.

We all take real-life events as inspiration for our stories, here or elsewhere. But if you're asking, "Would it be wrong to share these events, in this form?" then perhaps you already know the answer.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

I would bet that whatever you write, some reader is going to be thinking, "Damn, how could he have seen us doing that part?"

Yes, that is probably far common than we would ever guess!

 

[MrPixel]

FWIW, after an eight-hour drive home I've decided to indefinitely table the roman à clef chronicling events. I need to clear my head. Like I said, there were multiple interwoven story lines, and it was definitely not all fun and games, or salacious.

Appreciate everybody's comments.