True Stories

[CurvyMrs]

Please note I’m new to this and to literotica. So apologies if this has been discussed before. It appear lit has a policy regarding true stories. At second attempt I did manage to get it through after removing true from the description. My question is why is lit not keen on true stories? Mine is not my best piece of writing (I really am an amateur), but I really did feel I needed to tell my tale to set the scene for what I know is to come.

https://www.literotica.com/s/fifteen-minutes-4

What I don’t understand is that as names are changed and nobody is directly identifiable what is the concern. I’m probably missing something obvious.

Anyway I promise I will improve. I have plenty more to tell.

CurvyMrs x

 

[OverconfidentSarcasm]

What I don’t understand is that as names are changed and nobody is directly identifiable what is the concern.

That's exactly the issue. Even if nobody is "directly" identifiable, they can still be identified indirectly. Like, if the description of your living room is too in line with how it really looks. Mistakes like that happen quickly.

At the very least, the people the story is about will recognize what they're reading. Maybe even people who heard rumors about what you describe in your story stumble upon it and think "This is too close to what I heard".

Just don't do it. If you want to share with someone, do it privately. Or on Reddit. They don't care if an embarrassed party sends cease-and-desist letters.

 

[AchtungNight]

Some people have issues with sexual harassment and airing their private issues online, even in what is supposed to be a consenting supportive adult environment. Lit is covering their bases. My advice is to make sure your stories are clearly marked as fiction and keep changing names and other key details as you describe. Only in the cases of celebrity cameos and people you know for sure would be okay with the depiction should you not change names and other key details.

There’s also the issue of defamation. Some people don’t like being portrayed as having specific kinks and personality traits. Yeah, there’s little money to be gained from suing a free website, but it’s still plausible for these people or their fans to read and dislike your story. You may feel differently about the experience than they do. Same is true of celebrities’ fans. When I wrote my TomKat and Evan Rachel Wood with Marilyn Manson stories, the majority of my other celebrity stories also, I had to think very long and hard about how to portray the characters and relationships, then write carefully to make them mostly acceptable to all involved readers. The media says one thing, the people involved another, and I don’t know the truth because I’m not involved with the people behind my celebrity characters as more than a fan. And when my subjects are controversial and I like the women more than the men and don’t want to be seen as a misogynist even though I enjoy writing critically acclaimed satirical smut… that can make it rough too.

It’s ok to base your stories on reality but remember that perception can often paint a different picture. A police chief told me that.

 

[KeithD]

Works claiming to be true that include people beyond the author him/herself start off with problems of depiction of real people without their permission. Literotica doesn't say it welcomes true stories. It says it welcomes fiction. "your FREE source for the hottest in erotic fiction and fantasy." Fictionalize your true experiences and drop the suggestion what is depicted was from real experience, and your story will post here. There will be readers who assume it's true even when it isn't.

My stories have cut to the "real" enough that one of the regular posters here managed to privately out me just on the basis of my story plotlines and the timing and location of events across the stories. Regardless, they are fictionalized accounts that push beyond what actually happened in some way to make them erotic.

 

[MrPixel]

At the very least, the people the story is about will recognize what they're reading.

Exactly. The sequence of events, the number of people involved (and their genders), and certain details of the setting(s) can be recognized by participants or others with specific secondhand knowledge.

I have written several “true” stories as recollections of events from nearly four decades ago. All involved parties were anonymous and names were not shared nor remembered, so in these cases there’s a pretty thick layer of protection.

On the other hand, a little over a year ago I published an anonymized story that was roman à clef. It dawned on me that one of the characters depicted would strongly object to the too-similar scenario in the 1:1,000,000 odds he stumbled into it. I had the story removed. (Another in the story knows I publish here and would be amused.)

So, basically, even with names and locations changed to protect the guilty, somebody “not you” but nonetheless close to the events described may take exception if the story was discovered, and depending on the situation it could get quite ugly, as in lawyer-ugly.

 

[CurvyMrs]

All noted. I have amended my story and will change my approach moving forwards with a greater emphasis on fiction only loosely based on my experiences.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Please note I’m new to this and to literotica. So apologies if this has been discussed before. It appear lit has a policy regarding true stories. At second attempt I did manage to get it through after removing true from the description. My question is why is lit not keen on true stories? Mine is not my best piece of writing (I really am an amateur), but I really did feel I needed to tell my tale to set the scene for what I know is to come.

https://www.literotica.com/s/fifteen-minutes-4

What I don’t understand is that as names are changed and nobody is directly identifiable what is the concern. I’m probably missing something obvious.

Anyway I promise I will improve. I have plenty more to tell.

CurvyMrs x

Writing a true story in a documentary manner with lots of details about place and events is not a very good idea.

I’ve written many stories that are fictionalized versions of real events, but I never include things like the city in which they take place. I change key locations. For example, a location I use several times is a sex store, next to a bar and with a BDSM room at the rear. No such place existed. Though the BDSM room did.

I also amalgamate events that might have taken place years apart, and with different people involved. I combine people to create characters that didn’t exist; particularly supporting characters. And, where I feature real people, I do so with their permission (one retrospective to my undying shame - it’s a long story) and still obfuscate certain things about them.

I change some names. Always use invented family names (if I use these at all). And alter details of appearance and biography.

Add on top of that exaggerating events, making up certain things, changing how things happened to make them more interesting, and so on, and you are in “inspired by real events” territory.

An example is my First Time story, Wanting to be Wanted. I didn’t want to include the real reasons for hooking up with my friend. They were complicated and frankly boring. So I made up an introduction to the story which never happened, but which kinda reflected some elements of reality, albeit in a distorted manner.

I’ve never had a story sent back for these reasons.

Em

 

[MelissaBaby]

All noted. I have amended my story and will change my approach moving forwards with a greater emphasis on fiction only loosely based on my experiences.

That would be a shame, in my opinion. Use sensible discretion, but tell the story you want to tell. Change names. Change or obscure locations. Where possible, change the chronology of events. Don't proclaim that it is a true story.

But be aware, you are potentially creating some level of risk for yourself if your story is recognizable to people who recognize the true identity of your characters or are familiar with the events you've described.

 

[CurvyMrs]

Yes, any changes will be reasonable and not too much. Thank you for being constructive

 

[AchtungNight]

Remember defamation requires two things per the law- depiction of true events and malicious intent. When events are exaggerated and made more interesting as EmilyMiller describes, you fix the truth issue while improving the story. You can address the "malicious intent" issue with fair portrayal of involved subjects. Entertainment is not inherently malicious even if you push poor tastes. Writing something as a cautionary tale intended to deter sexual harassment through force or fraud (my recent story Bad Connections [ https://literotica.com/s/bad-connections ] is an example of this, so are other stories I've done featuring sexual assault victims) is not malicious intent either- it's fair use and public service. But people still don't like being portrayed as victims. Or actually being victims. For good reason. You don't want to put someone in therapy- or jail- for deeds they can't forgive. Always think about what you're trying to write and whether or not your readers will appreciate it. Said readers may include haters as well as fans. If you can write a fictional story and put it across with fair erotically exciting action, great. But be careful putting out disrespect. You may earn greater proportions of it in retribution. Remember, everyone sees disrespect differently too. Good luck.

 

[5080]

All noted. I have amended my story and will change my approach moving forwards with a greater emphasis on fiction only loosely based on my experiences.

But as a sexy personality in your own right, it's an added dimension to know you're recounting your own actions and adventures

 

[CurvyMrs]

all of this has been a bit scathing but understandable. I have not been negative re anyone and ,have rechecked my writing to this end. The names are changed and the situations have even been amended following these comments. It now is different to the reality and I’m comfortable amounts to fiction very loosely based on my reality. Sorry to all for my naivety. I will improve in my upcoming writings

 

[EmilyMiller]

all of this has been a bit scathing but understandable. I have not been negative re anyone and ,have rechecked my writing to this end. The names are changed and the situations have even been amended following these comments. It now is different to the reality and I’m comfortable amounts to fiction very loosely based on my reality. Sorry to all for my naivety. I will improve in my upcoming writings

Hun,

I don’t think anyone was being mean to you. The opposite. We’re trying to help.

Em

 

[CurvyMrs]

Hun,

I don’t think anyone was being mean to you. The opposite. We’re trying to help.

Em

I totally get that. Thank you. Lesson learned. My submissive nature coming through.

 

[alohadave]

all of this has been a bit scathing but understandable. I have not been negative re anyone and ,have rechecked my writing to this end. The names are changed and the situations have even been amended following these comments. It now is different to the reality and I’m comfortable amounts to fiction very loosely based on my reality. Sorry to all for my naivety. I will improve in my upcoming writings

It may seem like people are piling on, but what happens is that they find this thread at different times and reply to your OP before they see that there are answers and responses.

It's the nature of forums.

 

[CurvyMrs]

It may seem like people are piling on, but what happens is that they find this thread at different times and reply to your OP before they see that there are answers and responses.

It's the nature of forums.

Thanks. I’m very new to writing and forums. I’ve always done these things but never written about them. Much to learn.

 

[alohadave]

Thanks. I’m very new to writing and forums. I’ve always done these things but never written about them. Much to learn.

Welcome, and good luck with your stories.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Remember defamation requires two things per the law- depiction of true events and malicious intent.

Did you mean purported depiction of true events? AFAIK, under US laws truth is an absolute defense; only false statements can constitute libel.

But advertising a false statement as "a true story" could increase the risk of it being found defamatory, since a statement that nobody would believe can't harm anybody's reputation.

 

[AchtungNight]

all of this has been a bit scathing but understandable. I have not been negative re anyone and ,have rechecked my writing to this end. The names are changed and the situations have even been amended following these comments. It now is different to the reality and I’m comfortable amounts to fiction very loosely based on my reality. Sorry to all for my naivety. I will improve in my upcoming writings

You gotta realize people see words in different ways too. Some see James Bond as a dashing hero who pleases women and defeats bad guys with ease. Others see him as a sexist womanizer with an overblown ego and don't want anything to do with him. Same for erotic entertainment in general- not everyone is a fan. Try to think about what you write from a objective perspective sometimes, or a critical perspective- it may improve your writing and character. It also helps me understand Lit's concerns.

Did you mean purported depiction of true events? AFAIK, under US laws truth is an absolute defense; only false statements can constitute libel.

But advertising a false statement as "a true story" could increase the risk of it being found defamatory, since a statement that nobody would believe can't harm anybody's reputation.

You're right. I did mean purported. I don't always remember the law as well as I would like. Thanks.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Please note I’m new to this and to literotica. So apologies if this has been discussed before. It appear lit has a policy regarding true stories. At second attempt I did manage to get it through after removing true from the description. My question is why is lit not keen on true stories? Mine is not my best piece of writing (I really am an amateur), but I really did feel I needed to tell my tale to set the scene for what I know is to come.

https://www.literotica.com/s/fifteen-minutes-4

What I don’t understand is that as names are changed and nobody is directly identifiable what is the concern. I’m probably missing something obvious.

Anyway I promise I will improve. I have plenty more to tell.

CurvyMrs x

CurvyMrs x

Contrary to what some have said here, stories (or story content) can be based on real-life events, but they need to protect the identity of the people involved and can't state, "true", in the title or description. In addition, real people can be used as characters in stories, and not just celebrity/fan fiction. You just need to have the person's permission to use their name/likeness unless they are a public person.

Several of my stories have characters named after friends and relatives that all gave permission and are proud of how they were depicted in my stories. In mainstream literature, it is not uncommon for an author to include a character named after a donor to one of their favorite charities. It happens all the time.

The only time I have had any type of issue with something fictional being construed as real, was ironically with a celebrity story. One of the real-life celebrity's relatives wrote me about some erotic scenes in the story being very close to actual events involving this celebrity and asked me to change things up a bit, which I did.

Sometimes even our imaginations can be closer to reality than we expect.

 

[SimonDoom]

Did you mean purported depiction of true events? AFAIK, under US laws truth is an absolute defense; only false statements can constitute libel.

But advertising a false statement as "a true story" could increase the risk of it being found defamatory, since a statement that nobody would believe can't harm anybody's reputation.

This is right. It's only defamation if it's false, but it's told in a way that people will believe it, thus causing injury to reputation. If I tell the public that you committed a bank robbery ten years earlier, and it's true, then it's not defamation, even though it might hurt your reputation. On the other hand, if I tell people you are a purple hippo, it might conceivably hurt your reputation if people believed it, but no one will believe it, so that's not defamation either.

True statements might also be actionable under some circumstances, such as where it's an invasion of privacy and disclosure of private facts. The law on that varies state by state in the USA. If I write a perfectly true story about a person's private sexual habits and practices, I might conceivably be liable for the damage I cause to the person's reputation.

To get back to the OP's original question and issue: There's nothing wrong with writing stories here that are based on real experiences. Many people do that. But change names and details enough that there's no risk that you will reveal private facts about someone they don't wish to reveal.

 

[AchtungNight]

Contrary to what some have said here, stories (or story content) can be based on real-life events, but they need to protect the identity of the people involved and can't state, "true", in the title or description. In addition, real people can be used as characters in stories, and not just celebrity/fan fiction. You just need to have the person's permission to use their name/likeness unless they are a public person.

Several of my stories have characters named after friends and relatives that all gave permission and are proud of how they were depicted in my stories. In mainstream literature, it is not uncommon for an author to include a character named after a donor to one of their favorite charities. It happens all the time.

The only time I have had any type of issue with something fictional being construed as real, was ironically with a celebrity story. One of the real-life celebrity's relatives wrote me about some erotic scenes in the story being very close to actual events involving this celebrity and asked me to change things up a bit, which I did.

Sometimes even our imaginations can be closer to reality than we expect.

This is true. I have friends and relatives on whom I have based characters as well. Some have given me explicit permission, others have shrugged and said they don't need to know exact details but it's fine. As for the real life celebrity contact described above, that has not happened yet on my end. I am aware celebs self-google and have fans who google on their behalf, though, so I write with that in mind. I do have a few happy coincidences- like that free VIP ticket to an Alicia Witt concert I got during the pandemic- but in almost twenty years of writing stories, none of my subjects have ever contacted me. I hope it stays that way or contact is positive if it ever comes.

The inclusion of mirrors of real life celebrity relationships in my stories is usually featured because I like the relationship in question (Jamie Bell & Evan Rachel Wood or Cole Maness & Erika Christensen) and want to reflect that. Or I feel I need to calm myself down to the relationship a bit and maybe help fans do the same (TomKat or ERW & Marilyn Manson). Counseling, a series I did featuring controversial political and religious scandals, was the craziest I have gotten with celebrity work thus far. I am still reconciling some of the crazy emotions I pushed through with that story way back when today.

 

[SimonDoom]

Thanks. I’m very new to writing and forums. I’ve always done these things but never written about them. Much to learn.

We all have much to learn. I've written about doing many things, but done far fewer of them in practice. I envy you that.

 

[CurvyMrs]

We all have much to learn. I've written about doing many things, but done far fewer of them in practice. I envy you that.

I’ve done more than you can imagine and hopefully there is much more to come x

 

[SimonDoom]

I’ve done more than you can imagine and hopefully there is much more to come x

In the words of Han Solo: "I don't know. I can imagine quite a bit."

Good luck with your imagination, and making it come true.