All Questions
37 questions
3
votes
3
answers
141
views
Selling small scenes?
I absolutely love writing small scenes. Smaller than a complete chapter. Is there any website where I can sell them? I am all for selling copyright over to whoever wants to write a story off of them, ...
1
vote
3
answers
229
views
Do I need to ask real locations' permission to use them in my story?
I have written a children's book about dragons and the things they do in Texas. Do I need to ask i.e. the Lubbock Arboretum if it's okay that I mention them in my story? So my question is: When do I ...
- 11
-2
votes
1
answer
261
views
Can there be fan fiction of a public domain universe?
Fan fiction generally occupies a gray area of the law - widely tolerated under "fair use" for noncommercial sharing, publication, and performance, but almost never acceptable for profiting ...
- 821
-1
votes
2
answers
111
views
Can I take the text of my own already published book (ebook & POD), amend & improve it, add new title and cover pic, and self-publish as a new book?
I have a published (ebook & paperback) novel which was published in 2015 by a UK publishing house. The text was never carefully or properly proofed and there were many printing problems. Net ...
- 1
18
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Do I need copyright permission to rewrite an old classic?
I'm planning to rewrite some old classics such as "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield", "Jane Eyre", etc. in simple English. They will be abridged adaptations (with due ...
- 1,223
0
votes
1
answer
99
views
A location for a big event
My novel I am writing has a Queensland, Australia castle in it, Paronella Park. I did research and I’m using facts, except my characters paid extra to stay inside the castle (which I understand that’...
4
votes
5
answers
631
views
Am I able to freely borrow or reference real people, places or things without fear of legal persecution?
I'm currently writing my first novel and I can't figure out whether I am able to reference an abundance of different people, places, and/or things.
I've had this idea of wanting to sneak in a sizable ...
- 441
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Can I write a story revolving around a video game (Without it taking place in game and making many changes)?
Okay, so this is odd, but hear me out. We've all heard the story, Person A finds a cursed video game cartridge, plays it, every character dies, Person B gets involved and dies, Person A gets rid of ...
- 61
0
votes
2
answers
89
views
Can I write a story with the same variations of another?
I am writing a story that has clans, apprentices, warriors and stuff like that from Warriors by Erin Hunter, but it has different plot, characters, ex. Can I still write it and publish it?
I'm also ...
- 1
3
votes
2
answers
219
views
I want to use the premise of a story that I think wasted its potential, can I do this?
I have been pondering on a novel idea that would likely utilize a large chunk of a premise of a novel that I read several years ago.
To be clear, the elements that I would want to use are the premise (...
- 31
1
vote
2
answers
125
views
I have two story ideas and I want to know if they're similar enough to other books/movies to be copyright infringing [closed]
Is a story about the Hindu gods being real inherently copyright infringing on the Percy Jackson series? Is a story about a plague causing the apocalypse, then a street gang trying to restore order and ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
98
views
Searching for an author with unpublished fantasy writing for my mobile game [closed]
I would be extremely grateful for any advice on how to search for or reach an agreement with an author. I'm a solo indie game developer, unreleased. My game is a fantasy random gacha hero collector. ...
-3
votes
1
answer
206
views
Is my writing original if it is a hybrid of Tolkien and Rowling? [duplicate]
I am planning to write a fantasy book which incorporates the styles of LotR and Harry Potter.
The setting is a Middle Earth-like world. The main character attends a magical school.
There is a ...
2
votes
3
answers
492
views
Is it a copyright violation to have the character share some characteristics with a known character?
More specifically, consider the following examples:
1) Say my protagonist is a boy who has a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, wears round glasses, and has dark hair and green eyes. His name is NOT ...
- 21
5
votes
4
answers
1k
views
When an imagined world resembles or has similarities with a famous world
Arguably this might belong in worldbuilding.stackexchange.com, but the question has to do with a fiction story and its relation to other fiction in the real world.
I have a plot which involves an ...
- 151
8
votes
3
answers
730
views
Approach to pop culture quotes in fiction writing
I am contemplating writing a fictional character [nerd] who speaks in a pop culture references. I appreciate this question somewhat overlaps
Referencing modern pop culture in science fiction
The ...
- 81
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is my book legal? Is my story too similiar to Harry Potter
I have been creating a story in my mind from early childhood. Now, I am very talented in writing, so I decided to give it a try one day. It was awesome! The book I imagine in my head was being written,...
2
votes
3
answers
768
views
In literary fiction, when does allusion, pastiche or intertextuality cross over into plagiarism?
I want to write a novella that to some degree translates Conrad's Heart of Darkness to a modern urban setting, and I want the astute reader to be able to make multiple connections between the two ...
4
votes
2
answers
237
views
What if my published short story is made a movie or a novel, without my permission?
I am writing a short story and thinking of publishing it in the next month.
But then, I had a doubt. What if somebody takes it, expands it and changes it a bit and makes a movie or a novel out of it? ...
- 41
5
votes
2
answers
140
views
In a business novel can characters read real books?
I’m considering writing a piece of business fiction to discuss some agile and testing principles. Given the wide number of books in this area it seems most appropriate to have characters discover the ...
- 1,900
6
votes
2
answers
455
views
On copyright infringement and plagiarism
So, I'm writing a novella about this guy named Peter, who is an actor living in LA. In the fall, he comes back to his hometown, a small town in New Jersey, after a gap of three years. He has a large ...
- 61
7
votes
2
answers
205
views
When a publisher buys the copyright for my books, does that include the pen name I used?
Years ago, I wrote many westerns under half a dozen names for a publisher. They bought the copyright and published them. Now I'm hoping to write for a different publisher.
Can I still use one of the ...
2
votes
2
answers
104
views
Is there a way to license fictional characters, settings, ideas, et cetera?
I hope this is not too vague, but I'm wondering if there is a way to release fictional creations in a way that would allow other writers to freely use them.
E.g., let's say I have a fictional ...
- 121
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is it considered trademark infringement to use the name of a real business in a novel?
I am writing a pivotal scene for my novel that is set in Red Square of Moscow. A very wealthy bureaucrat is leaving a famous, high end store that exists in real life.
Is it considered trademark ...
- 2,640
2
votes
2
answers
295
views
How similar can something be before an idea is *stolen*?
I'm looking to write a Metamorphosis style short story where the reader wakes up as an animal for no apparent reason, and everything goes crazy.
Now, the Kafkain influence is clear just from this ...
- 383
3
votes
1
answer
185
views
Who (if anyone) can add canon to an existing universe?
Under normal circumstances, it's obvious that the original writer would be in control of the canon, but what about when the IP-owner is deceased or no longer participating in their industry? This ...
- 356
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Fictional characters of a real sports team?
My fictional novel includes characters who play for the Boston Red Sox. Obviously, I am using fictional characters and a made up storyline, but am I allowed to use the name of the team or is that ...
- 21
1
vote
2
answers
206
views
Nintendo Based Copyright
I am writing a story for publication that has one of it's key features is these other worlds/universes being the basis of the videos games we see in real life. As such I was hoping to have 2 books in ...
- 11
5
votes
1
answer
109
views
What's the best way to cite non-fiction in fiction?
I'm reading a (proposed) novel for a friend, and they've used large chunks (as in, full paragraphs verbatim) from online sources within their text, usually sourcing from encyclopedias. The way they've ...
- 51
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is writing a novel about a song considered plagiarism?
I am interested in writing a novel about a song from a band. It will have the exact same plot but different names of the characters. Is this considered plagiarism? The idea of the song and my book are ...
- 103
6
votes
4
answers
16k
views
Help! I accidentally gave my fictional character the same name as a fictional character on a TV show. Do I have to change it?
I've been writing a YA mystery book in which one of the three main characters is a detective—who now seems to share his name with another fictional character on TV.
I was pretty young when I came up ...
3
votes
1
answer
531
views
permission from the building owners needed to depict a drawing of it on cover of novel?
Do I need permission from the owners of a building to depict a drawing of it on the cover of my novel?
- 31
1
vote
3
answers
159
views
Is the Concept of "Machine of Death" Copyrighted?
I am a fan of the book "Machine of Death";
http://machineofdeath.net/pdf/MachineofDeath_FINAL.pdf
PDF Page 452 of the above link details the copyright for the material contained within the book. ...
- 113
18
votes
6
answers
5k
views
What should I do if my book's title is already taken?
I'm writing a novel, and I think I've come up with a very good title (The Power of the Powerless). It conveys the moral question of the story well, and gives a good sense of the style of the story. ...
- 487
5
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Attributing a real quote to a fictional character
I've looked at a few fictional character quote questions on here but none seem to hit onto my question:
Can I attribute a real quote to a fictional character?
That is, can I take a quote that was ...
- 423
0
votes
0
answers
40
views
Use of Building names in Fiction [duplicate]
I know that using branded companies names is a no no if shown in a negative light, but what is the "legal" Stance on Buildings that get damaged/blown up/fist fight etc..?
as they are owned by a ...
29
votes
7
answers
16k
views
Using the real world in writing
To what extent can you use locations, businesses, etc. from the real world in fiction? I know someone cannot copyright a city, but what about a particular location in the city that's private. Can I ...
- 1,285