Is your autobiography true?

Question

I am writing a semi autobiographical novel but some things are painful and embarrassing so I change them round. My creative writing tutor is against this because an artist opens herself to the world. Two things. What if my mother reads it and will I get sued?
Writers only plse.

Answer 1

First of all its hard for things to truly be both "autobiographical" and a "novel." If you want to write a novel, you need to change enough stuff in it--names, small details, etc.--you wouldn't want to become hated among your friends, family, and various relations. What is more important than writing the whole truth is capturing the emotion of the story not the teeny details. You wouldn't want your whole life to be put under a microscope...or would you??? I know I wouldn't. I guarantee if it's painful for you to write about embarrassing situations, it will be painful to the reader as well.

I recommend changing characters...changing names, changing characteristics, maybe combining characteristics of one person with another. You don't want anyone to be too recognizable...you want the all the characters to be believable and human with strengths and flaws...but you shouldn't be telling everyone elses secrets either.

Answer 2

Semi-autobiographies are fact-based but not 100% true. An autobiography is 100% true, nothing is made up. How can you get sued if you write the truth? Writers can only get sued over slander and libel. Just don't make up lies about other people and you should be fine.

Answer 3

well, two things: firstly, you tutor should be made aware that there are laws protecting privacy, especially if people are blackmailed into revealing embarrassing or compromising details under the childish threat of being labelled a "bad" artist.
Secondly, it has always been an accepted universal truth that artist, so called good as well as bad ones use metaphores and hyperboles and symboles to reveal things. In order words, it is the use of artifice, of what is artificial, that brings a certain truth to light, i.e. the artist's truth.... I guess that's why it's called art. Otherwise, it might as well be news-reading....

Answer 4

Ah, I am in a similar fix. The autobiographical characters of my (NY Story I., II. II.IV.) story as yet untitled, are real. The issues are quite shocking, but very amusing, if not slapstick funny......several are well known. It is a comedy or errors.

I sampled five snippets of it today for reaction and critique. You can see my similar issue.

Some characters have retained their names, as they need the public exposure, that we do for each other.

They are the closets of friends. No harm done. We trust each other. Real names can be used for those people. They are artists and they are flattered. They collect stories like I do. They are also publicity persons that create interest in my story over the web. They are experienced and expert at what they do.

I never leave messes, value my privacy intensely.

Others, aside from these two, need to be protected, myself included. Muckraking is not my style. I do not create messes but strive to create joint alliances, necessitating re-working of plots, characters and places.

I have rules: Trust, honor, fidelity, loyalty and love. Those guidelines let me work, and they let me re-work my writing into interesting characters.

manekineo
all is well

Answer 5

If you write an autobiography, you don't change the names but when you write a novel with autobiographical hints you do change the names.

Answer 6

An autobiography is non-fiction
so it should be fact.
If you print something about your mother
that isn't true and can't be proven
she can sue, however you are allowed to say your
OPINION about her.

For example, you can say she was a mean person
all you want, but if you say she was a drug addict,
you better be able to prove that if you think she'd sue.

A MEMOIR is a fictional biography.
I believe there is plenty of truth to most memoirs
but enough details and truths are changed
to make them a work of ficiton.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

you can put a disclosure on the first page, something that sort of says "the charactors used in this novel is based on a true story, readers may not be able to sue author for anything written in this novel" but make it seem not legal, that was just the basics

Answer 8

First of all screw your tutor. Don't let anyone tell you how to write. You're conveying emotions and feeling when you write, put what you want in there. If you feel a need to change something to carry the message, do it.

Answer 9

I've not written my autobiography, but if I ever do, the names, facts and places will be changed to protect the guilty.

Answer 10

yes? but you only change names