Today the Dragon Wins

"Today the Dragon Wins" offers information from Fantasy Author and Professional Editor Sandy Lender. You'll also find dragons, wizards, sorcerers, and other fantasy elements necessary for a fabulous story, if you know where to look...

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Sandy Lender is the editor of an international trade publication and the author of the fantasy novels Choices Meant for Gods and Choices Meant for Kings, available from ArcheBooks Publishing, and the series-supporting chapbook, What Choices We Made.

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Grammy Awards Results on The Dragon
Or…Can I base a character on Justin Timberlake and not get sued?

Whether you watched the Grammys last night or not, you probably recognize that Justin Timberlake is fabulous. Of course his FutureSex LoveSounds, which is on regular rotation in my bedroom suite, should have won Album of the Year because it rocks the house, Baby. Since we’re in the middle of character sketch discussions in the Writer’s Guides that I’m posting for all ya’ll, here’s my question: Can I base a character in a sequel to Choices Meant for Gods on Justin Timberlake without getting sued?

“Some days, you just want the dragon to win.”


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5 Comments:

Blogger Jeni said...

Well, since you now posted that here for all to see, maybe you can't get away with the disclaimer of how any resemblance of a character to someone in real life is not for real cause it was just something from your wild and very vivid imagination, it might rule out using him as a sort of "role model." But otherwise, why not? Whatever trips your trigger there, kiddo -within reason, of course!

9:31 AM  
Blogger M. B. Weston said...

Yes, legally you can. First, he is a public figure, so he gets screwed by our constitution more than private figures and non-fiction writers get more latitude with him. You probably just can't call him Justine Timberlake. Second, as long as you don't call him Justin Timberlake, you're fine. You might even be able to send him the book, stating that you named the character after him.

I have a hawk in A Prophecy Forgotten named Hudson, and I'm sure Bruce Willis won't mind the little allusion to his film. (I was struggling with names for the hawk, so I picked Hudson, and it stuck.

12:00 PM  
Blogger M. B. Weston said...

Wait, I mean you want to send him the book stating that he "inspired the soul" of your character, yadda yadda yadda.... Gosh, the brain is not working today.

12:01 PM  
Blogger thewriterslife said...

Hi Sandy...just over here hoping your WORK day *grin* went GREAT!

2:25 PM  
Blogger Sandy Lender said...

Hey, Guys.
The way I figure it, I'd actually have a little trouble putting Justin in any of the Choices trilogy 'coz I already have Book II written and Book III is almost done. So, tossing in a cutie-pie singer to perform on Arcana City's stage would be odd at best. Can you imagine my publisher's reaction? "Sandy, this character named Jhuston Timberman seems to have been thrown in at the last minute. I can't see the reason for his existence other than to make the female characters swoon. And Nigel Taiman does that just fine without this other guy trying to steal the show."

He he he.
Sandy L.
"Some days, you just want the dragon to win."

7:02 PM  

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