No!
Well, that's the simple answer. I have a rationale behind my answer:
- If the friend doesn't like the character—bye, bye friend
- Once started, there's no end
- I write the story for readers, not to amuse people I know
- My characters have a mind of their own ... and it's never the same as someone I know
I have used friend names for characters, but those characters were very different people. So different that there would be no confusion. I do this occasionally as a tiny nod of acknowledgment. Besides, some of my friends have cool names.
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| Be nice to this woman |
That said, I have been tempted to follow Mary Higgins Clark's example.
“When someone is mean to me," she said, "I just make them a victim in my next book.”
“When someone is mean to me," she said, "I just make them a victim in my next book.”
Now that's a great idea.
I've encountered a few people I’d like Steve Dancy to castigate. (That’s castigate, not castrate.) I’ve restrained myself so far because of rule #2. I think that if I ever succumbed to temptation, I'd definitely be stepping onto the proverbial slippery slope.
I've encountered a few people I’d like Steve Dancy to castigate. (That’s castigate, not castrate.) I’ve restrained myself so far because of rule #2. I think that if I ever succumbed to temptation, I'd definitely be stepping onto the proverbial slippery slope.