okay ad'ers. ask me anything (but be nice! :))

Hear Again said:
the area where i will need to be careful is when i write my book about bipolar. i'm going to have to make certain that my experiences don't mirror anyone else's. i've read just about every autobiophraphy from those who have bipolar, so i will need to be careful about that. i certainly don't want a lawsuit on my hands

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The best way I know to do that is also the most painful.

Everyone writes about a character who is afraid. An editor will stop reading the minute they come across the sentence "She waited with bated breath". You don't want this character to sound like someone else's character, you don't even want them to sound like the character in your last novel or the one before it. So what do you do?

I pick out an experience of my own that caused me fear and go over it slowly and carefully pausing often until I have the details I need to make it clear to the reader in a unique way.

If I remember correctly you said two of the people who abused you were dead. This is a good thing from a writer's POV (point of view). A judge has ruled that dead people cannot be libeled, slandered, ridiculed, or their privacy invaded, by law as they no longer exist.

But also remembered that a writer was successfully sued when he wrote about a dead celebrity who had two children. Their argument was that they were not celebrities, they were not dead, and the writer invaded their privacy by mentioning them.
 
Hear Again said:
i know. in my stastistics class last semester, our professor wanted us to submit an outline. the only way i could create it was to write my paper in advance (it was a 15 page paper). she also made it difficult because of her expectation that we turn in a first draft which we were supposed to make changes to. i don't mind making changes to my writing at all, but when i'm of the opinion that nothing actually needs changing, i need to find another way to meet her expectations. what i ended up doing was rephrasing most of my paper instead of changing the ideas i presented. i ended up receiving an "a."

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You won't run into that kind of a scenario in the publishing world, but the type of thinking you used there will stand you in good stead.
 
I've always done the same thing, Hear Again. When I need to submit an outline, I write the paper first. Then I outline it.

That's what I don't like about school is that teachers cater to a very specific type of writer, test taker, etc. And then the rest of us do poorly not because we can't write or take a test, but because we do it differently.
 
Nika said:
I've always done the same thing, Hear Again. When I need to submit an outline, I write the paper first. Then I outline it.

That's what I don't like about school is that teachers cater to a very specific type of writer, test taker, etc. And then the rest of us do poorly not because we can't write or take a test, but because we do it differently.

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Actually I have the same problem. Maybe worse.

I preplan my stories, but I have never figured out how to do an outline, either before or after I write something.

One wall of my house is cork board. I use index cards and colored yarn to connect them so I can see how one idea connects to the others. It looks sort of like a giant spider dropped acid and used my wall to express itself.

Nope, wouldn't call that an outline.
 
Berry said:
One wall of my house is cork board. I use index cards and colored yarn to connect them so I can see how one idea connects to the others. It looks sort of like a giant spider dropped acid and used my wall to express itself.
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laughing at berry...
 
Berry said:
But also remembered that a writer was successfully sued when he wrote about a dead celebrity who had two children. Their argument was that they were not celebrities, they were not dead, and the writer invaded their privacy by mentioning them.
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hmmm. that definitely presents a challenge. how can i write about my experineces if i can't name the people (in a general sense -- not by name) who were responsible for my traumas? i'm also going to have to check with my family to make sure they know what i'm doing and are okay with it. i don't think anyone in my family would sue me for something i wrote, but then again, you never know...
 
Hear Again said:
hmmm. that definitely presents a challenge. how can i write about my experineces if i can't name the people (in a general sense -- not by name) who were responsible for my traumas? i'm also going to have to check with my family to make sure they know what i'm doing and are okay with it. i don't think anyone in my family would sue me for something i wrote, but then again, you never know..

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Go here. You will find all kinds of release forms that cover both books and movies. If you don't find what you think you need don't hesitate to join the forum and ask specifics. The chances are someone will know the answer, just remember that much like this forum not everyone knows as much as they might lead you to believe, so check any information out before you use it.

Don't write about a living person without a release if you can help it, and don't give them the right to have final say on what you have written.

It is not slander or libel if you can document and prove everything you have said, but it might be invasion of privacy. Also you are not supposed to hold someone up to ridicule (unless the person is a celebrity in which case they have few if any rights at all)

But don't despair. These are not insurmountable problems. If they were no such book as yours would be written.

Also because of your position you might very well have access to legal assistance from a group that would like situations such as you would be describing exposed completely and battled more effectively. I know there must be a group out there who would love to back you and have you laud them in your book for having done so.

And while we are discussing your unique position you might very well have a wonderful option here. Write a book proposal and ask for a grant. I have been told There are grants out there for from $50,000 to $300,000.
 
Hear Again said:
the area where i will need to be careful is when i write my book about bipolar. i'm going to have to make certain that my experiences don't mirror anyone else's. i've read just about every autobiophraphy from those who have bipolar, so i will need to be careful about that. i certainly don't want a lawsuit on my hands.
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How many Autobiographies are written about a deafblind person with Bipolar?

As long as you included your experiences as a deafblind person too I don't see any way you would be copying anyone elses work.

Goodluck writing your book. I'm also writing a book. Mine is a fantasy novel which includes Deafblind and blind characters as well as characters with other disabilities too.
 
Hear Again said:
hmmm. that definitely presents a challenge. how can i write about my experineces if i can't name the people (in a general sense -- not by name) who were responsible for my traumas? i'm also going to have to check with my family to make sure they know what i'm doing and are okay with it. i don't think anyone in my family would sue me for something i wrote, but then again, you never know...
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I recall some books like that few years ago. I don't mean to be insensitive but you won't have any legal issue since the people who abused you are dead.... unless there are other abusive people who are still alive
 
Nika said:
I've always done the same thing, Hear Again. When I need to submit an outline, I write the paper first. Then I outline it.

That's what I don't like about school is that teachers cater to a very specific type of writer, test taker, etc. And then the rest of us do poorly not because we can't write or take a test, but because we do it differently.
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I agree, outlines are hard unless you have already written the paper.
 
Jiro said:
I recall some books like that few years ago. I don't mean to be insensitive but you won't have any legal issue since the people who abused you are dead.... unless there are other abusive people who are still alive
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I think Hear again said 2 of them were dead? But others are still around?

If I was hear again I would just omit the whole issue. At least discuss it with her sisters first. Otherwise it might come as a major shock to them unless they already know?
 
dreama said:
I think Hear again said 2 of them were dead? But others are still around?

If I was hear again I would just omit the whole issue. At least discuss it with her sisters first. Otherwise it might come as a major shock to them unless they already know?
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that's right, dreama. 2 of the people responsible for my traumas are deceased, but one may not be (i have no idea since i've never seen this person again since the trauma occurred.).
 
Jiro said:
I recall some books like that few years ago. I don't mean to be insensitive but you won't have any legal issue since the people who abused you are dead.... unless there are other abusive people who are still alive
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2 people that were responsible for my traumas are deceased, but i have no idea if the third person is because i haven't seem them since the day the trauma took place.
 
dreama said:
How many Autobiographies are written about a deafblind person with Bipolar?

As long as you included your experiences as a deafblind person too I don't see any way you would be copying anyone elses work.

Goodluck writing your book. I'm also writing a book. Mine is a fantasy novel which includes Deafblind and blind characters as well as characters with other disabilities too.
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you do have a point dreama.

however, when it comes to manic and depressive episodes, there are specific symptoms that everyone with bipolar experience and because of that, i need to be careful not to copy anyone else's description.

furthermore, i'd really prefer to write each book separately since i'd like to share my experiences with bipolar, go into detail about some of my auditory hallucinations, delusions and paranoia -- and share ideas as to how others can successfully cope with the illness. if i write a book about deafblindness and bipolar together, i'm afraid i may end up writing more about one subject than the other.

do you plan to publish your books in the future?
 
i don't think anybody will want to buy my book. It's like 1 word and one quote at the end. it begins with :mad2: and ends with "Don't forget to buy Jiro's Special Edition Sunglasses"

ok lame joke
 
Jiro said:
i don't think anybody will want to buy my book. It's like 1 word and one quote at the end. it begins with :mad2: and ends with "Don't forget to buy Jiro's Special Edition Sunglasses"

ok lame joke
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:laugh2: :laugh2:

well, at least you can say that your book would be short and concise!
 
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