tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post5675283806511661140..comments2024-03-26T15:49:05.333-07:00Comments on Criminal Minds: Character Incognito – Or: Revenge is a Dish Best Served…On Paper (if you don’t want to go to jail)Josh Stallingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913654176433125233noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-40845171286566792132019-03-09T17:24:26.544-08:002019-03-09T17:24:26.544-08:00Thanks for your comment, Jake. Love your story abo...Thanks for your comment, Jake. Love your story about the guy you didn’t want to hear from again and how good that worked for you :-) . I hadn’t thought of that but maybe I should try it too… I’ve never used anyone so directly, but some characters are definitely close to their counterparts.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-33195917836851395682019-03-09T16:33:14.725-08:002019-03-09T16:33:14.725-08:00Nice article, Paul. In my first novel, I used the...Nice article, Paul. In my first novel, I used the names of several people I know with their permission for characters, one in particular who kept bugging me to use him; "I'd make a great Secretary of Defense (in my fictional Cabinet); I was in Vietnam." He happens to be an arrogant annoying jerk, so I put him in the book almost exactly as he is, in part so he would never speak to me again. It worked; not a word from him since 2012. Whee and whew! And I apologize to anyone I meet whose name is Ron. (I also apologize to Steves and Debbies for how I used those names.)jake devlinhttp://jakedevlin.cmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-21902200000893337132019-03-09T05:59:36.476-08:002019-03-09T05:59:36.476-08:00Thanks, Susan. Your comment made me laugh out loud...Thanks, Susan. Your comment made me laugh out loud!Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-56796317512364306462019-03-08T22:06:05.819-08:002019-03-08T22:06:05.819-08:00As someone or many writers have said, if you don&#...As someone or many writers have said, if you don't want a man to know you're using him in your story, just say the character has a small penis. I'm sure there are other ways to throw a real person off the scent and avoid complaints!Susan C Sheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18225627756540127032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-9955927099778078432019-03-08T15:52:38.164-08:002019-03-08T15:52:38.164-08:00Thanks Gayle, for your comment. You’ve definitely ...Thanks Gayle, for your comment. You’ve definitely had a life of adventure and have a lot of experiences and things to base characters and stories on. But yes, we have to fill in the blanks with our imagination too. And it is nice to be able to control that world.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-90842994377523883582019-03-08T15:52:17.289-08:002019-03-08T15:52:17.289-08:00Thanks, Lanny, for your comment. Yeah, I guess eve...Thanks, Lanny, for your comment. Yeah, I guess everything we do and experience is fodder for our writing. I know it is with me, too.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-45406919388660971882019-03-08T15:51:51.408-08:002019-03-08T15:51:51.408-08:00Thanks for your comment, Maggie. And glad I could ...Thanks for your comment, Maggie. And glad I could give you a little laugh. As for your boss, well, if you made her nice I’m sure she didn’t recognize herself ;-) . Though, as I say, most people don’t see themselves in a bad light so she probably wouldn’t have anyway.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-51799412585453926862019-03-08T11:53:47.823-08:002019-03-08T11:53:47.823-08:00A few of my characters are based on real people. M...A few of my characters are based on real people. My spy trilogy is loosely based on my dad's career in the Air Force. The CIA used Air Force pilots to fly them hither and yon. We lived in various foreign countries. I had a lot of facts to use. I made up the rest. My detective novels have some real characters as role models, but since I used to be a private detective, I again had real stuff to use. But most of my work is out of my own imagination. I can control that world.GBPoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190573764848658894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-88360645914231960122019-03-08T10:39:25.314-08:002019-03-08T10:39:25.314-08:00When you've lived in different towns, had a va...When you've lived in different towns, had a variety of occupations, been a risk-taker all your life, changed some stances, made a lot of mistakes, done a lot of good things, then brother, your whole damned life is a writing prompt. I have never created a fictional character that wasn't inspired by somebody I've known or had dealings with along the way.<br />Lanny Larcinesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15191468468119638186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-73072056954868638792019-03-08T08:45:25.394-08:002019-03-08T08:45:25.394-08:00Paul, I’m still laughing over the petard bit. I co...Paul, I’m still laughing over the petard bit. I could have written this post, it’s so true to life for writers. I had a character in my first novel modeled after an especially odious boss I once had. Then my agent said the middle sagged and I had to do some serious editing. I didn’t set out to improve the boss character, but she emerged from the editing a much nicer person and became a series regular. Go figure. I’m sure the boss would NEVER recognize her new and improved self---that’s assuming she’d even recognize her true self. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com