Am I Asking for Trouble with This Character?

AnneMarble · Aug 25, 2006

In my current WIP, a fantasy novel, one of my MCs was inspired by a singer I like (in the classical music field). The character is a gay battle mage who casts spells by singing. He has a similar build and a similar voice, as well as a mostly similar hair color. But their eye colors are different, and their personalities (from what I know of this singer) are totally different. Also, while the character does sing, he is a mage first and a singer second. And as far as the real-life singer is concerned, I'm pretty sure he isn't a battle mage in real life.

Yet at the same time, the type of voice they share is rare -- although historically accurate for a singer in a fantasy with a Medieval/
Renaissance setting. The hair color is rare, too. So am I asking for trouble? Might people who know certain types of classical music look at this character and say "Hmm, that reminds me of..."?
:scared:

gromhard · Aug 25, 2006

Naw you're fine...as long as the classical musician is now dead and won't sue you for libel.

Hair color is not a 100% regional certainty nor is eye color.

LeeFlower · Aug 25, 2006

meh, I'd say you're fine. Mostly I say that because of the personality difference-- if you were trying to write the celebrity into your story, I'd say don't. But you're not... you're just using them as inspiration for a different character entirely.

AnneMarble · Aug 25, 2006

gromhard said:
Naw you're fine...as long as the classical musician is now dead and won't sue you for libel.

Actually he's alive. Gulp.
:Wha:

gromhard said:
Hair color is not a 100% regional certainty nor is eye color.

That's true. They might think it's this guy...
:e2sven:

nicegrrl · Aug 25, 2006

No way is someone going to pick himself out of a fantasy novel.

RedWombat · Aug 25, 2006

Most elves look suspiciously like David Bowie anyway, so I'd say anything else is probably fair game.

janetbellinger · Aug 25, 2006

I watched a David Bowie music dvd last night. That guy was born way ahead of his time and is one of the most fascinating entertainers I've come across. I think the man is a musical and acting genius.

Kate Thornton · Aug 25, 2006

Unless it is Klaus Nomi - who is very much a fantasy figure already!

veinglory · Aug 25, 2006

It may look glaringly obvious to you and not at all to the general reader...

Vomaxx · Aug 25, 2006

AnneMarble said:
The character is a gay battle mage who casts spells by singing. He has a similar build and a similar voice, as well as a mostly similar hair color.

Oh boy. I cannot resist quoting the entry from pp. 109-110 of Diana Wynne Jones's Tough Guide to Fantasyland:

Gay Mage may be one of your Companions on the Tour. He will be very beautiful and he will dress in gorgeous colors. He will have long hair which may be silver-blonde. He will ache with sensitivity. He will not like to fight or be angry with people. Despite all this, he will be surprisingly strong, competent, and determined, and he will be very good at Magic indeed. He will fall in love while on the Tour and suffer other disasters, but this will not impair his efficiency in the least. You will find him giving you a back rub and aromatherapy late in the Tour at some point when he ought to be dead. A valuable Companion.

(Also of interest in this context are the entries on "Music, "Sing," and "Songs," but they're too long to quote here.)

Celia Cyanide · Aug 25, 2006

Kate Thornton said:
Unless it is Klaus Nomi - who is very much a fantasy figure already!

He's dead!

Anyway, I don't think you can get in trouble if the singer reads it, and notices the character is sort of like him. You're allwoed to do that.

scribbler1382 · Aug 25, 2006

janetbellinger said:
I watched a David Bowie music dvd last night. That guy was born way ahead of his time and is one of the most fascinating entertainers I've come across. I think the man is a musical and acting genius.

David Bowie is an acting genius? Oh. Right. Fantasy. :e2brows:

Cyn · Aug 25, 2006

It's fine to take characteristics from someone you know. Many authors take character traits from certain people, or base characters off of someone they've seen in real life. Of course there is a difference between basing a character off of someone and using someone as a character.

Now if you were writing a story about a classical singer who happened to look, sound like and have a similar background as the person you're basing the character on, you would start going into the realm of fan fiction where you could find some trouble.

Like I said, what you have in this story is no problem at all as long as the character and story are your own and you're not trying to fashion a story around a celebrity you like.

aric77 · Aug 25, 2006

i'm sure the guy will be flattered by the close association. he mihgt even become a fan of yours afterwards.

now correct me if i'm wrong, but aside from 'Labyrinth' and a cameo in 'Zoolander' what other movies has he been in?

James D. Macdonald · Aug 25, 2006

Is it at all likely that Joe Random Reader will read your book and say "Oh, yeah, that must be Frank Sinatra (or whoever you're thinking of)"? I trust you're using a name you made up.

Don't worry about it. By the time you've done the third draft the character may have a different haircolor and play the zither.

Maprilynne · Aug 25, 2006

UrsulaV said:
Most elves look suspiciously like David Bowie anyway, so I'd say anything else is probably fair game.

Maprilynne

blacbird · Aug 25, 2006

Kate Thornton said:
Unless it is Klaus Nomi - who is very much a fantasy figure already!

Is he still around?

caw.

Ardellis · Aug 26, 2006

aric77 said:
now correct me if i'm wrong, but aside from 'Labyrinth' and a cameo in 'Zoolander' what other movies has he been in?

David Bowie starred in "The Man Who Fell to Earth" in 1976. He was in "The Hunger" with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon in 1983. And he's playing Nicola Tesla in "The Prestige", which is due out this fall, I believe.

I wouldn't call him a genius, but I've seen lots worse from actors who don't have another career to fall back on.

MadScientistMatt · Aug 26, 2006

scribbler1382 said:
David Bowie is an acting genius? Oh. Right. Fantasy.

He didn't do too badly as a crazy goblin Muppet, but only because that was rather close to him in real life.

MadScientistMatt · Aug 26, 2006

Ardellis said:
David Bowie starred in "The Man Who Fell to Earth" in 1976. He was in "The Hunger" with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon in 1983. And he's playing Nicola Tesla in "The Prestige", which is due out this fall, I believe.

I wouldn't call him a genius, but I've seen lots worse from actors who don't have another career to fall back on.

I think he also had a cameo in the Twin Peaks prequel movie.

AnneMarble · Aug 26, 2006

Gay Mage

Vomaxx said:
Oh boy. I cannot resist quoting the entry from pp. 109-110 of Diana Wynne Jones's Tough Guide to Fantasyland:

Gay Mage may be one of your Companions on the Tour. ...

I thought of that, but my gay mages are different. Honest.

AnneMarble · Aug 26, 2006

James D. Macdonald said:
Is it at all likely that Joe Random Reader will read your book and say "Oh, yeah, that must be Frank Sinatra (or whoever you're thinking of)"? I trust you're using a name you made up.

Yup

James D. Macdonald said:
Don't worry about it. By the time you've done the third draft the character may have a different haircolor and play the zither.

Oh. My. God. I don't know which is more terrifying, this character changing his haircolor or playing the zither.

allion · Aug 26, 2006

I vote for the zither (any Third Man fans here?)

Karen

Kate Thornton · Aug 28, 2006

This is a zither.

Say it fast.

Kate Thornton · Aug 28, 2006

Celia Cyanide said:
He's dead!

Oh, Celia, say it ain't so! He was *such* an outside voice at the time. I really need to check on folks periodically to see if they are still alive - and hope they do the same for me!

Am I Asking for Trouble with This Character?

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