A fiction/nonfiction question.

I'll bite. Why is it fiction if all you're doing is changing the names?

I've asked a few people whether or not a true story is fiction or nonfiction if you change the names. So far, the answer is a resounding "fiction"

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Is that the position of agents/publishers?

A lot of True Crime books change the names of various people and it's non-fiction. They get the rest of the facts right, and always acknowledge the intent to "protect the innocent".

It would only be fiction if you added elements to the story to "flesh it out" and make it more of a story. Then it would be a novel "based on the events of" story.

I'm inclined to say "non-fiction". It's a true story is it not?

... non-fiction. The people who told you otherwise are wrong and if I were you I would not be taking any more advice from them.

Typically, I'd call it a roman à clef - a novel describing real life, behind a façade of fiction.

A fictionalised memoir, or 'based on true events' to protect both author and others, I would guess.

The fact that you refer to one of the people in the book as a "character" and as an "antagonist" makes me think "fictionalized" or "based on real events."

Wayne K said:

I like this.

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Neat! I'm useful!

The people you are talking with don't know what they're talking about. It is absolutely routine to change names and identifying characteristics in non-fiction. Look in the front of any memoir or true-crime book, for example.

A roman a clef is a novel, with a novel's structure and conventions, not a memoir with names changed.

As IceCreamEmpress said, It's nonfiction if all you are doing is changing the names and identifying characteristics of real life people. Are you doing anything more than this -- anything?

Wayne K said:

My biggest fear of writing this book as a novel is the people who claim that their story is based on a true story, but only a small amount of it is. Black Dark is a true story, no gimmicks or twistings of the truth.

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Why do you have to claim that it's based on a true story at all? If you fictionalize some aspects of the story, it should be sold as fiction. There are plenty of books that are based on true events which would have been a completely different beast as non-fiction. I don't know the genre or details of you work, but if you could do a comparison to some books currently in print, we could have a better idea. I am thinking of books like "The Ugly American" or "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," or even "A Scanner Darkly."

Wayne K said:

I do have to leave things out, but they're unimportant to the story now.

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I can't imagine things that both HAVE to be left out and are NOT important/interesting to the reader. If you are writing it as non-fiction, why would you leave anything out?

Ok Wayne, I just did a quick read of your first chapter to get a better idea, and it sure reads like fiction to me. I suppose it could be a memoir, and I know very little about what goes into writing that sort of work, but I think it must comply to the research standards of non-fiction. People on this thread seem to have a lot more experience, and they advise that it's alright to change people's names and still call it non-fiction. Still, as a reader, I'd be rightly pissed if I picked up a non-fiction and couldn't check out some of the facts, even if you think that they are trivial to the plot.

Also, I'm pretty sure there's no place "Centre Pub" in NYC... and, when I read non-fic, I have a tendency to look stuff like that up.

Wayne K said:

Actually, except for the names, the entire chapter is true. The Cente pub was on St Marks place between 1st and 2nd Avenues. I think you're reading it wrong or I'm writing it wrong.


Because it is. What I've left out of this story is something from the original ms. that's really all.

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I don't think you're writing it wrong. I think my expectations for non-fiction have been jaded.

Wayne K said:

My biggest fear of writing this book as a novel is the people who claim that their story is based on a true story, but only a small amount of it is.

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Wayne,

I'm not sure I understand this. Could you explain. Even then, is it a general statement or does it apply to your book?

Wayne K said:

I think people see 'based on a true story' and assume that it's mostly BS. I do, so I don't blame them. I want the reader to understand that isn't the fact, but if I can't express it here, I'm afraid I'll fail at that with them.

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Why does it matter what people believe? If your story engages your audience, they'll want to read it whether 10% or 90% is true. Change the names, call it "based on real events", or some such, and send it out there.

Personally, I stay away from "based on a true story." I rather read the true story. Otherwise, I rather read a creative piece based on nothing but imagination and excellent prose. Based on a true story seems like a cheap in-between. But that's just my personal reading preference.