Last week my writer sent me on a mission to explore Self-Help Fiction, aka Auto-Memoir aka Fictionalised Memoir. This was intended to help my writer decide on the genre of the novel in which I feature. It was an informative week, a journey of discovery, which included a conversation in a famous author’s discussion page.
And I have an answer! The genre of the novel in which I appear is definitely NOT self-help fiction or anything of a similar moniker.
My writer still has not decided on the genre, but we will put that off for now. They thought that fictionalised memoir was too self-indulgent for them, and that their other characters might be getting a rough deal. No matter what life’s experience at the hands of other people, they have a motive too and that should be explored rather than whinged about. My writer can be a bit of whinger and needs to stay clear of any vehicle that might allow whinging.
I can confirm, our novel is joyful invention, stringing together a cavalcade of character combinations and plot permutations. Some may well be based on real life, and some people might think- hang on a minute, that’s me! Oi, I did that!
So this week, my writer has sent me out to discover if people do recognise themselves in novels. Are authors open about this? Do they do this intentionally? What happens if a close relative is offended? Have relationships been wrecked by a coincidental character assassination? Should friends and relatives be forewarned? Is counselling available? etc.
Do let me know if you can think of any examples. Have you featured in a novel yourself? Or have you featured someone close in your own novel and gotten away with it?
(My painting is of someone hoping not to be recognised, travelling incognito, and looking a bit like Debbie Harry).