Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [libel]

This tag should be used for questions about libel or defamation in literary works, such as whether something you use in a fictional context might be perceived as libel by a real person or corporation.

This tag should be used for questions about libel or defamation in literary works, such as whether something you use in a fictional context might be perceived as libel by a real person or corporation. Libel is a topic concerned with whether a false statement will harm the reputation of an entity.

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Can I use a public university as the setting for my fiction?

The odds of actually publishing are low, but just in case, I wanted to know if using a public university campus as a setting for my tragic romance would open me up to libel suits or anything else. A few things do happen in the book that are very…
Phillip Applegate
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Satirical writing: how much can you say about famous athletes?

I recently re-read a story I did from 2012, and reading it cold made me realize how much I liked it. There was just one problem: the narrator mentions real athletes. Writing from an alter ego, in an obviously satirical way, the narrator goes to the…
August Canaille
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Using religious movements in novels without getting sued?

I am writing a book which takes a pretty negative view of the Hare Krishna movement (note that evidence of this within the ISKCON actually exists). I don't have anything against HK, but portraying them as an shady organisation works as a central…
Harry Chista
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