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This week: Writing Fiction from News Stories Edited by: Joy  
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“Why were you lurking under our window?"
"Yes - yes, good point, Petunia! What were you doing under our windows, boy?"
"Listening to the news," said Harry in a resigned voice.
His aunt and uncle exchanged looks of outrage.
"Listening to the news! Again?"
"Well, it changes every day, you see," said Harry.”
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
“When the New York Times scratches its head, get ready for total baldness as you tear out your hair.”
Christopher Hitchens
“News is only the first rough draft of history.”
Alan Barth
“I had a dream about you. I thought together we could change the world, but you said you’d rather change the TV channel. But you were all talk, because you never even did that. So I sat there with you watching the Fiction Channel, otherwise known as a 24-hour news station.”
Jarod Kintz, Dreaming is for lovers
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about using news stories to create fiction.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she. |
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
In my computer, I have a folder titled News Stories to Write From. I haven’t touched those stories yet, but for future use, I keep adding to my folder when I find a story that interests me. in the past, however, I have used general ideas from the news for a few fictional stories.
Where ideas are concerned, stories from the news help writers greatly. For example, take Truman Capote who published In Cold Blood in 1966 after the murders of a farmer, his wife, and their two children in 1959. Another successful novel titled My Sister, My Love is written by Joyce Carol Oates using the Jon Benet Ramsey murder. Then, who can forget the stunning writing in Emma Donoghue’s Room about a kidnapped young woman who was held for several years, the story told from the viewpoint of the five-year old whose father was the kidnapper?
All these examples, like many others you might have come across, show that the writers of fiction using the news do not let facts and research get in the way of their stories. For them, it is all right to add several non-factual details and change a few things around, if that can make the story flow better. Each writer has his own way of using the news and its research to his advantage. There is no right or wrong way of doing this.
In using news stories, however, serious questions come up as to copyright and plagiarism issues. Plagiarism has to do with reusing another person’s words. If a writer does that, the least he can do is to give the original writing or author credit, but using the news story as to plot ideas fall within the limits of “fair use.” For fair-use guidelines check this page:
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html
Another conceivable question can be over the invasion of privacy. This becomes a problem if the general news didn’t reveal the identities of the characters and the writer’s presentation might have shown who they are in real life. In such a case, however, if you change the names and backgrounds of the people drastically enough, you’ll have nothing to worry about. The rule of thumb here is not to make the story so close to the real news story. If a writer does that, his story becomes non-fiction.
Another problem that can be a thorn in the writer’s side shows up when the story is sensationalized and publicized widely enough. Since, it will be foraged by many a writer, and the plot will not be so original, as such a news story is fair game for everyone.
I believe news stories are fair game as long as we writers make sure our craft is up to par and the story rings true even if we have written it as fiction. And why not? The same method is well accepted with historical novels. Don’t historical novelists write whole series of novels based on historical figures and events, adding other odd characters and scenes into the action?
Then, there is the idea that everything is fiction. Even when we write from our own lives, we are writing from our special perception of people and events, and from inside our very own brain chaos. If that is not fiction, then what is?
Also…
Happy New Year Everyone!
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, successful, and prosperous 2015…
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Far from home, a soldier, with a little help, reaches back for some good news.
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Drama: January 07, 2015 Issue [#6748]
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This Issue's Tip: There is no character who won't fight back under the right circumstances. While plotting, it is a good idea to find that circumstance for the specific character. 
