Novelists’ Note: If any character in a story is based, even loosely, on a real person, you will be wise to change enough facts so that the connection is not apparent. Further, it is wise to take reasonable care to be sure that you have not accidentally used the names of real people. For example, if you write a mystery story in which a New York police inspector is cast in unfavorable light, you would do well to check to be sure that there is not a real inspector with the same name. This is even more necessary if you are writing about a singer or performer who lives by exploiting the value of her name.
