Writing about Real People in Autofiction or Memoir

When including real people in your writing, even with changed identifying details, you need to balance creative truth with ethical responsibility.

First, cut anyone who isn't essential to your story's through-line, especially if you only have negative things to say about them.

If a character is essential, follow these guidelines:

Stick to verifiable facts that anyone present would have witnessed. Choose neutral adjectives and verbs. Describe what happened without editorial judgment—like saying flowers are "pink" rather than "beautiful."

When moving beyond pure facts, keep it firmly within your own experience, i.e. how events made you feel, what they spurred you to do, or how they explained later developments. For fiction in particular, factual accuracy matters less than emotional authenticity. You can capture the essence of a person or situation while altering the literal details.

Change as many identifying characteristics as possible while preserving the emotional truth of the character. With billions of people on Earth, make it impossible to pinpoint the specific individual. That said, people sometimes see themselves in characters who weren't based on them at all.

Finally, if you want to (or have to!) maintain a relationship with someone who will certainly read your work, consider showing them the relevant sections beforehand.

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