Safari

I want to use the name of Idris Elba for a fictional character in my novel. With the exception of the name, the character will in no way relate to the celebrity in question. Could I be sued for this? Thanks for your help!

Also, if all goes well, I do plan to publish this novel.

Directorial-wise, I choose Rob Zombie.

^^

I love names like Wylie Herman, Sonny Bono and Buddy Holly. They're quirky, unique and they click. Any ideas? Thanks!

As an aspiring author of satirical and psychological horror, I wish to go by a more significant and memorable name than my own – Brandon Lee – but I can't decide which to use:

Avīci (pronounced uh-vee-chee; this name derives from what is considered the lowest circle of hell in Buddhism… plus, it sounds like one of those famous poets from the romantic era)

or

Rocky Horror (one of my sources of inspiration is the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show).

Or maybe I could use the pseudonym 'Avīci' for my more serious works and 'Rocky Horror' for my more light-hearted? Opinions? Suggestions? Thanks!

^ Thanks!

As I said above, I am half white, half Mexican and half Native American. I am pretty pale and it is hard to tell that I am half… anything, but I'm half white from both sides of my family, half Mexican from my dad's side and half Native American from my mom's side. I'm wondering if I can choose to label myself as any one of those? Thanks so much for your help!

Which do you think is a better pseudonym or "pen name" for an aspiring author of psychological horror and ergodic literature?

Basquiat? or Diablo del Toro?

Basquiat derives from one of my favorite artists, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Diablo ('Devil' in Spanish) del Toro from my two favorite screenwriters/directors, Diablo Cody and Guillermo del Toro. Opinions? Suggestions? Thanks!

I am writing a script for a graphic horror novel I wish to make, and I want to toy with the 'Final Girl Trope' by making the main characters...male-exclusive. But I want to use the names of existing characters from classic horror films such as Halloween or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I will be using Laurie as a nickname for my "survivor guy," as Laurie was originally a male name. But I'm going to need your opinion on other names I wish to use...

• Sally (Sally Hardesty, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

• Nancy (Nancy Thompson, A Nightmare on Elm Street)

• Alice (Alice Hardy, Friday the 13th)

• Sidney (Sidney Prescott, Scream)

• Jess (Jess Bradford, Black Christmas)

I'm sure most of these sound very feminine, and I personally don't have a problem with that, but I'm still curious as to what your opinions are. Could you possibly even...somehow...convert these female names into male-sounding names? Thanks!

I'm writing a horror novel/script, which is somewhat inspired by the Charles Manson murders— but not directly affiliated with them, and I was wondering which title I should go with..

1. Yellow Submarine (a reference to a 'The Beatles' song, which had also been used by Charles Manson to refer to a canary-yellow home in Canoga Park, because this locale would allow the group to remain "submerged beneath the awareness of the outside world.")

2. Big Yellow Bus (this was one of my first options, before 'Yellow Submarine,' because I had forgotten the term which Charles Manson used to refer to the canary-yellow home in Canoga Park.)

3. The Blackest Eyes (the sequel, which would also serve as a finale, would be called 'The Devil's Eyes,' a reference to the line spoken by Donald Pleasence's character in John Carpenter's Halloween.)

4. The Butcher At The Prairie House (this title is somewhat inspired by the title 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.')

Thanks so much for your help! Comment which title you think is better :)

I'm writing a horror/suspense novel in which a demon wears the skin of a sheriff and torments a brother and sister who are traveling across rural Texas to attend a Led Zeppelin concert. I have three titles to choose from:

1. Like Some Dark Bird of Prey

2. Hush Hush Hush

3. Here Comes The Boogeyman

Your opinion? Thanks!:)

I can't exactly remember the name of it, nor can I remember the plot, but I can distinctly remember a pink-haired girl in a pink dress. The show isn't a cartoon, and I remember watching it on Nickelodeon. I think it was something along the lines of...Sleepy Town? Thanks for your help!:)

I'm writing a screenplay, but I plan on releasing it as a book. I've been writing books and stories for a while, and have just recently got into reading scripts. I admire how they're simple, but can still develop a sort of emotion in the reader. Am I able to do this? Would you read it? Thanks!

Laurie...? I'm a writing a horror novel, and the primary protagonist is a young male. My inspiration for this novel is Halloween (1978/2007), and I'd like to pay tribute to that film by naming the character Laurie. I want the character to be a boy, because every horror film/book has a female protagonist who always lives. Your opinions? Thanks!

The character in my novel is based on myself, and my dad named me after a celebrity who he was EXTREMELY obsessed with (Brandon Lee). So is it okay if I name my character Buddy Holly or something of the sorts? My friend even suggested Led Zeppelin haha. This is a pretty stupid question, but thanks for you help!

Whenever I write (or read) stories, I like to imagine the characters as certain actors. So is it possible for me to name my characters after real life actors? Or is it some sort of copyright thing? Thanks!

Is it possible for an author to take someone else's work and rewrite it if that person has been dead for more than 70 years?

"(a) In General.-Copyright in a work created on or after January 1, 1978, subsists from its creation and, except as provided by the following subsections, endures for a term consisting of the life of the author and 70 years after the author's death."

Did Shakespeare use other people's material, but rewrite them and create his own story? This is what I heard, anyway.

I believe I have some sort of insomnia. I haven't slept at night for four years, but when I do, it is frequently interrupted -- I mostly sleep during the day, as I am unable to sleep during the night. There are times when I enter this state of depression and cry because I can't change lives with another person, and belittle myself; listing all of my flaws. I can't not look into a mirror -- I am very uncomfortable not looking into a mirror, because I believe my reflection is doing things that I'm not. I turn photo's away from myself because I'm very insecure and think the people in the photo can see me and are judging me. I'm somewhat afraid of the nighttime. Not the dark, but nighttime in general. I am very reclusive. I dropped out of school in the seventh grade, and should be in the ninth grade right now, and spend my days in my room, avoiding contact with other people. I am sometimes invited to hang out with friends, but I decline and come up with a lie to keep from going. While I'm alone I tend to talk to myself and people that aren't there. I don't necessarily acknowledge these 'people,' or see anyone, I just talk and refer to an outside force as 'you.' My thoughts are often disorganized, and I tend to start off on a certain topic and end on a subject completely different from the one I started with. And my personality differs depending on the person I'm talking to.

Sorry for the long list, and it may be pretty stupid to even ask this question (because it's pretty obvious I have mental problems), but I'm just curious of what your opinion is on this matter. Thanks!