: Re: "Real people don't make good fictional characters". Really true? I came across such statement here on Writing SE and I don't agree much with it. But what I'd like to know is why would it

@Jamie945

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...why would it be "impossible" to make good characters using real
people.

You've already received a lot of good answers so I'll approach the question from a slightly different angle. I suspect that this statement is alluding more to the creative limitations that might arise when crossing from nonfiction into fictional writing.

Every author shares the same ethical challenge when writing about real people who aren't themselves. But there's a higher industry standard for nonfiction writers that demands accuracy, truthfulness and accountability on a scale that simply doesn't exist for fictional genre writers. Nonfiction writers have a social, ethical and professional responsibility to present factual, well-vetted, objective information that isn't marred by sensationalism or subjective interpretations. Their reputation as memoirists, essayists, journalists and academics relies on this.

A fiction author, however, has much more room for creative license when using real people and events in their work. All fictional work includes a copyright disclaimer for this explicit purpose--they are fictionalizing true incidents and people for the sake of creating dramatic 'art.' Authors might distort or omit facts, include time gaps, discriminate and exaggerate, and invent or re-word existing text/speech/quotes at their discretion to maximize the story's narrative drive, pacing, and character development.

But the issue seems to be where the author draws the line between fiction and nonfiction.

Often, for authenticity's sake, writers try to confine their portrayal of living and historical figures to what's actually been said and done. They're trying to maintain historical integrity by remaining faithful to the facts. But from a creative standpoint this will only limit character development (and plot) because your character will only be able to express what was publicly recorded or chronicled in personal journals. A character's psyche, their deeper motivations and fears, can't be explored beyond this point without using some measure of imagination, which is "impossible" if you're trying to write only a nonfiction portrayal using limited information. In other words, your characters will be reduced to caricature representations. And I believe that this is what people are referring to when they claim that it's impossible to make good characters using real people.

But, of course, it all depends on the limitations of your genre. As a fictional author, you are an authority on your character because it is only an interpretation of a real person, and you can therefore create a beautiful rendition of a fictionalized person. These real-life people can become literary marvels through your creative lens. But as a nonfiction writer, you are not speaking as an authority on this character, and so your exploration of the character is much more restricted.

But generally speaking, all people would make great "characters" with a little editing and creative polish. Characters exist as a means to explore the human condition in an entertaining way, and all of us have had at least one interesting life experience. You just have to frame the story around that experience and omit anything that's immaterial to the story.

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