: If one provides inspiration for a story that gets published, and is named, do you get royalties for that? If you were the inspiration to a story and it gets written in a book and published

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The simple answer is NO. The same way ideas cannot be copyrighted, inspiration has no value. Every story ever written is inspired by something or somebody. The same applies to characters. Even when you consciously "think" you've created something original - you have not.

I often point out the original bad-ass semi-rogue government agent was James Bond. You could put down to coincidence that Jason Bourne has the same initials but when you add Jack Bauer to the equation.

You don't get money for being an inspiration or a muse.

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Whether or not you are due royalties will depend on the contract you have made with the writer(s) and/or publisher(s) of the publication.

A contract does not have to be written. If the other party has verbally agreed to pay you, that contract is just as binding as a written contract, but you might not be able to prove that this contract was made unless your verbal agreemant was made in front of witnesses.

If there was no contract, you have no right to any compensation, unless

the story is based on your life
you have created the story that served as an inspiration (and have proof, e.g. in the form of a publication or a manuscript or verbal narration that witnesses have seen or heard to predate the creation of the other work)
you are slandered in the publication

Note: Legal advice is "advising a person to take a specific course of action based on the applicable law". I am not advising a specific course of action, so I am not giving legal advice. What I am providing is "the reiteration of legal fact", that is, legal information. Reiterating legal fact is not legal advice and can be legally done by anyone.

Sources:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_contract (verbal contracts are binding) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_rights (you have the right to control if and how you are represented in the media) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright (you own your works) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation (false statements about you are forbidden)

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