FOCUS ON... Avoiding Infringement | Australian Writers' Centre

HomeFOCUS ON… Avoiding Infringement

How to write about real people, events or places in your novel

You want your writing to be authentic and believable so you’re incorporating real people, places and events into your story. But how much creative licence can you take when you are writing about facts in a fictional world?

Furthermore, what if you are inspired by other people’s work and want to reference their work in your story? Like song lyrics, movie lines, other books and so on. What are the rules around using real quotes, ideas, characters, settings, real people, historic events…especially if you want to change them?

Key information
Key information:
This is an online self-paced seminar Duration 1 This is an online self-paced seminar Duration: 1.5 hours. Your 12 months’ access begins straight away Duration: 1.5 hours. Your 12 months’ access begins straight away Seminar presenter: Pamela Freeman Seminar presenter: Pamela Freeman $65 JOIN WAITLIST The self-paced version will be available soon. Join the waitlist above to be notified.

“Just do it. Their courses are excellent, their presenters are amazing and it is money well spent.”

Avi Vince

In this Focus On… seminar, our inspiration meets the rules. Because there are a lot of rules about this stuff, covering several areas of law, from copyright to defamation to intellectual property.

But don’t worry! The answers won’t stop you writing your heart’s story or block you from finding the right way to tell it.

Helping you write with confidence—it’s all in the details

This Focus On… seminar will address the most common questions our students ask us about these issues, and more.

We will:

Explore when it’s ok to use real people and places in your story – and when it’s not
Look at whether you’re crossing the line from inspiration into plagiarism
Consider when you can use quote from a song, movie, book etc even when you attribute it
Learn if and when you can make reference to brands in your story
Discuss whether there are any restrictions on writing about historical events and figures
Outline what permissions you might need to write a ‘based-on’ story
Understand if it’s ok to reimagine an existing story with your own take on it
Learn what the deal is with book titles (it’s kind of odd)
Discover the truth about fanfic and professional publishing.
And much more

Never lose sleep about a ‘Can I write about…?’ question again! And with this Focus On information, you’ll never let one stop you from exploring the story you really want to tell.

“I wanted to have a guide as to what I could and couldn’t use in terms of lyrics, quotes and pop culture. AWC is a goldmine of information, especially for people like me who are new to writing. I have found the courses accessible and the focus on sessions so helpful to ask questions and gain information from experienced writers sharing their knowledge and expertise.”

Rosie

FOCUS ON improving your craft

Each of our popular FOCUS ON seminars explores an important aspect of the art of writing – in an accessible and efficient way. The session consists of a 1 hour expert presentation plus an additional 30 minute Q&A – designed to entertain, educate and inspire you to improve your craft.

“Honestly, these FOCUS ON sessions are the most time-effective writing professional development I have found. They get straight to the point, and give you the vocabulary and jump-off points to do further research if you need it. But, most often, they nail everything you need to know. Bang on!”

Kathy Carruthers

Meet your presenter

Pamela Freeman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 40 books and novellas, plus short stories and scripts. She writes under two names: Pamela Freeman for children’s and fantasy, and Pamela Hart for mystery novels and historical fiction.

Prolific across multiple genres, Pamela has a Doctorate in Creative Arts (Writing) and she has been the director of creative writing here at the Australian Writers' Centre for over 10 years.

Key information
Key information:
This is an online self-paced seminar Duration 1 This is an online self-paced seminar Duration: 1.5 hours. Your 12 months’ access begins straight away Duration: 1.5 hours. Your 12 months’ access begins straight away Seminar presenter: Pamela Freeman Seminar presenter: Pamela Freeman $65 JOIN WAITLIST The self-paced version will be available soon. Join the waitlist above to be notified.