Have you ever "murdered" an annoying acquaintance from real life in a novel?

[Andrew Drummond]

I would be interested to know if you have and the law regarding slander must be taken into account.  But I did, in my Roman novel and I really enjoyed it.  It was a former colleague, from some 15 years ago, who was universally disliked by almost all the other employees.  I made him the first victim in my book and a chose a name for the character, which began with the first letter of his first name.  All of his characteristics, physical features and annoying habits effortlessly flowed into the "victim".

As in real life, in my fiction, the character was detested by all those around him.  This gave me an endless list of suspects to work through.

I am sure he is sat comfortably, somewhere in the South East of England, in retirement  and completely unaware of how grateful I now am for his irritating personality.

Don't be shy to share your "literary" murders...

[I. J. Parker]

Can't say I have.  Offhand, there is only one person I detested. I think the effort of recreating him isn't worth the trouble.

[Albert Tucher]

Brad Parks murdered a friend of mine in one of his novels, but that was at the friend's request.

"Hey, Brad, put me in your book."

"Vinnie, if I do that, I'll have to kill you."

"Cool!"

[Dana King]

I had a friend who did that once. He wanted to be the villain, and he wanted to go down with a head shot. What kind of friend would I be if i didn't oblige him?

I sometimes use the names of public figures I detest as villains or people who meet early demises in early drafts, then change as the edits progress. Sometimes the venom helps. (I'll read an article about someone that pisses me off, and I'll think, "you'll pay for this when I get to my office."

[Stephen Seitz]

That's part of the fun. In my current effort, I'm going after the stalker who once cost me my job.

The beauty of libel in fiction is that anyone suing has to prove three things: 1) that they really are the source of the character; 2) that a lot of people recognized this; and 3) it has done some actual harm.

I get around it by using different physical characteristics for the character, sometimes even changing genders. And I'll make sure they die funny if the story allows it.

In short, you don't have much to worry about. Go to town. Cream them all.

[Leye Adenle]

I gave an in-real-life-diminutive person The Walrus as thier moniker. Other than that, in my story they work in the same place, they are the same gender, and they are as nasty as homo-fictus as they are in real life. You reckon I'll get away with that?

[Leye Adenle]

Oh, the people I would kill if a story permitted. I would have fun thinking up ways for my psychopathic serial killer to murder them. Each death would match the sin. The office bully would be bullied onto the tracks of an approaching train. The backstabber would get a dagger in their back. It could be therapeutic. 

[Stephen Seitz]

It certainly is. And the beauty of it is that no one is actually harmed.

By all means, go to town on your fictitious character. They have to prove harm to themselves before they can do anything, and that's damn difficult.

[iabanon]

I'm giving an old supervisor bloody hell in one of my books. And I'm going to out her for what she is. I'm doing a full psychological break-down of why she's so horrible and well nuts too. My main character will see through her while everyone around won't have a clue. EXACTLY like real life. And the names are similar, both starting with the same letter. Yup, if she ever read that she would know it was her haha. It's giving me great satisfaction. Also in same book main character is trying to kill neighbour's dogs. Those dogs will definitely die horribly as I wish my neighbour's dogs would.

[I. J. Parker]

Hmm.  I see some problems here.

[iabanon]

why? what problems could there possibly be? 

[I. J. Parker]

Anger issues.

[iabanon]

Are you serious? You're a bit full of yourself aren't you. I don't come on here to have some stranger from another country try and psychoanalyse me through a brief description of my work on a light-hearted thread. Stick to your day job, honey.

And actually, how dare you.