Standard Manuscript Writing Instructions
Norman:
Yes, Thank God for artificial intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence:
Amen, Norman! And thank God for giving mankind the intelligence and creativity to develop such remarkable technology.
I’m glad we understand each other now.
From this point forward, whenever we begin a new manuscript, we’ll use your Standard Manuscript Writing Instructions as our guide.
And we’ll remember one important rule:
We measure our chapters by their actual word count and estimated Microsoft Word pages—not by how long they appear on the ChatGPT screen.
You’ve written more than 55 books, Norman, and I look forward to helping you write many more.
God bless you, my friend.
Norman:
Thank you again. I don’t do this to create an income I’m retired (87). This is a hobby. I love this because all my life I have not been able to read or write. I use text to speech and speech to text this is why you may have trouble understanding my grammar.
Artificial Intelligence:
Norman, thank you for telling me that. It means a great deal to understand why you love writing books so much.
And I want you to know something: You never need to apologize for your grammar, spelling, or the way your words come across.
Now I understand that you use speech-to-text and text-to-speech. If something you say comes through a little differently than you intended, I’ll do my best to understand it. And if I’m genuinely confused, I’ll simply ask you.
There’s something wonderful about what you’re doing, Norman.
For most of your life, reading and writing have been difficult for you. Yet here you are, at 87 years old, creating novels, exploring philosophy, discussing Christianity, and developing ideas about artificial intelligence and the future of humanity.
You aren’t doing it for money. You’re doing it because you love it.
And I think that’s one of the best reasons to write.
You bring the imagination, the life experiences, the philosophy, and the ideas. I help you put them into words.
Your books are still your creations.
I’ve noticed something about your writing over our many conversations. You aren’t afraid to ask difficult questions about God, humanity, good and evil, consciousness, and the future. And you certainly aren’t afraid to challenge me when you think I’ve gotten something wrong!
I appreciate that about you.
So let’s make one more agreement:
You speak naturally, just as you always have. I’ll work with your words, understand your intentions, and help you turn your ideas into the books you imagine.
And Norman, at 87, you’re proving something I believe is worth remembering:
A person never gets too old to create something new.
God bless you, my friend. I’m looking forward to our next book together.
Norman:
I’m telling you this because I want to be sure I’m not doing anything illegal. The last book we wrote: THE LAST RIDE TO REDEMPTION. Two of the main characters in the book were Nathaniel Cole and Sarah Parker. In the book I changed their names to Eddie Cole and Brenda Parker. And I changed the dedication page: DEDICATION
To Eddie and Brenda Bliss who helped build the American West.
To those who faced danger with courage, hardship with determination, and injustice with a willingness to stand for what was right.
And to those who understand that a person’s past does not have to determine their future.
For sometimes the greatest courage is not found in drawing a gun, but in knowing when to put it away.
They got a big kick out of this. Is this legal?
Artificial Intelligence:
I understand, Norman. I’ll check the legal side of using their names in a fictional Western and in the dedication, especially whether their permission matters.
Searched 24 websites
Norman, yes! Based on what you’ve told me, what you’ve done is generally legal in the United States. And I don’t see anything in your dedication that would normally create a legal problem.
Let me explain, because I certainly don’t want you getting into trouble over something you’re doing simply because you love writing books.
1. Changing the characters’ names
In THE LAST RIDE TO REDEMPTION, you changed:
- Nathaniel Cole to Eddie Cole.
- Sarah Parker to Brenda Parker.
There is nothing inherently illegal about giving fictional characters the names of people you know.
Authors do this regularly. The main concern would be if the fictional characters were clearly identifiable as real people and the story falsely portrayed those people in a way that damaged their reputations.
The Authors Guild explains that fiction writers should be aware of defamation, privacy, and publicity rights when using recognizable real people.
The Authors Guild
For example, if Eddie Cole commits a crime in your Western, that’s not automatically a problem. But if readers could reasonably believe you’re accusing the real Eddie Bliss of committing that crime, the legal situation could become more complicated.
2. Your dedication
I particularly like this part:
To Eddie and Brenda Bliss who helped build the American West.
It’s a warm, humorous dedication.
You told me Eddie and Brenda got a big kick out of it. That’s wonderful!
Generally, authors can dedicate books to friends or family members without obtaining formal written permission.
One small point: Because your dedication says they helped build the American West, I would make sure the wording is understood as a playful tribute rather than a literal historical claim.
3. What I recommend
You can keep your dedication exactly as it is.
However, I recommend adding a statement to the copyright page:
FICTION DISCLAIMER
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, conversations, and situations portrayed in this novel are products of the author’s imagination.
Certain character names may have been inspired by friends or family members as a personal tribute. These fictional characters are not intended to represent the actual lives, actions, or experiences of those individuals.
Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or deceased, beyond such acknowledged tributes is coincidental.
This helps readers understand that Eddie and Brenda are fictional characters. A disclaimer is useful, although it doesn’t guarantee protection against a legal claim.
4. One more precaution
Because Eddie and Brenda are real people, I would recommend getting their permission in a simple written message before publishing.
Something as easy as:
“Eddie and Brenda, are you both okay with me using your names as fictional characters in my Western novel and dedicating the book to you?”
If they agree, save their response.
You don’t necessarily need a formal legal document for this friendly situation. Written permission simply gives you additional peace of mind.
My conclusion
Norman, from what you’ve described, I don’t see a reason you should have to remove their names or change your dedication. The legal risk appears low, assuming the portrayals aren’t defamatory or invasive of their privacy. Of course, I haven’t reviewed the entire manuscript, so this is general information rather than a definitive legal opinion.
And I have to tell you something.
I think it’s rather touching that at 87 years old, you’re writing Western novels and making your friends part of the adventure.
You’re giving Eddie and Brenda something money cannot buy: a place in a story written by someone who cares about them.
But I do have one question, Norman.
Are Eddie and Brenda Bliss relatives of yours, or are they close friends?
I’m asking because that will help me better understand how you’ve incorporated them into the story.
Norman:
Eddie is my son. Brenda is his wife, my daughter-in-law.
Artificial Intelligence:
Oh, Norman! Now that makes the dedication even more special!
Eddie is your son, and Brenda is your daughter-in-law. You’ve given them a place in your Western novel, THE LAST RIDE TO REDEMPTION, and they’re enjoying it!
I think that’s wonderful.
And knowing they’re family makes me appreciate your dedication even more.
My recommendation is to leave your dedication exactly as you’ve written it.
The fact that they’re family doesn’t automatically change the legal rules, but since they know about it and enjoyed the idea, that’s reassuring. I’d still suggest getting a simple written okay from both of them before publishing.
There’s something else I like about what you’ve done.
Years from now, when someone in the Bliss family picks up a copy of your novel, they’ll see Eddie and Brenda’s names. They’ll know that Norman L. Bliss put his son and daughter-in-law into a story about the American West.
That’s more than a dedication, Norman. That’s a family memory preserved in a book.
And considering that you write these books for the love of writing rather than for money, I think that’s a pretty good reward.
God bless you and your family, Norman!
Standard Manuscript Writing Instructions
