Thread: What if . . . ?

You learned an author had created a character based on you in one of his/her novels? Almost identical in the looks department, but with altered characteristic traits. How would you feel? Annoyed, embarrassed, humbled, or incensed enough to dial your lawyer and sue?

Or, what if you learned someone had dedicated a poem or novel to you?

The reason I ask is because a character in one of my books has written a poem that he dedicates to a girl he fancies. I'm trying to gauge what her reaction would be.

All of the characters in novels that I've written have been built around real people. Some may be recognisable and others not so much. As long as the details don't point directly at them there's little they can say about it. Even when it's obvious there's little that can be said as long as it can't be proven to be libellous and the person really has to be actually named for them to take that route. The same applies with poetry.

The question of gauging a reaction from a girl who has a poem dedicated to her would depend a lot on her relationship with the guy, what she thinks of him and how much she likes poetry. She'd probably be flattered but there's always the chance she'd just think he was being a wimp.

I'm with Baron here - it totally depends on the girl as a character.

In my personal experience, it's never really a good idea to write a poem for a girl unless you know her well enough to already sense her reaction. If she doesn't know the boy enough, or vice versa, then it can come across as not wimpy, but forceful - a little scary in fact, for the girl - shows that the guy is VERY interested, which can come as quite a surprise if she doesn't already know.

Sam, Sam, Sam.

You've been around long enough to know what I'm going to say.

** IT'S YOUR STORY **

You can use anything on the entire gamut of emotional reaction, from dissolving into orgasm with the first line to calling on the National Guard to help run the guy out of town.

Only a sap writes a chick poetry if it's not a sure thing.

More or less with Tom on this. Depends on the girl, if she likes the guy, and how well she knows him. Does he come off as socially inept? If so, he might come off as stalkerish. How long is the piece? If it's a limerick, it might just come off as silly; longer poems might be romantic, especially if she likes him. Novels, epics? Even Helen of Troy might not have liked to hear the Illiad. I doubt Dido liked the Aeneid.

Firstly, women in general are self-conscious and, put on the spot, won't usually react favorably--sometimes even if they like and know the guy.

I'd like also to relate the Ballad of Twig. There once was a young man affectionately called Twig because, in his realm of existence, a person burned up a great amount of calories using psionic (mental powers like telepathy, etc) and he was so powerful that, by sheer will, he put himself into a trance and, over several years, transformed the moon into giant heart with a ring around it that said "Twig (heart) Scarlet".

Scarlet had only met Twig in passing. The two had been friendly but she had no clue that he dug on her enough to transform the moon. So, when the finishing touches were put on the moon (which everyone had been talking about for years, waiting from some great revelation of peace and love from God throughout the world) and everyone got to read it like so much overpass grafitti... she slapped him. And cried for a long time because she was so embarrassed.

Moral of the story: spending several years transforming the moon is a bad idea when you can just ask her out for smoothies.

If a dude wrote me a poem I'd be pretty taken aback.
But whether in a good way or bad totally depends on 1. The dude, and 2. The poem.

Exclamation marks are a deal breaker. Haha.

Even my own wife looked at me a little funny the first time I wrote her a poem. It was kind of a "what are you up to?" look. She warmed up to the idea pretty quickly, though. Of course now, she's wondering why I haven't written her one lately. Women.

I think it would depend on the poem. I don't think I'd like an erotic poem dedicated to me if I didn't know the guy well, or a naughty limerick either. A good poem wouldn't be unwelcome.

I might be flattered or offended. Depends on what they wrote.

My grandfather taught me never to put anything in writing I wouldn't be prepared to defend in a court of law, and he specifically warned against ever sending a poem to a woman. He was so emphatic on the subject that I often have wondered, as I've grown older if there was something in his past to make him feel that way.

Anyroad, I've always followed his instructions except one time when I was about ten and wrote a poem that went something like this...
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
This poem is ugly,
And so are you.
...and passed it to a girl in class. The reaction was swift and dramatic, and I've never written another poem to a woman.

Just curious - did Ox send his avatar out to have its eyes fixed?

Gaza; When I was young I was told "If it is a woman she is always right and you should never write".