Using actual pornstars in a work of fiction.

[BiscuitHammer]

It's easy enough if it's parody. I've had the characters in my story Time Rider talk about going back to the 60s and boffing Ann-Margret.

I guess at the end of the day, don't hurt, murder, or slander them. Oblique references and roman a clefs are the way to go if you don't want to get rejected.

If you're clever with names, slight alterations fit the bill. Riley Steele becomes Kylie Irons easily enough.

Tina Tartley

Gracie Fords

Any reader with some functioning grey matter will understand.

I've drawn physical comparisons between my characters and celebs as necessary.

"I've shown my wife my dick in every room in this house," Alex replied, smirking as they walked. "Done more than that, actually."

"Ah, shut your cock-trap, DeBourne," Ted grumbled, while Dave and Anthony laughed and swatted their friend for getting owned. "If I had a girl that was built like Dana Hamm, I'd boff her in every room of this palace too, y'know."

Referring to Alexa, of course.

My best advice, have fun with altering the name of said adult entertainer. It's easiest.

 

[SexualisPhantasia]

I think you could save yourself a lot of headaches if you just use fictional names.

You can base your story on the real porn star, use her as a model with your descriptions etc.

But I doubt too many readers are concerned about reading FICTIONAL adventures of REAL porn stars anyway, and I don't think the possible name recognition would boost your readership in any real way.

They're more concerned about what HAPPENS in your story.

Make it interesting and titillating enough, and readers won't care about whether the character is named after someone in real life or not.

Just my opinion.

I did read a Christina Hendricks story that was really hot. For whatever reason the author was allowed to publish it. But yes you're right, it was more about how the writer described the sex more so than who it was about.

 

[JakeShade]

I know this is an author canard, but i seldom think about the reader (does that make me a terrible narcissist?). I write what pleases me. OK what turns me on.

I agree that picking on a starlet I like would put people off if they either have never heard of her, or have and hate her. But life is too short. I’m not after world domination. If I like it and a handful of other discerning souls feel the same, I’m good.

I guess this is why I’ll always be a porn hack and not a writer of erotic fiction .

Em

Nothing wrong with being a "porn hack" but I think you may have hit the nail on the head here. While a *visual artist* might use the likeness of a celebrity (porn domain or otherwise), if they don't do it in a very creative/meaningful way, they will also come off as a "hack". In spite of the aspiration of this website's title, most of what shows up here is a couple of levels of indirection from "literature" and "erotica".... I don't *mind* wading through a lot of "porn" to find the true "erotica" here, because well... I'm interested in *both*.

I think using a "public persona" in a story is entirely fair game from a legal and maybe even ethical point of view. By definition, everyone understands here that your work is a work of fiction, that at worst it is your fantasy, that you *wish* these people (porn-girl-crush in your case) would behave as they do *in your story*. I think if they are not public persons, you risk something more like *libel* or *stalking* depending on your stylization.

As much as *I* would like to be an author of literary quality erotica, I accept that I'm not at that level yet... and in the meantime most of what I generate will come off more porn than erotica and less literature and more high-intentioned doggerel.

 

[KeithD]

I think using a "public persona" in a story is entirely fair game from a legal and maybe even ethical point of view. By definition, everyone understands here that your work is a work of fiction, that at worst it is your fantasy,

If you depict them doing a noxious act that can't be shown to be in the realm of what they do, they can successfully sue you for defamation even if a public person, even though, yes, public people are freer game than private ones are. You put them in a story as a rapist murderer, and you have no evidence this is something they might do, they can ruin you in court if they want to pursue it.

 

[djrip]

There's a whole category here for this. It's weird to me that people are suggesting it shouldn't be done or wouldn't fly.

 

[EmilyMiller]

UPDATE: In another one of those Lit imitating art moments, I’m actually working on a story featuring a real-life pornstar. It’s based on a request from a Lit member. Part of my task is to anonymize her.

Em

 

[TadOverdon]

I wonder how many porn actors have registered, trademarked, or otherwise taken legal control of their stage names?

I don't know whether R.L. invented the name herself or it was someone else, but "Avluv" is the most genius branding in the business. There is only one instance of it, AFAIK, in the whole world. Google it, and you'll get nuthin' but Veronica.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Well, I just did this. We'll see what Laurel thinks. I wrote and just submitted an interview with a fictional porn star that mentions real porn stars throughout. It'll be interesting to see how it's received.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Well, I just did this. We'll see what Laurel thinks. I wrote and just submitted an interview with a fictional porn star that mentions real porn stars throughout. It'll be interesting to see how it's received.

I wrote The Pornstar Experience for another Lit user about a specific pornstar he is in touch with on OF. As far as I am able to discern, she gave her approval, but asked to be anonymized.

I never used her name (or any name actually) and skipped over any details of appearance that might give the game away. But I watched several of her videos before I started (for research purposes obviously) and she was in my mind the whole time I wrote.

Em

 

[Rob_Royale]

My story only mentions them in passing as the MC recounts her experiences. They don't appear in any sex scenes. I think it'll fly.

 

[EmilyMiller]

My story only mentions them in passing as the MC recounts her experiences. They don't appear in any sex scenes. I think it'll fly.

I agree

Em

 

[lovebbwmom]

Probably. Don't assume others know or care who these porn stars are; the girl crush is most likely yours only. Most of us wouldn't have a clue who you're on about.

Write your fantasies anyway, call them Jennifer or Sue, any name you choose.

I'm a new writer. I've published 4 so far that rate above 4.5, and I have a new one pending. My question is can you simply use an existing porn star's name in order to compare/describe another person? IOW, a simple "she looks a lot like..."

 

[alohadave]

I'm a new writer. I've published 4 so far that rate above 4.5, and I have a new one pending. My question is can you simply use an existing porn star's name in order to compare/describe another person? IOW, a simple "she looks a lot like..."

You can, and some people do it to make descriptions easier.

 

[SimonDoom]

I have a suggestion for people interested in this. Contact them and ask them. There's an excellent chance that a porn star you are interested in has an OnlyFans page, which allows you to directly message them. My guess is that many, many porn stars would be delighted to have you write a story about them. I've written a couple of stories based loosely on women with OnlyFans pages, and they were not only willing but excited about the idea.

This isn't, strictly speaking, legally required. But it seems like the courteous thing to do, and think about it: if you have their permission, you're going to enjoy writing the story more knowing that they're going to read it, aren't you?

 

[AchtungNight]

My advice on this based on things I always tell myself when using characters based on real people-

1. Include a disclaimer on top of Lit’s that establishes your story is fictional, not malicious, and you don’t know the real people on whom you’re basing characters or are idealizing them somehow.

2. Research your subjects if you’re basing them on real celebrities. You don’t want to get key details wrong in case you run into loyal fans.

3. Keep it hot & respectful. Sometimes quality appreciation trumps anger. I keep telling myself noted bad girl actress Eliza Dushku (who retired in 2017 over a sexual harassment scandal) would not object as much to my empowerment satire story of her ambushing and seducing a cute paparazzo as much as she would to other stories that depict her as a lesbian vampire victim or depraved cult leader. All these are from her heyday at least ten years before the scandal, of course.

4. If all else fails, use look-alikes. Cast a fantasy movie in your head. The characters can be played by celebrities even if they’re not the same people- just cast them. The character Frank Martin in a few of my stories who’s a transporter? Jason Statham is who I always cast as him for obvious reasons. Frank Martin is his actual name, though. And no, he’s not the guy from the films. Just a cab driver who looks like Jason Statham and has a very common name. His wife looks like Rosie Statham too. Lucky SOB.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm a new writer. I've published 4 so far that rate above 4.5, and I have a new one pending. My question is can you simply use an existing porn star's name in order to compare/describe another person? IOW, a simple "she looks a lot like..."

You can, but don't assume the name will mean anything to readers, either now or in ten years.

 

[lovebbwmom]

You can, but don't assume the name will mean anything to readers, either now or in ten years.

I'm not real worried about 10 years. I just wanted a reference in case they wanted a visual of what I'm trying to describe.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've only made passing mentions of them. In one story I refer to Stoya, the white witch of porn, and the character citing her calling her friend the white bitch of porn.

Otherwise, I've made up several of my own and use them in other stories, its the LC porn hub populated by Molly Minx, Missy X, Dana Darling, Harley Rides and male porn star turned producer Malcolm Stone.

 

[lovecraft68]

UPDATE: In another one of those Lit imitating art moments, I’m actually working on a story featuring a real-life pornstar. It’s based on a request from a Lit member. Part of my task is to anonymize her.

Em

Is it Wiska?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm not real worried about 10 years. I just wanted a reference in case they wanted a visual of what I'm trying to describe.

Leave it to the reader's imagination, with a few hints. You seem to be assuming a) readers will know who your porn star is; or b) they'll be bothered to go find out. Both assumptions are generally wrong, I think, and you're as likely as not to lose readers, as keep them. What if readers don't share your taste in porn?

 

[alohadave]

You seem to be assuming a) readers will know who your porn star is; or b) they'll be bothered to go find out. Both assumptions are generally wrong, I think, and you're as likely as not to lose readers, as keep them. What if readers don't share your taste in porn?

It takes a few seconds to look up a pornstar in a new tab. If they don't care, it doesn't matter and they keep reading.

What if readers don't like your writing style? There are a million what-ifs you could pose. You can write to pander to your audience, or you write to your own interests and desires. You'll get readers and turn others off with either strategy.

 

[lovebbwmom]

I've only made passing mentions of them. In one story I refer to Stoya, the white witch of porn, and the character citing her calling her friend the white bitch of porn.

Otherwise, I've made up several of my own and use them in other stories, its the LC porn hub populated by Molly Minx, Missy X, Dana Darling, Harley Rides and male porn star turned producer Malcolm Stone.

As you know, I love your stories, and I've often seen you refer to Molly Minx so many times I actually looked her up on a few porn sites only to be disappointed with my search results That's actually one of the reasons I decided to refer to a real life porn star in my pending story.

I'm just doing this for my own enjoyment. So, I'm not really concerned with how my reference will be perceived now or in the future. I just wanted to give current readers a frame of reference if they wanted one.

Typically when I'm reading a story, I'll skip over the character descriptions so it's easier to mentally picture what I want no offense to the author intended. You included. I'm just not into the well toned athletic type who's perfect physically in every way. I prefer my characters to be a little more realistic.

 

[lovebbwmom]

Leave it to the reader's imagination, with a few hints. You seem to be assuming a) readers will know who your porn star is; or b) they'll be bothered to go find out. Both assumptions are generally wrong, I think, and you're as likely as not to lose readers, as keep them. What if readers don't share your taste in porn?

It doesn't really matter. They do, or they don't. That's one thing I've learned over the years I've been online. I like getting the "hot" rating, but I don't really care what people think. I've dealt with "Karens" most of my adult life. I may be a new author, but I've been in the IT field for a long time.

It's funny. I actually got a little pissed off at the "Virgin" title under my name until I looked up it's meaning. It kind of made me laugh. I was a sysop on Compuserve long before there was ever an AOL or public web. I was managing forums running at 1200 baud through my modem at home on the cutting edge with my 640kb RAM and 20Mb hard drive, and was thrilled to get the new 2400 baud modem and 286 pc/at I built myself. My first modem at work actually ran at 300 baud. My how things have changed, and I've enjoyed watching it all progress. But, it's true I've only made a few posts here. So, I guess I'll have to live with being a virgin again. Wow! That's an interesting thought

 

[alohadave]

I actually got a little pissed off at the "Virgin" title under my name

FYI, you can change that manually. On your profile on the stories side, under Options, there is a title field. That feeds the forum title.

 

[lovebbwmom]

FYI, you can change that manually. On your profile on the stories side, under Options, there is a title field. That feeds the forum title.

Thanks, I'll check it out. I did look, but I guess I overlooked it.

Well, I'm no longer a virgin. Funny, it wasn't as exciting to loose my virginity this second time around