Struck with an idea for a novelette/novella, I instantly stumbled on a perfect title (which I'll get to in a moment). That got me to thinking about some lines within a chapter I'm debating using in a work in process. Each case urges me to ask about the ethics, good/poor form and so on, of mentioning other works in our manuscripts ( ? ).
In the latter work, in a single paragraph various well known dystopian novels are mentioned by name (1984, F451, Brave NW, etc.), and that a character used the warnings from them, instead as 'to do manuals.' Is that right/wrong, okay/not, acceptable/not, legal/not?
What inspired this question is a new idea I have where a particular title jumped out at me being 'so perfect' for the theme of the story that I know I'll struggle to find its peer. Without disclosing the plot, the title would be 'Ozymandias ************.' Clearly the issue there is the word Ozymandias (though granted a name, yet we all know the poem by Shelley)... Again, same question: Is that right/wrong, okay/not, acceptable/not, legal/not?
Thanks for your educated input!
K2
In the latter work, in a single paragraph various well known dystopian novels are mentioned by name (1984, F451, Brave NW, etc.), and that a character used the warnings from them, instead as 'to do manuals.' Is that right/wrong, okay/not, acceptable/not, legal/not?
What inspired this question is a new idea I have where a particular title jumped out at me being 'so perfect' for the theme of the story that I know I'll struggle to find its peer. Without disclosing the plot, the title would be 'Ozymandias ************.' Clearly the issue there is the word Ozymandias (though granted a name, yet we all know the poem by Shelley)... Again, same question: Is that right/wrong, okay/not, acceptable/not, legal/not?
Thanks for your educated input!
K2
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