Autobiography

[anaxcrosswords]

It’s very early days and, ultimately, it may not happen, but about 5 years ago one of our top cryptic crossword setters suggested I should write a book on the subject. As it’s been done often by people more qualified than me, I resisted.
But I’ve had the idea of incorporating an autobiographical account of how I became a setter (I started at a very early age). My question is this:
Real people are featured and in many cases I have no avenues of contact. Do I just give them false names, or can I use real first names only? And should I be consistent? Change all names, or keep them all the same?

Another question, just out of interest. Are writers still expected to set manuscript in double-spaced Courier?

[bookbinder]

I've had no experience of writing an autobiography, but my suggestion is to give every character a false name. You just never know, if, when your book is published, some persons may kick up a stink about the way that they have been mentioned in your book, even though you may believe that they would have no grounds for complaint. As for your last query, about manuscript layout, you might find it useful to contact a literary agent about that.

[Zacs-Master]

Info on formatting a manuscript:
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/what-are-the-guidelines-for-formating-a-manuscript

[jno]

it depends what you want to say about them. Assuming it's not libellous (or even just derogatory), or malicious, you can say what you want; they won't be able to sue. But are you worried about the law, or just about being nice about people? If the latter, you might not want to repeat things said in confidence or snigger about someone's dress sense. But a straight, serious but uncontroversial account of things that happened to you should be okay.

Conversely, giving everyone pseudonyms would be pretty pointless. How many autobiographies would people read if nobody in them had their own name?

I'd set it in anything that left space at the end of lines or between lines for editors to write suggestions in. About 12pt-14pt seems to be normal in typescripts I've read, and any common, easy-to-read font. No messing round with Comic Sans.

[Quizmonkey]

Double spacing between lines, yes, but NOT between sentences! That's a historic school typing hangover - and the double spaces always have to be removed by setters...

[anaxcrosswords]

Yeah, I gave up doing that back in the typewriter days! Never understood the double spacing thing between sentences anyway – I mean there’s already a full stop followed by a capital letter; what more info do you need?
Rather than plough ahead with real names I contacted an ex who said she wouldn’t want her real name used, so I’ve changed all of them apart from the ones that really couldn’t be disguised (editors and other crossword luminaries). It has raised an interesting thought though.
Had I used the real name of someone featured in the autobiographical part of the book, there would at the very least be a moral obligation for them to know what has been written. With a false name, I wonder if that obligation is removed?