Hey! I was just wondering if anyone had a nice online reference to inserting literary allusions into a novel, or simply would be kind enough to give me some short tips. I was wondering what distinguishes plagiarism/allusions, etc. For example, I might want to use the title of a book [such as "Silent Spring"] in a sentence as a subtle allusion to that work. Another example is using a somewhat specific noun [such as "Gamemaker" from the Hunger Games]. I don't plan on using any specific names, or line for line quotes. Is this okay? And would the book need to cite this or anything? Thanks for any help!
You can always use titles or names in any way you wish. Making direct allusions to novels is not plagiarism because you are merely referring to another work not lifting passages and passing them off as your own.
I think references to other works work well when they're explained in a way to augment your story. Who wouldn't understand "Silent Spring" or "Hunger Games" in a context related to your story? One's part of real history and the other is fiction that became part of real history. But if you find something online...Would appreciate you sharing. Thanks
as noted above, titles are not copyrighted so can be used without permission... study up on copyright and trademark dos/don'ts here: www.copyright.gov www.uspto.gov
