Can you use brand names in your fiction writing? It’s an important question, and the answer is more nuanced than you might think. In this quick Ask Jane video, I share the approach I’ve developed through years of writing my own novels. There are a few things worth considering before you reach for that brand name, and one detail that trips up writers more than you’d expect.
Hi, Jane Cleland here. The question is, can I use brand names in my writing? Should I use brand names in my writing? Well, keep in mind I’m not a lawyer, so I’m certainly not giving you legal advice, but I can share what I do. If I have something nice to say, I am comfortable using the brand’s name. If I don’t, I won’t. But I think another question is, why would I be naming it? I don’t want to name drop just for the sake of name dropping. I would only mention the brand name If it were relevant or if it’s idiomatic to the region or the character, then I would be comfortable doing it. Otherwise, I would keep it pretty generic. Someone’s having a ginger ale, not a brand name ginger ale.
Now, would they have a Coke or a Pepsi? Sure. And I would probably name that because saying they had a cola just doesn’t sound right.
In terms of other kinds of brand names, Post-it note, make sure you capitalize it right. capital P hyphen little I for the it, capital N. That’s their brand name.
That’s how they capitalize it. So be sure you do that right. I look forward to hearing what you decide. I’m sure you’re going to make a sensible decision that moves your story forward without bogging it down, without burdening it with unneeded details.
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