Based on a True Story: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
A [[Stock Phrase]] in fictional works of all kinds. Popular, partly because you can get away with more outrageous elements if you say "[[But It Really Happened!]]", and partly because some works [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|happen to be based on true stories]].
 
=== Strength of Basis ===
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* [[Documentary]] (and [[Nonfiction]] in general): "A true story", no "based on" -- something like the Snopes.com page above, only told with interviews, [[Stock Footage]], and narration. Elements can still possibly be exaggerated via [[Manipulative Editing]] or use re-enactments to visualize him finding the painting.
* [[Roman aà Clef]]: A true story, just [[Dragnet|with the names changed, to protect the innocent]]. Perhaps you will call the hero "Daniel Light" and write dialogue for the bits which weren't televised, but he'll still just find the Declaration and sell it.
* [[Dramatization]]: Changes are made, but largely for the [[Pragmatic Adaptation|sake of telling the proper story]] instead of adding drama / conflict to the proceedings. Such changes might make the painting be bought at a yard sale or three seperate appraisers are [[Composite Character|merged into one]] specialist to avoid redundancy. The actual term [[Dramatization]] can refer to any of the other types, depending on how it is used.
* [[Very Loosely Based Onon a True Story]]: The idea came from the story, and you can tell it did if you look at the original story, but characters and events are invented, conflated, distorted, etc. From this a plot might be added where the previous owner suing Daniel for a share of the auction money or Daniel has to barricade his house from potential thieves.
* [[Based Onon a Great Big Lie]]: Purporting to be [[Roman aà Clef]] or [[Very Loosely Based Onon a True Story|Very Loosely Based]], only the "true story" never existed (for example, if Stan Caffy's garage had burned down before he donated the painting to the thrift store, but you told one of the above anyway).
** Compare [[Documentary of Lies]], which purports to be [[Nonfiction]], but is [[Very Loosely Based Onon a True Story|Very Loose]] or [[Blatant Lies]].
=== Related Tropes ===
* [[Ripped Fromfrom the Headlines]]: A (usually [[Very Loosely Based Onon a True Story|loose]]) adaptation of a story very recently in the public eye for fiction.
* [[Inspired By]] and [[Suggested By]]: Alternatives to the phrase "[[Based Onon a True Story]]" (or "Based On The Novel", or "Based On The Legend", or...) that imply the [[Very Loosely Based Onon a True Story|Very Loosely]].
* [[But It Really Happened!]]: The use of "[[Based Onon a True Story]]" as an excuse to dwell on prurient, morbid, or otherwise nasty aspects of the tale.
* [[Direct Line to Thethe Author]]: Where the creator pretends that a work of fiction is a "true story" or a [[Dramatisation]]
* [[Literary Agent Hypothesis]]: When fans theorise that a work is based on actual events, which are published as fiction.