Thought-Dreams: Author Auctions for First Amendment Project

As part of a fund raising program for the First Amendment Project 16 authors are auctioning off the chance to have a character in in one of thier upcoming books named after you. The FAP describes itself as:

A nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and promoting freedom of information, expression, and petition. For nearly ten years, FAP has provided advice, educational materials, and legal representation to its core constituency of activists, journalists, and artists in service of these fundamental liberties.

More information about the auctions can be found on ebay. The participating authors and thier offerings are listed below:

Michael Chabon
Whathe's offering:"Your name or the name of your choosing will appear at least once in the next novel I write. I reserve the right not to use the name if it
is offensive, mischievous, ill-intentioned or inappropriate."
When you can bid:
September 1-10
................................................................................................................................................

Amy Tan

What she's offering:
"Your name or the name of your choosing will appear at least once in my
next novel (to be published in 2007-2008, but subject to date change)."
When you can bid:
September 1-10
.....................................................................................................................................................

Peter Straub
What he's offering:
"The name of a minor character who will appear in my next full-length
work of fiction, which will probably be published in 2007. Bidders are
asked to submit their own names only, preferably without middle name or
initial, and should be advised that the fictional person who winds up
bearing his or her name may be of dubious moral character."
When you can bid:
September 1-10
..........................................................................................................................................

Andrew Sean Greer
What he's offering:
"The main character in my novel currently, in a pivotal scene,
confronts her rival in a soda shop in 1952 -- want your name on that
soda shop sign? Due to the vagaries of the editorial process, the name
might be shifted to a restaurant, coffee shop, bar, corset company or
other business in another scene, should it suit the author; also, your
entire full name is unlikely to be used, more like "Kleinhart's
Creamery" or "Emily's Bakery," but your name will indeed be in lights!"
When you can bid:
September 1-10
....................................................................................................................................................

Karen Joy Fowler
What she's offering:
"The name of a secondary character in my next novel. The novel is due
to be published in 2007, but, as it is not written yet, that can change. The name must belong to a real person who is happy or at least willing to let me use it."
When you can bid:
September 1-10
............................................................................................................................................

Stephen King
What he's offering:
"One (and only one) character name in a novel called CELL, which is now
in work and which will appear in either 2006 or 2007. Buyer should be
aware that CELL is a violent piece of work, which comes complete with
zombies set in motion by bad cell phone signals that destroy the human
brain. Like cheap whiskey, it's very nasty and extremely satisfying.
Character can be male or female, but a buyer who wants to die must in
this case be female. In any case, I'll require physical description of
auction winner, including any nickname (can be made up, I don't give a
rip)."
When you can bid:
September 8-18

................................................................................................................................................

Lemony Snicket
What he's offering:
"An utterance by Sunny Baudelaire in Book the Thirteenth. Pronunciation
and/or spelling may be slightly 'mutilated.' An example of this is in
The Grim Grotto when Sunny utters 'Bushcheney.' Target publication date
is Fall 2006."
When you can bid:
September 8-18

..................................................................................................................................................

Dorothy Allison
What she's offering:
"Your name or the name of your choosing will appear at least once in my
next novel (to be published in 2006-2007). This project is a
contemporary literary novel set, mostly, in Northern California, but
with some scenes set in El Salvador in the 1970s and references to a
farm family from the Midwest in the 1960s. I ask that the name chosen
not be one from any of my previous works."
When you can bid:
September 8-18
...........................................................................................................................................................

Jonathan Lethem
What he's offering:
"I need the name of a Columbia University professor for a comic book
I'm writing for Marvel. It can be your name or the name of a friend --
but if it's a friend, I need to hear from them with their permission."
When you can bid:
September 8-18

.............................................................................................................................................................

Ayelet Waldman
What she's offering:
"Your name or the name of your choosing will appear at least once in
the next Mommy Track Mystery featuring Juliet Appelbaum."
When you can bid:
September 8-18

.................................................................................................................................................................

John Grisham
What he's offering:
"Your name or a name of your choosing will appear as a fictional
character in my next novel. The character will be portrayed in a good
light. My next novel should be published either in 2007 or 2008. The
name you choose cannot be that of a real person other than yourself."
When you can bid:
September 15-25

..............................................................................................................................................................

Nora Roberts
What she's offering:
"Your name or the name you choose will be used for a character in my novel to be published in 2006."

When you can bid:
September 15-25

..............................................................................................................................................................

Neil Gaiman
What he's offering:
"My next novel will be called THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. It's a children's
novel, and will be published, er, when it's published. Maybe in 2007 or
failing that, 2008. It will have lots of gravestones in it. Your name,
or the name of someone you love (who won't mind) can be on a
gravestone."
When you can bid:
September 15-25

....................................................................................................................................................................

Dave Eggers
What he's offering:
"The winner will be featured in a strange illustrated story I'm working
on called The Journey of the Fishes Overland. The winner, or someone of
her/his choosing, will be encountered by the traveling fish in
question, as they travel over land. It could also be a family, a house,
an address, whatever. I get to decide why the fishes see this
person/place, and what's said by/to or done by/to the person/place.
This story will be finished and published in the fall. The name/s have
to be tasteful and be undisruptive to the narrative. I reserve the
right to refuse using a name I find offensive."
When you can bid:
September 15-25

.................................................................................................................................................................

Rick Moody
What he's offering:
"I am starting a new novel in January of 2006. The target publication
date would be 2008 or early 2009. It's a literary novel having to do
with stem cell research and chimeras, probably with a comic feel. I
promise to give the name to a minor character who appears more than
once in the book. Since I don't know who the characters are yet, I
can't promise that it's a 'good character' or a 'bad character,' but
since I generally have no "bad characters," it will probably be someone
reasonably sympathetic."
When you can bid:
September 15-25

.......................................................................................................................................................

ZZ Packer
Information coming soon!
When you can bid:
September 15-25

............................................................................