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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47287
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47287
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

# No drawbacks, except for quoting trademarks, and for setting expectations.

* * *

## Quoting trademarked sentences may be bad

> "I'm lovin' it."

may have the drawback of a fast-food chain sending their lawyers knocking at your door.

## Quoting may just happen, make it obvious

On the other hand, the number of possible quotes from the existing wealth of literature that mankind has produced is such that any shorter title may be quoting something. Unknowingly.

For instance,

> Chapter 1 - Let your indulgence set me free.

is a line from The Tempest. I doubt anyone would associate it to the play, unless you make it obvious. Making it obvious communicates to the reader that you indeed intended to create the link. It also tells the reader that when you did not make it obvious you had no intention of creating the spurious link that they may be seeing.

> Chapter 1 - Let your indulgence set me free -- [_W.Shakespeare, The Tempest_]

## Expectations are set

It should follow that intentionally creating the link, and more so making it obvious to the reader, it is not just for looking well-read or for being kind in attributing a pretty sequence of words to the original author. The link is there to draw a parallel, and borrow the emotions and themes from another work. In a sense, the reader is told that the story unfolding has roots that transcend the simple plot you are about to expose. This sets very high expectations in terms of themes, depth of your story, in the power of the emotions that you are about to convey, and, in some cases, also in terms of style. That is the premise of great narrative: just make sure your story lives up to it.

Original score: 3