“Dear Editor, can I use song lyrics in my novel?” is a question I hear often. Song lyrics are covered by copyright, an asset with monetary value. Copyright is the right to copy, distribute, and display copyrighted works. Copyright covers original works, whether words, sounds, or images, and whether published or unpublished. These can be:…
by Lora Doncea In our work, we encounter a wide variety of people with diverse personalities. The ability to work with different types of people well is an extremely valuable skill. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years. The most important thing is to sincerely ask God to help you with every project.…
by Karin Beery Today I didn’t go to the zoo. I didn’t jump out of an airplane. I didn’t compose a symphony, skip stones across the lake, commit a crime, build a snowman, get married, draw a picture, or milk a cow. I didn’t even buy a new pair of shoes. I could fill pages…
The holidays are now over, the new year sufficiently toasted. As January marches on, many of us likely march, too, with our own share of resolutions and hopes for 2019. Whatever form these aspirations take, consider adding these three books to your “To Read” shelf! Not only will you enhance your skill set, but you’ll…
by Kathy Ide Originally posted July 16, 2010 on kathyide.com Following on the heels of last week’s column, here are more ways you can tighten your manuscript. Cut out unnecessary words. For example: She nodded her head. (What else would she nod? Of course it’s her head) I thought to myself. (Who else can you think to?) whether or not each and every…
by Kathy Ide Originally posted July 10, 2010 on kathyide.com To tighten your manuscript, do what I call a Scissor Edit. Cut out everything that doesn’t absolutely need to be in the manuscript. The tighter the writing, the more publishers—and readers—will like it. Here are a few ways to cut. Look for more next week! Change multi-word…
by Sue A. Fairchild Here we are in the last month of 2018. At this point in the year, some of us might be focused solely on Christmas presents and holiday parties, but some of us might still be scrambling to finish up editing projects before the end of the year. A lot of us…
by Iola Goulton Do we capitalize personal pronouns when referring to God? This question came up in one of the (many) Facebook reader and writer groups of which I’m a member. My initial reaction was that it’s a yes/no question, so there has to be a “right” answer. I was taught in school that we…
by Karin Beery “You look good … for someone your age.” Left-handed compliments. Those comments that start off well but end with an insult. You’re expecting one thing but get something completely different. That’s recently become a trend—and a problem—in fiction. I call it the Active Telling syndrome. Here’s what happens: the chapter opens with…
