Athena Critique Services

I’ve updated my article, “Three Things Every Writer Should Know About Copyright Law,” and posted it on my website at tbodwell.com. The article covers the basic concepts of how a copyright is created, what is copyrightable and fair use.

I’ll be adding more articles for writers in the future, so continue to check back.

Teresa

Workshop with multi-published author, Teresa Bodwell
January 5-16
Every action scene needs to be Deep, Descriptive and Dynamic. Layers of emotion give the scene depth. The action must be clear and definite to carry the readers along for the ride. Finally, the scene must be energetic and forceful. Dynamic scenes create a reality that keeps the reader turning pages.

$20.00 (includes comments on action scenes from your WIP)

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What’s in a name?

Every writer knows that having the right name for your characters is crucial. But how do you find that name? Sometimes a name just comes to me. It sounds right. It fits the character. But often I have to search.

I’ve used various baby books with some success. These can help you decide if the meaning of the name works and they often give you some idea of ethnicity. I finally found the The Writer’s Digest Character Naming Sourceook by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I love the book. It is sorted by ethnic origin and very detailed in its definitions. But it is a book and searching is somewhat limited. I wanted a searchable database.

Enter Muse Names from Muse Creations Software. I’ve been using this software for several months now and I love it. You can enter a name and find the meaning, ethnic origin, numerology and “soul urge.” You can also look up a name by meaning. Want a male name that means powerful? Enter “powerful” in the meaning blank, click mail and “Go!”. You’ve hit 146 names. You can limit these to the 17 that contain the letter “k” or th 14 that begin with the letter “m”. Or you can find the 2 Danish or 9 Teutpnic names that mean “powerful.” You get the idea. It’s a database, so there are lots of ways to search.

Often when I’m searching for just the right name, I find other names I like that don’t fit the character I have in mind. The software allows you to create a “Favorites” list. I use this list to store those names I think I may want to use in the future.

Download a free trial of Muse Names at: http://www.musecreations.com/software.html

There are two ways every writer should think about protecting her work. First, writers should protect their work from physical loss. In other words–back-up your files! I use both an external hard drive back-up and an online backup. The external hard drive is portable and goes with me when I travel. This has saved me on more than one occasion when my laptop has gone down on route. I’ve been able to plug my external hard drive into a borrowed computer and get work done on the road.

I also use iStorage from Iomega as my online backup. Iomega’s system is secure and easy to use, but there is a fee for use. There are many free online alternatives as well. Start using one today before your writing is lost. You do not want to have to recreate a novel because you failed to back it up. And you don’t want to have to run into a burning house to rescue your laptop or backup device.

Writers should also be considered with protecting themselves from infringement, or accusation of infringement. One of the best ways to do this is by keeping good records. Keep draft files with dates that show when you started working on a story. Also, keep good records of your research. Make sure you know when you are quoting directly from a source and be sure that you credit that source. Also, know when you need to ask permission to use quoted material and be sure to obtain that permission.

When you are using factual sources, remember that facts are not protected by copyright, but the expression of those facts is protected. Be careful. There is no bright line rule about how much you can quote without permission. No 5 word, 10 word or 25 word rule. If you’re uncertain about whether or not you can use a source, it is always best to obtain permission. For helpful information on copyright check out the U.S. Copyright Office website. Also, read The Writer’s Legal Guide: An Author’s Guild Desk Reference by Tad Crawford and Kay Murray.

Thanks to our webmaster, we have a new forum for our online workshops. You can check out the public area of the forum by registering here.

Ask questions, leave comments or just say “hi”.