Using Song Lyrics In Fiction
I hear this question often — “Can I use song lyrics in my fiction?” I completely understand. Music provides great inspiration for writers. A few lines from “In Da Club” by 50 Cent could be brilliant character insight....
Internet Research – Will It Bring The FBI Knocking?
Regardless of genre, plot, or how much we love making things up, writers learn early on that our stories demand research. For the majority of us, the internet is the first place we turn. Unless of course, first-hand knowledge or...
Creative Theft – Plagiarism vs. Copyright Infringement
“Good artists copy; great artists steal.” The quote is widely attributed to Picasso. Most likely, the idea existed before Picasso made it famous. The literature is littered with much older discussions of how artistic theft...
The Legal Hurdles Of Writing True Crime Books
The highly popular publishing genre, True Crime, brings to mind a slew of great books like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Vincent Bugliosi’s Helter Skelter, Cathy Scott’s The Killing of Tupac Shakur, or Ann Rule’s The Stranger...
Morality Clauses, #MeToo, and Publishing Contracts
Summer is over (sigh). Editing is done (woohoo). Back to blogging business. Morality clauses–you might have heard of these power-packed contract provisions. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, morality clauses have surged...