A Writer's Journey Continued

While doing final edits for a book I'd written and submitted to the publisher almost a year ago, I ran across a passage that was uncannily familiar. Where had I seen it before?

Ah, yes, it was eerily similar to a piece I'd written for an anthology (with a different publisher) that had just been released. Hmmm. I didn't remember using those specific words before, but there they were, almost verbatim. What to do? What are the ethics involved here?

Take heed to these excerpts from the "Excavating Ethics" chapter of "Grit for the Oyster: 250 Pearls of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers":

"The U.S. Copyright Office says, 'You may make a new claim in your work if the changes are substantial and creative - something more than just editorial changes or minor changes.' That includes your own work for which you've sold 'all rights.'"

"Since ideas cannot be copyrighted, you are certainly free to use the same idea, but you must approach it differently..."

"Contrary to popular belief, book titles and character names can't be copyrighted. However, if the title or name is 'distinctive' enough to be associated with a preexisting work, trademark laws may apply."

So how does this translate to my situation?

I altered several key sentences in the newest work, creating a fresh line of thought. While maintaining similar concepts in both pieces, I was not infringing on any ethical or legal fine lines.

The tricky part was explaining to the editor why I was changing content at this late date without appearing as if I had intentionally mooched off my own previous work. Intentional or not, nobody likes a copycat.

Especially publishers who are paying you for original work.

Details

I just finished reviewing the galley for my little devotional, God's Gifts for the Graduate. It's been a while since I read the manuscript. A couple of things stood out. One is that it is a little better than I remember it being. Two is I was surprised at how many minor things I wanted to change. (Some of them I could, some had to be left as is because it is going to press soon.)

When I finally finished writing that manuscript I was so sick of it I couldn't bear to read it one more time. I hated it. I was sure the editor would send it back and say "rewrite this immediately, it's awful." Stepping away for a while dramatically changed my perspective on it.

Suzanne's challenge from a few weeks ago keeps ringing in my ears, to work ahead of deadlines. I am terrible at this, but I want to get better. I doubt I'll ever turn anything in weeks early, but letting a manuscript sit for a while is one very practical thing a writer can do to improve a piece.

Now I'm going to get to work on my January deadline. Maybe I'll even finish it before the end of the year.

Short and Sweet

A pearl of wisdom from the late great Blaise Pascal: "I have made this longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."

Self-editing and writing concisely is so important to writers. Don't say in six words what you can say in four. Tirelessly search for just the right word. Don't settle for less.

That's the difference between good writing and compiling words.

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Words!

I had a very interesting discussion with my editor last week about vocabulary--when an obscure word works, and when it doesn't.

Her theory, which shows her editing know-how, is that the reader should be able to figure out the word by the context of the sentence.

I tend to love using unusual words that broaden readers, and I love reading writers who use an expanded vocabulary.

But then again...I'm the type of reader who keeps a dictionary nearby, and underlines phrases, and goes to Dictionary.com every day.

As we were writing Grit, we had fun chasing down how some obscure phrases originated...like, what does it mean to be Argus-Eyed? (A monster with many eyes.) Or who coined "the Green-Eyed Monster?" (Shakespeare.) Or what did Ezekiel mean by using an inkhorn? (An animal's horn that held the ink for a scribe.)

See? Obscure, but fun! And don't you feel smarter?