Monday, May 30, 2011

Disney and Copyright

Media pirates and the anti-copyright intelligentsia consider The Walt Disney Company one of the poster children for evil corporate media because they are trying to hold on to their copyright for as long as possible. These folks believe that all of Disney’s archives of old films and cartoons should go into public domain as fast as possible.  
I’ve been thinking about this position and what it would mean for consumers.
Right now, Disney brings out its classic archives to resell every time the media changes.  When VCR tapes began to be replaced by DVDs, Disney opened its archives of films like Snow White and Fantasia to put them on DVDs.  But instead of just slapping them onto the new media, they used the very latest technology to make the colors brighter, the images sharper, and the music better suited to current electronic systems.  
Every time one of the old films is brought out, it gets a makeover like this which costs lots of money and man hours.
If these films went into public domain, Disney would no longer have a reason to update them.  The films online would be bad copies of faded copies, and as the online technology changes, those bad copies would have to be translated, yet again, and the quality of the picture and sound would degrade even further.
Parents would have to worry that online versions of the film had been edited by someone who didn’t approve of certain elements of the film, or that some sicko has inserted adult material into it.
Considering all this, I’ve decided that having a free public domain version of Fantasia is far too expensive for those of us who want future generations to enjoy a classic Disney film.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Links of Interest

THE FORMULA FOR A GOOD BOOK:
FIGURING OUT YOUR GENRE:
DEFINING THE COZY MYSTERY:
SURVIVING IN THE NEW WORLD OF PUBLISHING:  Yet more from Kristine Rusch on how to survive the increasingly predatory world of traditional publishing.  Another must read for all writers.
USING CRIMINAL PROFILERS IN FICTION:
INFO DUMPS THAT WORK:
REISSUING YOUR BACKLIST YOURSELF:
WRITING THE AUTHOR BIO FOR VARIOUS PLACES:
FORENSICS:  Figuring out the age of a blood stain.
ACTION SCENES:
THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS:
KEEPING THE READER WORRIED:
SUSPENSE VERSUS JUST BEING ANNOYING BY HIDING INFORMATION:
ANOTHER LINK LIST:  
A REFRESHING LOOK AT THE BASICS WE NEED TO WRITE A STORY:
NARRATIVE DISTANCE:  An excellent article with examples of different variations on narrative distance.
MARKET NEWS:  Fantasy short story antho about the sea.  Must have gay man has hero.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Authors and Wills

When my mom died a few months ago, one of her final caring gifts to the family was a huge folder filled with absolutely everything we would need to go forward with her cremation, funeral service, and the probating and closing of her estate.  
She had even written a rough draft of her obituary and the hymns and Bible verses she wanted at her service so we knew we were giving her the send off she wanted.  
Most of us with families already have our wills in order, but, as a writer, do you have a plan for your books after you die? 
Have you included instructions about your writing in your will? Or have you filled out an addenda to your will containing details about your writing? 
Some things you may want to consider are 
What do you want to happen to your books and "name" after you die. 
Do you want others to write books using your name? 
Do you want someone to finish whatever books you didn't finish? 
Do you want books you wrote years ago to be pulled out and sold? 
Do you want your notes and drafts sold or given to a university or a collector? 
Do you want someone to maintain your promotions (website, etc.) while your books are in print?
Do you want a special executor just for your writing? Most established authors name their literary agent or literary lawyer as special executor to their writing estate because writing is so specialized that people not in the business haven't a clue. 
Here's a really excellent blog on the subject by Neil Gaiman which includes a PDF form that writers can use to explain their wishes on their works.
If you already have a will, I’d use this form as an addenda to your will since it revokes previous wills.  As he said, talk to your lawyer.
And while you are doing all this, remember what my mom did for us and build a large folder that includes copies of all  your publishing contracts, website contracts, passwords, and all the other things you need to manage your professional career.  And keep your files in order, too, to save your family from having to sort through the useless junk to find the important things. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Links of Interest

MARKET NEWS:  Amazon has started a romance line which will be available in Kindle format, paperback, and audio books.
BELIEVABLE DIALOGUE:
EVEN SCARIER NEWS ON HOW WRITERS ARE BEING SCREWED BY AGENTS AS WELL AS PUBLISHERS:
KNOWING YOUR BOOK RIGHTS, WORLD AND OTHERWISE:
BEWARE THE PAY TO PLAY ANTHOLOGY:
HOOKING THE READER IN BOTH THE BRAIN AND THE HEART:
DNA FORENSICS:  New technologies make it almost as fast as shown on CSI TV shows.
FINDING THE PERFECT CRIT GROUP:
DOING PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES RIGHT:


DEEP POV:
DECIDING ON YOUR GENRE BEFORE YOU WRITE THE BOOK:
MAGICAL WORLDBUILDING: (Note: The title has absolutely nothing to do with the contents.)
GETTING THE SMALL DETAILS RIGHT:
SHOWING VERSUS TELLING:
USING PROFANITY:
SPEAKING OF ONLINE STORAGE SECURITY OR THE LACK THEREOF:
THE ANTAGONIST:  An interesting way to look at him/her.
WORLDBUILDING A FANTASY USING A REAL PLACE AS  YOUR STARTING POINT:
CHARACTER BEFORE ACTION:  I think you can do both at the same time, but here’s an interesting view using JURASSIC PARK as an example.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Weather and Writers

Are you, as a writer, ready for bad weather or emergencies?
Preparing for bad weather can be as simple as having a storm alert radio that will cut on, if dangerous weather approaches, so you can shut down that computer before lightning fries it. The storm alert radio also doesn't interfere with writing like a regular radio for those of us who like to work in quiet. 
Is your computer plugged into an alternate power source (APS) so it won't be damaged or your current work lost if the power goes out?   (If you are still not sure what an APS is, go here: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/911559/APC-Back-UPS-ES-550-Battery/?cm_cat=2000000371
Most alternate power source makers claim an APS with a surge protector will protect your computer and peripherals from lightning, but nothing will protect electronics from a close lightning hit. A good friend lost everything when lightning hit a transformer over a block away, and he had high-end surge protectors and an APS system. 
The safest thing to do is unplug everything, including the APS. 
Also remember to unplug your modem from the electricity and your computer. Dial-up modems are particularly prone to lightning. A cable modem is supposed to be much safer, but I err on the side of paranoia and unplug mine.
If you have a laptop as well as a desktop, you need to keep it charged to use during bad weather so keep it plugged in, but remember to unplug it, as well, when a storm comes. 
If you want to keep working through bad weather, remember to save a copy of your work to a flash disk, CD, or whatever to move your work to your laptop so you can continue to work. 
Weather preparation isn't just for a short summer or winter storm. It's for major disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and wild fires. Always have a back-up copy of all your works in another location, or, better yet, several locations.
In the days before I wrote by computer, I had paper copies of my books at my home, my mom's beach house and my brother's home near Charlotte. Despite being in different parts of the state, all three homes were damaged by Hurricane Hugo, but the manuscripts stayed safe. That experience has reaffirmed my determination to keep copies of my manuscripts and important papers elsewhere.
These days, I also keep a flash disk copy of my books in my safety deposit box at the bank so I can keep my updates recent. A flash disk or drive, if you're not familiar with the term, is one of those tiny storage units you plug directly into your USB or Firewire connection on your computer or iPod.  (If you still aren't certain what a flash drive is, go here:  http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/357507/Action-Sport-Drives-Burton-Fix-SnowDrive/ )
You can also store your works and your computer contents online at storage sites, but as recent outages and disasters have proven, online or “in the cloud” shouldn’t be your only storage solution.  I have my own personal paranoia about how hacker-proof these sites are, as well, so I’ve avoided using online as a storage solution.
It's always a good idea to have an emergency bag or briefcase for your writing partially packed and ready to go in case you need to get out fast because of an approaching hurricane or wild fire. 
Things to keep in this bag include a power plug for your laptop and an updated flash drive. Also include copies of current book contracts as well as notes, etc., of what you are working with at the time.   A paper list of all  your passwords is another must.
It would also be prudent to have a recent complete copy of your computer drive in case  your home computer is destroyed.
If you use an external hard drive as a backup, you can pack this up very carefully.  (Motion can damage desktop innards.)
This bag is also a good place to store a copy of your house and car insurance, pictures of your valuables, etc., in case disaster strikes. Also include a CD with copies of your favorite family pictures, etc., in case the worst happens, and there's no home to return to.
Make a list of the last minute things you will need to pack and stick that in the front of the bag. When emergencies happen, we tend to forget the most basic things so that list will be well worth the time.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Links of Interest

For reasons unknown, my Wednesday post has vanished.  Here it is again.


Marilynn


MARKET NEWS:  Amazon has started a romance line which will be available in Kindle format, paperback, and audio books.
BELIEVABLE DIALOGUE:
EVEN SCARIER NEWS ON HOW WRITERS ARE BEING SCREWED BY AGENTS AS WELL AS PUBLISHERS:
KNOWING YOUR BOOK RIGHTS, WORLD AND OTHERWISE:
BEWARE THE PAY TO PLAY ANTHOLOGY:
HOOKING THE READER IN BOTH THE BRAIN AND THE HEART:
DNA FORENSICS:  New technologies make it almost as fast as shown on CSI TV shows.
FINDING THE PERFECT CRITIQUE GROUP:
DOING PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES RIGHT:
DEEP POV:
DECIDING ON YOUR GENRE BEFORE YOU WRITE THE BOOK:
MAGICAL WORLDBUILDING: (Note: The title has absolutely nothing to do with the contents.)
GETTING THE SMALL DETAILS RIGHT:

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Links of Interest

MARKET NEWS:  Amazon has started a romance line which will be available in Kindle format, paperback, and audio books.
BELIEVABLE DIALOGUE:
EVEN SCARIER NEWS ON HOW WRITERS ARE BEING SCREWED BY AGENTS AS WELL AS PUBLISHERS:
KNOWING YOUR BOOK RIGHTS, WORLD AND OTHERWISE:
BEWARE THE PAY TO PLAY ANTHOLOGY:
HOOKING THE READER IN BOTH THE BRAIN AND THE HEART:
DNA FORENSICS:  New technologies make it almost as fast as shown on CSI TV shows.
FINDING THE PERFECT CRITIQUE GROUP:
DOING PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES RIGHT:
DEEP POV:
DECIDING ON YOUR GENRE BEFORE YOU WRITE THE BOOK:
MAGICAL WORLDBUILDING: (Note: The title has absolutely nothing to do with the contents.)
GETTING THE SMALL DETAILS RIGHT: