Copyright law is written to encourage the growth of knowledge while at the same time protecting those who further the growth of knowledge. You use a book to gain knowledge; an author publishes a book to earn money. You would not purchase a book if you could not use the information in the book, but […]

Whenever a book, article, poem, drama, song, database, or illustration comes into the world in tangible form, it is automatically covered by copyright, regardless of whether the work is published or registered with the copyright office.

Following are some of the most common mistakes new writers make:

Whenever a book, article, poem, drama, song, database, or illustration appears in tangible form, it is automatically covered by copyright, regardless of whether the work is published or registered with the copyright office.

The first chapter of a novel needs to “hook” the reader, riveting his or her eyes to the page and creating an intense desire to read on and learn more about the characters and what happens to them. This is not an easy task, but it’s absolutely essential.

AS vs. WHEN As (when used as a conjunction, as in “As this happened, that happened”) implies that the second thing occurred while (within the same time frame as, during the time in which) the first thing was in the process of happening.

Starting this week, instead of PUGS Pointers, I’m going to post some self-editing tips. Here’s the first one, on Active vs. Passive Verbs.

This week’s PUGS Pointer: Single quotation marks are used to indicate quotes within quotes. There is no other use for a single quotation mark. (CMOS 11.33) Example: “And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19 NASB).