Lawyers ask me all the time: What are the rules about copyright? What does it cover? When does it attach? Are there any exceptions? How long does it last? What are the consequences of violating another's copyright?

These questions seem simple, but they aren't. And the answers should be easy, but they're not. Nor is there one place where all such simple questions and easy answers are collected for authoritative… Continue reading

Posted on August 27th, 2009 under Answers, Business, Craft, Reviews. Tags: Craft, get published, Law, Uncommon Answers. Comments: None

We should think about copyright and whether we are operating within the bounds of the law every time we put pen to paper or keystroke to keyboard.

Legal writing is usually technical and nonfiction. We use forms from various sources, we quote from cases, and we paraphrase statutes. We don't often consider whether we are infringing on a valid copyright. And usually, we're not.

Except when we are.

Not all writing… Continue reading

Posted on August 19th, 2009 under Art, Business, Craft. Tags: Craft, craft fiction, craft nonfiction, legal writing. Comments: None

All lawyers are writers, but not all lawyers focus on writing as a career builder. Developing your law career through writing for publication doesn't have to be dull, boring, or a total time drain.

Online publishing in various venues is a good place to start using writing to build a wider legal reputation that can lead to clients. Most law firms have blogs now and writing for the firm's blog… Continue reading

Posted on August 14th, 2009 under Business, Craft. Tags: Business, craft nonfiction, Law Career Development. Comments: None

What if we could as easily travel back in time as we travel now to other continents or into space?

I might visit my dad and have a nice long chat. Or maybe my grandparents.

Perhaps I'd see Hemingway in… Continue reading

Posted on August 2nd, 2009 under Art, Craft, Uncategorized. Tags: Art, Craft, fiction. Comments: None

Why do business, professional, and political folks read fiction? Maybe the best reason is that reading fiction is fun for us. It's how we relax, how we relate to the world. We're well educated and most of what we know we learned through reading. By this time, we're all adults and we've been reading for decades. We enjoy it.

Posted on July 27th, 2009 under Art, Craft. Tags: Art, Craft. Comments: None

Posted on July 19th, 2009 under Art, Craft. Tags: Art, Comedy, Craft, Dialogue. Comments: None

I'd been writing fiction with intent to publish for more than fifteen years when I finally understood an imporatant difference between exposition and dramatic writing. Or at least, the nuance that had been eluding me up until that time. The nuance many lawyers miss when admonished to "show not tell." All writing seeks to convey clarity. But the methods vary. In this context, the nuance I'm referring to is the distinction between… Continue reading

Posted on June 28th, 2009 under Art, Craft. Tags: Art, Craft, Drama, fiction. Comments: None

Bryan Garner's recommendation of the Flowers Writing Paradigm would have significantly shortened my learning curve if I'd known about it. Maybe my recommendation now can serve you as Garner's would have served me. Dr. Betty S. Flowers, Garner reports, devised a shrewd way of dramatizing the process to minimize problems and maximize efficiency as well as effectiveness. The most important news here is that the process works. And not… Continue reading

Posted on June 7th, 2009 under Art, Craft. Tags: Art, Craft, fiction. Comments: None

Legal writing is a highly specialized art form that should be employed only when it can't be avoided. Every audience will appreciate your adherence to a simple plan: never use highly technical writing techniques when more reader friendly versions will do the job (and be more effective in the process). This is a good rule for all technical professionals. Doctors, pharmacists, engineers, marketers, human relations experts, and rocket scientists. I'm not simply… Continue reading

Posted on May 14th, 2009 under Craft. Tags: Art, Business, Craft, legal writing. Comments: None