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Tips for Avoiding Strain While Writing

12/16/2013

Photo: www.NikDesignsGraphics.com

by Dominique Petersen

Do you sit at your computer, working on your novel, for hours at a time? If so, here are some tips to help you avoid strain.

Have your monitor positioned correctly: a little lower than eye level and directly in front of you, about 18 to 30 inches away.

Adjust the brightness of the monitor so that it is not glaring in your eyes; adjust the contrast so your eyes can better distinguish all items on the screen.

Make sure the chair you are sitting on allows your feet to be firmly on the floor.

To avoid staining your neck and shoulders, make sure your keyboard is at elbow height.

Avoid reaching. For example, make sure your mouse is right beside the keyboard at your fingertips.

Avoid fluorescent lights and sunlight and instead use soft lighting and blinds to cut down too-bright lighting that makes the items on your screen hard to see.

Blink your eyes frequently and walk away from your desk every now and then—go get some coffee or a breath of fresh air.

Look for products that will make your work easier. For example, a padded wrist rest at your keyboard or a stand to attach to the side of your monitor on which to place any papers you are typing from.

Dominique "Nik" Petersen is a published author, graphic designer, and part-time food photographer. For more information, visit the website at www.NikDesignsGraphics.com and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NiksBooks or www.Facebook.com/NiksPikks
She can be reached at NikDesignsGraphics@yahoo.ca

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English Language Trivia

12/16/2013

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by Jens Petersen

Q: Where did the expression “Catch-22” come from?

A: Catch-22 is the title of Joseph Heller's 1953 novel about bomber crews during World War 2. It refers to a paradox: attempting to escape makes escape impossible. In the novel, bomber crew members apply for exemption from highly dangerous missions on the grounds of insanity. Applications are rejected, since anyone who would apply for exemption from going on these missions must be sane. The expression “damned if you do, and damned if you don't” covers the situation.

Today the expression is often misused to mean any difficult situation.

Jens Petersen is an editor with a wide range of clients. He primarily edits books, but also articles, brochures, advertising.
For more information, visit the website at www.AuthorConsultants.org
and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AuthorConsultants
He can be reached at PetersenEditing@gmail.com

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The Essential Writing Tool

12/15/2013

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by Jens Petersen

Whether you are writing an article for a magazine, an email, a blog, or a book, there is one essential tool you need—a good dictionary. Always have it at hand and use it often, whenever there is any doubt about a word or phrase. It can save you some serious embarrassment and preserve your credibility with your readers.

Don't rely on the accuracy of a word or phrase you've heard but never seen in print. I come across these misshaped constructions all the time; here are a few examples:

The wrong way: per say — That's how it sounds, all right, but it's not correct.

What it should be: per se — This expression is Latin and means by or in itself, intrinsically. For example, “I'm not opposed to capital punishment per se.”

The wrong way: wrecked/reeked havoc — The first verb makes no sense since it means to destroy the havoc, and the second one doesn't smell too good.

What it should be: wreak havoc - The verb means to vent or inflict, for example, “They wreaked havoc on the enemy.”

The wrong way: I nipped that problem in the butt! — That's quite colourful, but can we solve a problem that way?

What it should be: I nipped that problem in the bud! - That's the correct expression, of course. It refers to the practice of nipping a plant in the bud to prevent it from flowering. So the expression means to prevent a potential problem from becoming bigger.

The wrong way: a mute point — The adjective mute means unspoken or unable to speak.

What it should be: a moot point - The correct adjective in this phrase should be moot, which refers to something that is debatable or of no practical importance. For example, “That point may make for a good discussion, but it is moot.”

If we are in the business of using words, we need to be clear about what they mean, i.e., we need to use a dictionary. Writers often use words without a clear understanding of their meaning. Here is an example:

“I literally died of embarrassment.” A horrible way to go, I know, but can one really die of embarrassment? When you use the word literally, you are describing something exactly as it happened; you are being literal—using the strict meaning of the word.

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Design Tip

12/5/2013

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YOUR BACK COVER
by Dominique Petersen

If you haven't written the blurb for your back cover yet, make sure you use the space wisely.

If you are a first-time or unknown author, use the back cover to MARKET the book, putting your bio and photo inside the book at the back under the title "About the Author".

To use the cover for marketing, in the first paragraph, tell the potential buyer what the book's about, and in the second, tell how it will benefit him or her. Following that, an endorsement gives the buyer an opinion of the book—not from the author or publisher—that makes him/her think, "If that person liked the book, so will I."

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What You Need to Know about Copyright Infringement

12/5/2013

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by Jens Petersen

Authors are increasingly relying on the Internet as their main resource when writing books; however, many new authors are not aware of the legal implications of freely using text, photos, and graphics from the Internet.

Infringing on someone's copyright is illegal, and authors who do this expose themselves to possible lawsuits and forced removal of their books from the market. It can be expensive, troublesome, and embarrassing.

Let me outline a few of the basic principles involved in Canadian copyright law.

In Canada, all published material is automatically copyrighted.
Some authors mistakenly think they can copy material that does not have a copyright sign. The owner does not have to indicate that his or her work is copyrighted. Both printed and Internet material is protected by copyright law.
Acknowledging the source of quoted material does not allow you to quote that material.
The belief among some authors and publishing companies that it is permissible to quote text of fewer than 50 words is not true. It doesn't matter whether you quote only a few sentences, or whole paragraphs; the work is still copyrighted. What counts is the significance of the words in the particular work quoted.
The only way you can safely quote from someone's work (or use his or her photos or graphics) is to get permission. This, however, may not be successful unless the copyright owner sees some advantage in it, for example, receiving a fee or publicity for his or her website or book.

There are several exceptions to these rules and ways of getting around them. This would be something to discuss with your editor as the two of you work on the manuscript.

It is common for me to receive a manuscript from an eager author who is hoping to quickly have the work edited and off to the Printer. I then have to inform him or her that photos and text copied from the Internet cannot be used as is. If the borrowing is extensive, major rewrites may be necessary, or we may have to wait for copyright owners to get back to us with their permission or not. Another source of delay is having to hunt down quotes and photos because the author has forgotten where they came from.

If you are about to write a book, I suggest that you keep a log with detailed source information on all material used in the manuscript, whether it's from books or material retrieved from the Internet—and then give it to the editor along with the unedited manuscript. You will save yourself time, editing fees, and a lot of trouble.

The above information does not constitute legal advice, but rather general editing information.

Jens Petersen is an editor with a wide range of clients. He primarily edits books, but also articles, brochures, advertising, etc.
For more information, visit the website at www.AuthorConsultants.org
and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AuthorConsultants
He can be reached at PetersenEditing@gmail.com

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Tips for Avoiding Strain While Writing

English Language Trivia

The Essential Writing Tool

Design Tip

What You Need to Know about Copyright Infringement

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