infringment Archives - Author K. Williams

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #265
You’re going on a road trip: where are you headed? With who?
What are your snacks? Music? Plans?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. We appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

The idea of a road trip still gets me thrilled to this day. Family road trips were a lot of fun, and we’re still very close, so the memories are great ones. We never flew anywhere, we always took the car. My dad wanted the freedom of having our own car with us, so we could off resort, or explore without concern. It also saved a lot of money in those days, when renting and flying were more luxury expenses. The first time I went in an airplane was to Ireland in 2000. Yup! My first flight was 5 hours overseas! We took off at night over New York City with a full moon. It could not have been more perfect. (That trip even inspired a script out of me.)

a map lies on the table with books and writing implements, as a person takes notes. Photo by Oxona on Unsplash

Planning out what I would bring and the music I listened to along the way was important. It helped keep me from getting over excited as a kid. It passed the time, and it focused my anxious mind elsewhere, without taking too much away from the positive anticipation. You see, if let to think too much, I’d inevitably start thinking of all the negative and fearful things that can ruin a trip! My mom did enough of that for all of us.

Back in the day, I had a tape player (Yup, this SONY Walkman). That meant that I had to have a whole bag just for my cassettes. Of course I would bring mix tapes! That was the go to. However, I had favorite albums on tape, which I couldn’t leave behind. I would stack them up and start the prep work. Did I need the whole album? That depended on how far we were going. Driving to Florida was a 2-day affair. We’d spend the wee hours of the morning getting out of New York. The rest of the first day would get us to South Carolina. It could get mind numbing! So, having plenty of things to do was important.

I couldn’t read on trips. Try as I might, I would get car sick every time. If I read, I had to only do so for a few minutes at a time and stop or the trip was going to get mighty awful real quick. I do mean a few minutes–couple pages, maybe a chapter, and put it down before I got so nauseated I needed a car stop. You know how unfortunate that was on epic long drives, when you had nothing to do but sit there. Thankfully, I could watch the beautiful countryside and listen to my music without a problem.

We talked. We would talk about what we were planning to do when we got there. Those talks included stops we would make along the way. Then, we’d talk about the road construction workers being ‘doozers‘ and not to look at them. They wanted you to look, so don’t look. Thankfully, I was also a car person, so I would check out the vehicles on the road. Checking out the different state plates. Looking for state plates from home was another distraction. The stops were really welcome. Holy boredom.

Snacks were a major part of keeping from dying of dire boredom along the way, too. I would save up my coins and go buy a ton of candy and snacks to bring. That could get problematic in a hot car. We didn’t have air conditioning in earlier cars, and going south in late spring meant melting chocolate. Kids don’t think much about that in the planning of what they want to eat, so I wound up with melted messes on occasion. It was actually quite delicious regardless. Other snacks were the usual chips and pretzels.

My mom would pack a cooler, which I should have put my chocolate bars in, except that I probably needed my own big cooler! Mom cam from severe poverty, and packing food was a comfort to her that we just never understood. Part of a road trip was stopping for lunch and dinner along the way. As kids, me and my brother didn’t always see the enormous expense that was for a young family.

The trips I am talking about took place in the 1980s and 1990s. Thus, the music was your popular 80s and 90s fare. Madonna, REM, the early pop rap, classic rock, Depeche Mode, 2nd Wave, and so on… The food was Pizzarias, Doritos, whatchamacallit bars, Reese’s, blow pops, charms pops, 5th avenues… I have always been a snack person.

Mom, however, planned well. Submarine sandwiches were made fresh from our portable refrigerator, and we’d enjoy a mobile lunch as we pushed hard to the finish line for that day. Us kids wanted McDonald’s of course, and eventually we would get that on day 2 or the way home. My mom hated it! That food was awful. I didn’t realize how awful fast-food is until my later twenties when I had enough of the stomach upset from it.

If I took a road trip today, I’d take my Mom and Dad, because we always have fun, and I want to show my daughter that fun. If not them, or my Brother, then my Best Friend. The music hasn’t changed much. I am a lover of trance, trap, rap, classic rock, new age, and so much more. My phone holds so much music, we’d be set for weeks. It’s all organized into mood lists, dates lists, favorites, and lifetracks. Anyone for car dancing to Copa Cabana?

Where would we go? I am keen on getting to the American West, particularly Montana. That would be an amazing drive, and I might prefer the train ride, so I can do photography along the way–then again, the convenience of my own car would allow me time to just pull over and shoot at my leisure. My poor daughter would be so damn bored!

Maybe we should just stick to Disney for for now?

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♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #264
How often do you overhear an awesome one-liner or witty comeback, and tell yourself you need to write that down to use for one of your characters?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. We appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

A great quote does not come out of thin air. Intertexts and life experience often frame excellent expression. People who are word artists know how to cleverly express ideas. That doesn’t mean that they always know the words to say for everything. Sometimes, quoting someone else is much better.

Writers, for instance, take a lot of time to rework their words so they have the right–well, everything. Part of learning to write creatively is learning to pay attention and listen up. Not only is some form of research necessary in every project, but the skill to turn a clever phrase is imperative. So, writers can definitely appreciate a great line!

Our ears are always open to soak up information, including excellent turns of phrases. I find a great line inspiring. However, I avoid reusing it. Why? Because of plagiarism and copyright issues.

As an author, I hang out with a lot of other writers. I absorb a lot of media. Yet, I find myself, at this stage of writing, only seeking to write my own stories, not reworking those of other writers. If hired to adapt a novel to the screen, that would be different. My own publications, though, will remain as original as possible. I write in my own voice. This is not only satisfying, but will keep you from being sued for infringement.

A Writer’s Guide to Fair Use and Permissions + Sample Permissions Letter
“Whenever you decide to directly quote, excerpt, or reproduce someone else’s work in your own—whether that’s a book, blog, magazine article, or something else—you have to consider, for each use, whether or not it’s necessary to seek explicit, legal permission from the work’s creator or owner.”

Although I might hear a great line, I feel that is the property of the speaker (or writer). That said, I feel inspired by great lines. This feeds my creative muse. Thus, I often get new ideas that branch from the original, and not always in obvious ways.

A writer should always use their own words. This is writing all those research papers in college is actually useful. You learn your voice and how to use it effectively while getting critiqued by an expert. This is actually a pretty priceless opportunity.

So what do you do if you do hear a great line that would work great for your book? Make sure you get permission to use it. First and foremost, you have to protect yourself and your integrity as a writer. It may sound like foolishness, but if you’ve been around as long as I have been, you’ll know that people come back at you with some very strange accusations from time to time. If they can prove that line was theirs, and you don’t have it in writing that you could use it, you could owe them restitution. That’s the long and short of it.

chalk board with know the rules written large

To avoid uncomfortable situations, make sure that you have proper permission to use a line. If a line is common, you obviously do not need to do this. If you know the person very well, you’ll know if having permission in writing is necessary or not, but I err on the side of caution.

This is the same reason that I don’t read and critique anyone’s work. Friends have asked, and I have gently turned them down. Unless the work is published, I am not reading it. This isn’t about not wanting to read the work. Supporting friends is important to me. However, as a published author, it’s not ethical for me to do so. Many lawsuits have been levied on thin accusations of infringement and plagiarism. This is can quickly ruin a writer’s reputation, even if they’re found not guilty. As someone with plenty of bills already, restitution payments would financially ruin me. Thus, I protect myself.

If you think a friend would never turn around and sue, then you’ve not been in the business long enough. Sadly, this happens too frequently. Many managers and agents would advise you the same as I did above. Always protect yourself. A true friend will understand, and this protects them, too.

Most certainly, writers will be inspired by real people in their lives. Thus, they will often write things the way this person would say them. Sometimes, they’ll use direct quotes. Does this fall into plagiarism or infringement? This question is likely why you’d think what I previously said is over the top.

You need to understand the nuance here. If you quote from other artists, you run a risk of getting called on infringement. Quoting your great uncle Doug, it’s not likely a problem at all. When you over hear a conversation at a restaurant, no one will remember you were there, and they will likely not remember the things they even said in your presence. It’s not covered by copyright, unless they’re quoting someone’s work (which might be the case, so be certain). If you If you’re quoting a peer or friend, be mindful. Some may be flattered, others upset, and some may cause you problems.

Using common sense (even though its not that common) is a decent guideline. Just stop and think. You know your situation best. Ask yourself: can I say it better? Can I say something similar that hits better for my work? Will this person ever read my work? Does use of this line pose a risk to my reputation?

In the end, I credit the mentorship I’ve had the luxury of experiencing with teaching me to seek my own words. There is no one who can say what you need to be said better than you. Have confidence in your skill. If you don’t, gain the confidence. Be the wordsmith. That’s what writing is all about. Make yourself proud!

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