Today is the second in my series on copyright. It’s critical that each of us has a working knowledge of what we can and cannot use on our blogs legally. That said, I’m not a lawyer and this should not be construed as legal advice. If you’ve been notified that you are in violation of copyright, I recommend you contact legal counsel. Now on to the facts! 6. I can legally post YouTube videos on my blog or website. TRUE: This one was a little tricky. You can legally post YouTube videos on your site, because what you’re doing is linking, not reposting. Even when you embed videos, they are still linked to YouTube. 7. If I don’t make money off of it, it’s legal for me to use. FALSE: […]
Read the RestArchive | October, 2012
Idea Sparking: Brainstorming Conflict in your Novel!
At MBT we’re all about trying to give you the best tools to create powerful stories. That’s why I asked our MBT Brainstorming Coach Michelle Lim to write a book about brainstorming techniques that help a writer create conflict in their stories. I’ve discovered that many authors just get stuck while brainstorming, and their stories lack spark or twists. Michelle’s book is a powerful tool to help an author think outside the box and create powerful twists and turns in their story. I’ve asked her here to today to chat with us about her new book: Idea Sparking: Brainstorming Conflict into your Novel. What prompted the idea for this book? Since I was a teenager I loved plot. If the story kept me turning pages by flashlight after bedtime, […]
Read the RestConversations: Creating Scene Tension
I could see Sally’s breath crystallize in the air as she jogged up to the coffee shop door. Bruised and soggy leaves layered the parking lot – red, gold, purple. The sun had just baked the frost from the pink chrysanthemums blooming outside. Our little town crouched at the edge of winter – we could feel it in the air. The crisp tension of autumn, when any day we’d wake to a snowfall. The door jangled as Sally opened it. She caught my eye. “Sorry I’m late.” She dropped her backpack onto her chair. “Field trip day at school and I forgot to sign a permission slip. Congratulations on the game Friday night. I heard your son ran for a touchdown, and the other made a sack. I’ll bet it […]
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Dealing With Disappointment, Part One: Ouch! That Hurts!
Many of you recently attended the ACFW annual conference in Dallas. Those who did pinned hopes on getting some sort of exciting news or opportunity. MBT Voices overall received overwhelmingly positive news. So why am I writing this? Because with the sweet comes the bitter. I’ve dealt with and helped people through disappointment for decades. There are some things I’ve seen in the circumstance that contributes to the emotion of disappointment that I want to share. Having Unrealistic Expectations. Truly there are novice novelists who go to their first conference expecting that the biggest publishers in the industry will stand in line to snatch up their masterpiece…that hasn’t quite been finished. Ok, it really hasn’t been written yet, but with a contract in hand, they could stay up late one […]
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