Do the Right Thing

Just by chance, I saw one of my pictures on someone else's blog, unacknowledged, without my permission. Folks, this is not right. In the words of Kevan Atteberry, "What would your mother say? Hmmm?"

As I am fond of saying to my own children, "Do the right thing, even when I'm not watching." This is good advice for adults as well.

Fair use means taking without permission. But it doesn't mean not to acknowledge the source. Please folks, always, always acknowledge your source. As a writer of nonfiction, I am highly aware of this. The source of every quote and fact I choose to include in my article is meticulously recorded should I need to refer to it. Plus, it allows my readers to go further with their own reading, should they choose to.

I enjoy taking pictures. I'm not a professional but I've been complimented many times on the pictures I've taken. It makes me feel good to share a few images from my life. Why would anybody want to take them without acknowledging the source? And it's all the more distressing that it's another person in the business.

Do the right thing. It's easy.
*

Feed Me!

We spied four eggs, and three have hatched. Mama and Papa Junco feed their babies countless times a day. These babies aren't cute per se, but we sure love their cheeping.

*

I'm loving this summer. Writing is on the backburner. Now that my children go to school full-time, I don't even try to carve in productive writing time when they're home. It's enough to just scribble in my notebook. Time is going so fast ... before we know it, the baby birds will fledge and my kiddos will be heading out of the house. I also believe in the power of the subconscious to keep working in the background. Or perhaps it's my excuse for being lazy ...

*

Tell me, do you ever use your kids as an excuse?

*

A New Addition

I had forgotten what it was like to have a new baby in the house. Here's our baby of the family. She's a two-month-old, mostly golden retriever, a love. The cats are wary but adjusting surprisingly well. I hope to post a picture of the three of them cuddling up together soon.
*

Speaking Engagements

Last year, I spoke to a small group of very talented writers in Bellingham, WA about writing nonfiction. I loved the responsive audience. This year, I spoke about magazine writing at one of *my* regional SCBWI monthly meetings (picture). Again, I was delighted with a wonderfully attentive audience. And the best part was seeing them again a month later at the annual conference and hearing some of their success stories.

*

I am so pleased to be invited to speak again in the area. The first one is coming up in November, on magazine writing, at the University of Washington Extension class on Writing for Children and the second is coming up much later in April on work-for-hire writing as part of our local SCBWI monthly series. I'm pleased that nonfiction writing is getting some attention.

*

I know that people almost always think of writing The Great American Novel when they think of writing at all (myself included when I was a newbie writer), and many of the classes are geared towards novel writing. However, it's much easier for writers to break into the magazine market, particularly with nonfiction. What's fascinating is that children begin writing with nonfiction. I do lots of class visits and the majority of children write about their families, pets, friends, etc. Towards the end of Grade 1, I see fictionalization of real events. I wonder why writers shy away from nonfiction ... it is truly in our bones.

*

When I first started writing, almost everything was geared towards fiction. I love reading and writing nonfiction and told myself that I would try to bring it more attention in our area. I doubt I can ever make it as sexy as fiction, but again, I revel in these small successes.

*