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About Writing Right: The Blog

HOW DO I INTRODUCE A CHARACTER'S NAME MEANING?

That's what someone asked me the other day. My response? Stay tuned.

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Well, it appears as if the other responses to the question you asked assume a lot. As in that you know how to express yourself. They seem to think they "get it." I don't. For example, what does this mean:

"How do I introduce a character's name meaning?"

 

Huh? Okay, giving you the benefit of the doubt and imbuing myself with super-human perceptive abilities, "introduce their meanings" would probably imply what? That you want to know how to do what? Introduce these characters in your story? That's what the first part of your question asks?

 

Unfortunately, the second half implies that you want to know something else entirely. As in how to name your characters appropriately. But, appropriately for what or whom? Do you mean to the reader? Or to the story?

 

Regardless, these are two entirely different concepts, you understand. One pertains to when and how you bring a character to light for the first time (which, by the way, in not answerable by anyone but yourself). The other concerns what, if any, play on words you should use to describe a "good" character, a "bad" character, a "dumb" character, a "brilliant" character, etc. (We could go on with the descriptive adjectives forever, but I think Quora has a time limit here; at least, I know I do.) Read More 

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CAN I INCLUDE A REWRITTEN FILM SCENE IN MY NOVEL?

That's what someone asked on a forum the other day. Luckily for that person, I happened to read some of the answers others provided him. Here's what I wrote:

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First off, yes, it's okay from a copyright standpoint to write a scene from a movie using different characters and, of course, your own wording. That's called rewriting or paraphrasing, and it's perfectly legal. As for the other answers you've received to your question, I once gave a lecture at Dixie State University and knew several students and teachers there, and while I don't want to cast aspersions, I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock in advice about copyright law that someone who "studied Psychology and Creative Writing" there just gave you. Ditto for anyone who says that the "scene, as well as the movie, is the intellectual property of the writers."

 

What?

 

So, if I describe a scene of Tara from Gone with the Wind in my own words in my next book (that's the question here, remember?) and I rename it Terrance, I'm going to Copyright Hell? Is that the way things work in your world? Uh-uh.Not in mine. In my world, scenes can't be copyrighted. Only the exact phrasing one uses to describe it, assuming it's not a generic descriptrion already in wide use throughout the lexicon. I suggest you study the U.S. copyright laws before leading people down that "yellow brick road" (which, by the way, is not a copyrighted "scene" and can be used anywhere by anyone at anytime, although there may be other reasons than copyright infringement for not doing so—read on). The reason you can use it is that, if copyright extended to scenes, we'd no longer be able to describe a setting as an "idyllic wooded grove," "a babbling brook," or a "rusting old farmhouse with a dilapidated white picket fence." Get it? Yeah, I didn't think so. Read More 

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ARE BOOK AUTHORS ARROGANT?

Of course, we are. Fitzgerald once said something along the lines of, Writers write for fame, fortune, and the love of beautiful women. Even excepting the fact that he may not have been talking about female writers (or perhaps he was), if he was anywhere near the truth, isn't that the very definition of arrogance? Self-absorption? Self-aggrandizement? How can a writer be a writer and not be at least somewhat vainglorious, i.e., arrogant? Does anyone in the world actually know what we writers go through to become and remain writers other than other writers? I wonder.

 

And not only writers, lest we forget. It's as true with artists in every artistic field of endeavor. All committed artists (as opposed to hobbyists or "dabblers") seek to make a name for themselves by revealing their souls and their innate talents to the world. Do plumbers? Electricians? Doctors? Lawyers? Okay, so maybe scratch lawyers here. But non-artists, as a rule, work to provide a living for themselves and their families. And perhaps they derive some internal satisfaction for a job well done. Artists would like to do that, as well. Particularly the providing a living thing. But they seek far more from their talents than most "non-artistic" people. They seek to change the world. But, didn't we learn in Sister Margaret's fourth-grade Catechism class that only God can do that? Or didn't she stop to consider what we super-mortals can do?

 

Call me jaded. Call me Bohemian. Call me anything you want, but don't call me late for …

 

Oh, never mind.

 

I think you get my point. Read More 

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HOW DO YOU WRITE A NEWSPAPER HEADLINE?

A writer asked this question in a forum the other day, and the only respondent besides myself brave enough to tackle it was someone with little or no experience writing headlines!

 

"Brave" enough, but not smart enough. His answer was anything but helpful, and I felt sorry for the person who asked. So, of course, I had to throw my hat into the ring. Here's what I wrote:

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Contrary to what one "content writer/copywriter/marketer" wrote in response to your question, a solid newspaper headline doesn't hinge upon who cares about what the article says or why you should care. That's simply absurd. Writing a newspaper headline, which is what you asked about, requires seven steps. (Well, it does in my experience, at least, although others may have a different take on the subject.) The same holds for article headline writing in any medium, by the way. Read More 

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WHAT'S EASIER TO WRITE--A NOVEL OR A SCREENPLAY?

If you've ever wondered about that yourself--losing sleep over the answer, wishing you had a Magic Genie to call upon--you're in luck. The answer is simple. A screenplay is easier to write than a novel by far. If you want proof, check out a novel written by a successful screenwriter. It will suck. Then check out a screenplay written by a successful novelist. It will soar.

 

Those are generalizations to which there are always exceptions, of course. But, being generalizations means they're generally true. While good screenwriters rarely make good novelists, good novelists often make good screenwriters.

 

The reason is that novels are among the most complex things on earth to write well. No contest. A novel has a million moving parts for which an author must be accountable. He has to keep track of a myriad of elements while sustaining the storyline for hundreds of pages and a hundred thousand words or more and wrapping everything up at the end.

 

A screenplay, on the other hand, is a plot being advanced by characters driven by dialogue. Sure, motivation, conflict, and settings all come into play, but the main driver of a script (either screen or stage) is dialogue. Read More 

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HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I SPEND OUTLINING MY NOVEL?

Someone asked this online the other day. I had a thought or two to contribute to several other responses she received. Here they are.

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I think I'm in love.

 

Seriously, I'm so glad you asked this question. And, I'm just a little disappointed in some of the other responses you've received, even the ones from people who mean well but aren't, umm, right on top of things. For example, outlines are not like a "safety net." They are the scaffolding and the foundation of your novel. They help you build it firm and strong from the ground to the roof ridge.

 

And to chastise people who use an outline as not recognizing writing as a "creative endeavor"? Well, that same guy is right. IF you don't give a damn about selling, working as a professional novelist and author, or making writing your future. That's when writing is a walk in the park, a kiss in the dark, and a creative endeavor.

 

Of course, all writing is a creative endeavor. At all times. But, if that's all you want, keep a diary. If you have hopes and dreams and aspirations of making it as a full-time freelance writer and author, you'd better look for more than a "creative endeavor" to sustain you. You'd better look for quality writing that's more than an expression of your creativity. You'd better look for sustainability. Read More 

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WHY ARE GHOSTWRITERS SO CHEAP AT JOB SITES?

You know, a lot of people must be asking that question, and I'm not surprised, considering the phenomenal growth of some on-line professional job agencies of late. Everywhere you look, someone is promoting the idea of finding professional workers online.

 

Even though it's tempting, I'm not going to put down Fiverr or Upwork or any of those other job mills because some writers struggling to make a buck sign up there and, hopefully, earn a few dollars now and again. As others have said, though, professionals (I mean the time-tested pros who can write any genre in any voice and do so successfully) don't. When I'm not working hard on perfecting my own books for publication (and articles, scripts, etc.), and when I'm not out photographing, designing book covers, critiquing and reviewing books, or painting or sculpting, I take a ghostwriting or book-doctoring job now and again. When I do, I devote my full attention to the task at hand because I know the author who hired me wants to see the finished product as soon as possible. The perfect finished product.

 

I can't work for jobbers and make the kind of money I'm forced to charge because the quality of my work demands a huge amount of my time, skills, and energy. People who go to an agency looking for someone to hire are looking for top quality professionals at bargain-basement rates. They usually find them—the bargain-basement rates, that is. Top quality professionals? Uh-uh. Don't even go there. Read More 

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DO YOU REWRITE OR JUST EDIT YOUR FINISHED NOVELS?

I received this question the other day from someone whom others had already advised. I had a bit to add to their comments.

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First, rewriting and editing are not "close cousins," as someone advised you. The two are totally different concepts. And, no, the only reason you rewrite a novel is not because "you couldn't complete the idea," as some other brain said. These are absolutely ridiculous, shameful, amateurish responses. No wonder these people aren't full-time freelance writers. I'm surprised some of them are full-time freelance people.

 

Of course, editing and rewriting and reworking and refining and adjusting and readjusting and tweaking and everything else that goes into making a revision better than an earlier draft are all on the table. Are you kidding me? When you've written something and then go back to read it later, and you find problem areas, do you think you're going to tell yourself, "Well, that needs rewriting, but I'm only editing now, so I'll pass on that." Read More 

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CRAFTING A NEW BOOK'S TITLE

Coming up with a working title for a new book is easy. You just simply throw some words down on paper, and move on. Coming up with a working title that you like for a new book is a little tougher. And it's even more difficult, according to many authors, if you want to work your main character's name into the title without drowning the book's cover in words!

 

But, with that said, I have the perfect solution to your quandry. It's as simple as getting down to the basics of business, and you can do that in two words.

 

The first word is your character's last name.

 

The second word is an appropriate descriptive adjective placed before the first word.

 

Follow that up with a read-out, blurb, or sub-title (they all serve the same purpose—to further describe your book at a glance), and you're home free. Read More 

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CAN HIRING A GHOSTWRITER BE A GOOD EXPERIENCE?

Several people have asked me that over the years, even wondering if I've ever hired a ghostwriter myself. Of course, the answer is no. I've never needed one. I am a ghostwriter. That doesn't help others evaluate whether or not they should consider hiring a ghost, I know. But this might.

 

When I hire on as a ghost for authors, I work closely with them. That's pretty common. What's far less common is that I help them land a literary agent to handle the sales of the work once I've finished with my end, and I make myself available for any editorial changes that might be required in seeing the book through to publication—no matter how long the pitching process goes on. For example:

 

I finished a memoir for a client, who loved it. But, the overall consensus from publishers after a few months of shopping it around was that it was too short.

 

Okay, I got it. So, I came up with some scenarios for additional material, received the author's blessing, and, with a little more information, worked up another 15,000 words, or roughly a quarter as much as we had originally prepared. No extra charge to the author, just a little more time to round things out. When I was finished and the author approved it, we turned it over to the agent who went back to the original publisher with it. The result was a sale to a conventional, advance-paying publisher, and the book is currently being prepared for release as I write. Read More 

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HOW CAN I HIRE A BOOK EDITOR FOR NOT SO MUCH?

That's what someone asked me the other day. Of course, the answer was obvious. Here's what I said:

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First of all, your question is a bit nebulous. How much is "so much"? Three dollars? Thirty? Three hundred? Three thousand?

 

Second, what kind of quality do you want from an editor? Slop? Garbage? Fair-to-meddlin'? Decent? Good? Top-of-the-line? It makes a difference. Here's my estimation.

 

If you're like most writers who are just getting started (I make that leap of faith because experienced writers don't have to ask that question), your material is … uhh, how do I put this? Oh, yeah. Not great. Not good. In fact, it's downright sloppy, bordering on horrible. Your manuscript is loaded with typos, grammatical errors, syntax problems, punctuation mistakes, and lots and lots of developmental issues, like poor character development, wandering narrative, weakness in storyline, unrealistic dialogue, plot incongruities, and so forth. You don't know that, of course, because you don't have the training, skills, and discipline to be able to tell. That's why you need a professional editor. Read More 

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WHAT'S THE ADVANTAGE OF PUBLISHING eBOOKS?

That's the question somemone asked online recently, and the person received a ton of bad--no, make that horrible--advice. So, of course, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to set things straight, which I did.

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First, regarding the respondent who claimed that print books "often have a short shelf life, lay unused or are discarded," he couldn't be more wrong. Dead wrong. In fact, just the opposite is true. Whereas eBooks are never really part of your physical property, print books are. Unfortunately, eBooks can vanish from your possession at the drop of a hat—or the bankruptcy, sale, or merger of an eBook or eReader manufacturer or the whim of some corporate CEO. And most eBooks aren't transferable to another person, while print books are generally around for dozens of years if not longer and rarely lay unused or are discarded. Just the opposite. If someone no longer needs or wants a print book, he often sells it or gifts it to someone else to enjoy.

 

As for the same respondent's contention that "traditional bound books use precious resources," is he kidding? Books come from paper, which comes from trees, both of which are manageable and renewable. You can hardly say that about the high-tech, carbon-heavy imprint of an eReader or eBook manufacturer. Digital manufacturing is far more labor-intensive and worse for the environment. It's also subject to the fluctuating influences of foreign component manufacturers, worker strikes, unstable prices, and the unavailability of some exotic materials for manufacturing. Also, the last time I checked, eReaders don't remove deadly carbon dioxide from the air and replace it with purified, life-sustaining oxygen, but renewable trees do. And, the last time I looked, trees don't require costly, environmentally degrading electricity in anywhere near the amount that digital publishing gobbles up in order to grow and remain viable throughout an eBook's lifetime. Read More 

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SHOULD I PUBLISH WITH NEWMAN SPRINGS?

Are you kidding me? Are you serious? You're actually asking other people if you should spend good money to get your book published, when you have Web searches at your fingertips? And, for the record, how would anyone else know what you "should" do?

 

Perhaps you mis-phrased the question. Perhaps you meant instead, Would publishing with Newman Springs be a wise decision? In which case …

 

Sure. Publish with them. If you don't mind publishing with a vanity press. Don't know what that means? LOOK IT UP! It's your money, and it's your future. Why turn either one over to the opinion of a group of strangers?

 

At some point in your life, you're going to realize that you have to take control of your own life's decisions personally. No one else is going to be able to step in and tell you how to do it right. Oh, you'll always find people willing to tell you how to do things. But correctly? To your benefit? Hardly. After all, it's no skin off their nose. And no bucks out of their account! I've seen it a million times: Read More 

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WHY CAN'T YOU SUE FOR AN UNREGISTERED WORK?

A reader dropped that disastrous bomb on a writing forum the other day, and--as usual--the least qualified responses came from the commentators who least understand U.S. copyright law. Here's what I threw into the mix.

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Are you confused? If not, I can't understand why. I know I'd be confused if I had to rely upon several other commentators' abbreviated, misleading, or outright wrong responses to your question, which, by the way, begs for clarity. I assume what you're asking is whether or not you can sue someone for copyright infringement even though the work being compromised isn't registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. If that's the case, the answer is yes.

 

Here's what Parsons & Goltry, PLLC, experts in the field, has to say on the matter: Read More 

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HOW MANY CHAPTERS IN A 20,000-WORD eBOOK?

Someone asked this question online recently, and before I could answer, a dozen other respondents chimed in. Not for the best. Here's what I advised the author:

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I can't believe the large number and the wide range of poor answers your simple question generated from commentators. First, you didn't say it was a book, you said it was an eBook. Anyone who hasn't yet figured out the difference shouldn't be answering questions. He (and in the case of a most notorious misinformation provider, she) should be asking them. An eBook, as anyone with half a brain knows, can run any length you want. It can have as many chapters as you want. It can sell for any price you want, assuming you're self-publishing it. It can be published in as many different digital formats and by as many different publishing aggregators as you want. The bottom line is that, if the subject matter has value to a reader, he'll buy it.

 

And, just for clarity's sake, you never called it a novel. You never referred to it as fiction, and you certainly never called it a book. You didn't ask if it qualified by industry definition as an adult book, a young adult book, or a novella. You asked how many chapters are in a 20,000-word eBookRead More 

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REPUBLISHING AN OUT-OF-PRINT BOOK

When a reader recently asked how to bring an out-of-print book back from the dead, even though there are still copies of it circulating around the Internet, I figured the answer would be reasonably straightforward. And then some other folks chimed in and gummed up the works. Here's how I cleared the air.

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For starters, I suggest you ignore two extremely poor answers you've received to this question so far. Following the advice of either could be damaging to your financial health. Besides, neither one really answers your question.

 

Part of the misinformation is due to the respondents' lack of knowledge and understanding of the situation, and part rests with you. Your failure to identify the author of this mystery book negates the opportunity for a down-and-dirty answer, necessitating a more complex look at the issue. Much more. Here's the real deal.

 

First, the fact that copies of the book are still floating around doesn't influence the book's in-print status. That can be determined only by the legal definition contained within the original publishing agreement between the author and the publisher. And, not surprisingly, that can be a very crooked line to walk.

 

Even though you may not have seen any new copies being sold by Amazon, B&N, or anyone else for years, or the book is listed as "out of print" somewhere, the publisher may still claim to have it available as a POD (Print on Demand) book in its catalog or backlist. That fact may support its contention that the book is still in print and, thus, under iuts control. It's a sticky wicket where the definition is concerned, and an attorney skilled in publishing matters may need to step in to reach a determination. Read More 

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MAKING YOUR BOOK UNIQUE

Have you ever wondered how you can create a unique book when it's eerily similar to another book that's already been written? Good question.

 

First, ignore the similar elements between your book and any other, and envision your story in your mind. Describe it to yourself. Fine-tune it. Flesh out the weak spots and trim the dead weight. Own it! Then, push the original story as far from your mind as possible. After all, there's a reason for the phrase, "There's nothing new under the sun." That applies to books as well as life in general. Get used to the fact that your book, no matter how unique you think it is, will be "similar" to another book or two or ten thousand in one way or another. So?

 

But, if you're still concerned someone may compare your work to a previous tome, emphasize the differences. After all, you're the author; you can write whatever you want. Be more detailed. Place your book in a different part of the world. Populate it with different characters, different places, different descriptive narrative, and different dialogue. Give your characters unique ethnic backgrounds. Set the story in a different time period. Use your own literary voice, of course, and not the other author's. (Which, I would hope, you're beyond temptation from doing anyway.) Read More 

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GREAT WRITERS AND GREAT EDITORS

Someone asked on a forum recently if great writers need great editors, and I couldn't help but chime in--if only to correct some of the ridiculous responses others had given her. Here's what I said:

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Do great writers need great editors? Some do; others don't. A truly "great writer," if you stop to think about it, doesn't need a "great editor," whose work would only be superfluous. Now, if you mean a tremendously popular writer or even a highly skilled writer, then I'd have to say it's likely that an editor would help. But, that would depend upon the writer's abilities and literary adeptness, as well as upon the editor.

 

Hemingway, although hugely popular in his day, would likely not have endured without a first-rate editor backing him up. Fitzgerald, ditto. Even J. K. Rowling, who I understand enjoys a certain amount of favor among readers these days, needs the help of talented editors: She's powerless without them.

 

As for one commentator suggesting to you that feedback by a group of writing peers is more valuable than that from individual professional editors--ridiculous! He may be thankful for everything his group taught him, but I'm not impressed. Anyone who scribbles out, "A writer can more quickly experiment and evolve their technique when they have multiple people reviewing and reacting," deserves some skepticism. Aside from the misplaced modifiers and failure of agreement between subject and verb in a single sentence, his logic is flawed. But that's another story. Read More 

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WHY ALL THE SELF-DOUBT?

I read an article the other day in The Writer magazine about why writers are so prone to self-doubt. It wasn't a bad article. It wasn't a good article. Mostly, it was a mediocre article, slanted to support the writer's hypothesis, slapped together with a modicum of research by someone who self-identifies as being a.) a female or someone who identifies with being a female, and b.) a writer with a life-long history of festering self-doubt. Not exactly the panache of Dana Lasch writing for the NRA on why guns don't commit crimes or Newt Gingrich espousing on why Nancy Pelosi is the first despot the House of Representatives has ever seen or even why Joe Biden believes the single greatest threat facing America today isn't crime or the economy or illegal immigration or even COVID-19 but White Supremecy. Come on, man!

 

So, although that article writer may not have nailed it, still, she's a writer all the same.

 

While the article was the typically flat, tepid fare for which The Writer (which hasn't published many articles of value to writers since I stopped contributing to them four decades ago—indulge me a little here, will you?) that we've come to expect, it started the wheels turning.

 

Why are writers so prone to self-doubt? Well, having been there and done that, I don't have to think that one through for very long. I penned my first "novel" more than half a century ago. I sweated bullets to finish that baby, doubting all along that it would ever happen. And, when I was done, I began sending it around for publication, doubting all along that it would ever happen.

 

Now, I don't mean I sent pitches for it to every Tom, Dick, and Doubleday I could find, I mean I dropped the whole damned thing in a Manilla envelope, addressed it, and mailed it toot suite, which I think is French for "SASE Enclosed." Read More 

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FAIR USE AND PHOTO COPYRIGHTS

Someone recently asked if she could use a copyrighted photograph of a deceased model taken by a deceased photographer in a magazine article exploring the model's murder. It's an interesting question. And it's one that every nonfiction writer faces eventually. So, what are the legalities involved here? This is how I responded:

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For starters, remember that U.S. copyrights extend throughout the lifetime of the copyright holder plus seventy years. After the copyright holder's death, those rights are passed along to the heirs who can sell them if they wish to a third party, such as a photo agency or a product developer.

 

Regardless, in this situation, at least, it appears as if the judicial concept of Fair Use is in force. If that's the case, you should be able to use the images for illustrative purposes in your magazine article, with a couple of caveats. According to the Website of the American Bar Association in referencing the right to fair use:

 

"The first thing that we need to know is that copyright protection does not protect factual information conveyed in the copyrighted work, meaning that publicizing the scores of a sporting event or other factual information such as injuries, retirement, and so forth is considered fair use and does not constitute copyright infringement. What helps to strengthen a fair use argument in a case not involving the use of mere factual information is the use of the copyrighted material for the purpose of legitimate news commentary. For example, when using a clip or photograph to report the results of a sporting event or other factual information, courts have regarded the use of copyrighted material as fair use when the use is (1) brief quotations only; (2) presented in a news report; and (3) presented in a newsreel or broadcast of a work located in the scene of an event being reported." Read More 

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