On Plagiarism and Copyrights
I think, hope, that every credible author lives in mortal fear of inadvertent copyright infringement and plagiarism. I certainly would never willingly or knowingly steal someone else’s work, but there are those moments after writing a passage that I read back through it and think, “Hmmm, that’s familiar. Why?” After racking my brain, I finally realize that a newspaper article, a movie, or a TV commercial contained a particular phrase or concept. After deleting the errant passage, I start over, ever so careful to think it through in a way that is uniquely me and not someone else.
Like many authors I avoid reading similar works while I am trying to produce a manuscript. I can’t take the chance on another author’s writing voice influencing mine. If I were to sit down and read several Tom Clancy novels just before working on my next manuscript, I guarantee that my prose would look like Tom Clancy wrote it. Can’t do that. It is an imperative that when readers close the cover of my books for the final time, whether they love it or hate it, that they conclude, “Russell Overton wrote that.”
That is one reason I prefer the independent route to publishing. It is not great for sales or notoriety, but it preserves who I am as an author. I fear that the editorial staffs of the big publishing houses water down their authors’ prose so much that their voices get muffled in the process. Don’t get me wrong, if Random House approached me with a big-dollar contract I would seriously consider it. I’m just not actively courting them.
The editorial process is tricky. One must have editorial review, and it has to be done by people that can catch everything from spelling and grammatical errors to repeated words and phrases. Even with the best editorial efforts annoying problems can slip by undetected. A good editor will also catch voice issues that seem out of character for the author – a clear indicator of inadvertent plagiarism. An overzealous editor, however, can not only kill a writer’s style, but can turn a manuscript into his own work, a kind of reverse plagiarism.
I always look forward to the list of “banished words” published by Lake Superior State University. I have even submitted words to them to consider for banishment. Reading the list is a humorous exercise in observing linguistic decay, but it serves another more serious function. By identifying those words that have been culturally wrecked by “mis-use,” “over-use,” and “general uselessness” writers can strengthen their ability to keep their prose unique.
The most annoying occurrence is when I’ve written a passage, no one has read it or reviewed it, and it suddenly appears, nearly verbatim, in a movie, book, or other media outlet. There have been those moments when, if I hadn’t kept my manuscript so closely guarded, that I would have sued for copyright infringement. I then have to second guess myself, “Where did I get the idea?” Regardless, I have to go back and rewrite that passage.
Writing is fun and rewarding. It is a great way to let off steam and regenerate one’s spirit. If I feel like punching someone in the nose, I can do it without incurring any assault charges. If I feel like harassing Nazis I can do it without incurring the wrath of an idiotic president. Still, it is hard work. Carefully avoiding the Scylla and Charybdis of inadvertent plagiarism and copyright infringement requires a steady hand on the wheel.
https://www.bluewatertales.com
Like many authors I avoid reading similar works while I am trying to produce a manuscript. I can’t take the chance on another author’s writing voice influencing mine. If I were to sit down and read several Tom Clancy novels just before working on my next manuscript, I guarantee that my prose would look like Tom Clancy wrote it. Can’t do that. It is an imperative that when readers close the cover of my books for the final time, whether they love it or hate it, that they conclude, “Russell Overton wrote that.”
That is one reason I prefer the independent route to publishing. It is not great for sales or notoriety, but it preserves who I am as an author. I fear that the editorial staffs of the big publishing houses water down their authors’ prose so much that their voices get muffled in the process. Don’t get me wrong, if Random House approached me with a big-dollar contract I would seriously consider it. I’m just not actively courting them.
The editorial process is tricky. One must have editorial review, and it has to be done by people that can catch everything from spelling and grammatical errors to repeated words and phrases. Even with the best editorial efforts annoying problems can slip by undetected. A good editor will also catch voice issues that seem out of character for the author – a clear indicator of inadvertent plagiarism. An overzealous editor, however, can not only kill a writer’s style, but can turn a manuscript into his own work, a kind of reverse plagiarism.
I always look forward to the list of “banished words” published by Lake Superior State University. I have even submitted words to them to consider for banishment. Reading the list is a humorous exercise in observing linguistic decay, but it serves another more serious function. By identifying those words that have been culturally wrecked by “mis-use,” “over-use,” and “general uselessness” writers can strengthen their ability to keep their prose unique.
The most annoying occurrence is when I’ve written a passage, no one has read it or reviewed it, and it suddenly appears, nearly verbatim, in a movie, book, or other media outlet. There have been those moments when, if I hadn’t kept my manuscript so closely guarded, that I would have sued for copyright infringement. I then have to second guess myself, “Where did I get the idea?” Regardless, I have to go back and rewrite that passage.
Writing is fun and rewarding. It is a great way to let off steam and regenerate one’s spirit. If I feel like punching someone in the nose, I can do it without incurring any assault charges. If I feel like harassing Nazis I can do it without incurring the wrath of an idiotic president. Still, it is hard work. Carefully avoiding the Scylla and Charybdis of inadvertent plagiarism and copyright infringement requires a steady hand on the wheel.
https://www.bluewatertales.com
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