The Importance of Self-Renewal

Japanese koi, or brocaded carp, are beloved around the world for their lovely colors and peaceful disposition. Most ornamental ponds in Japan have a resident koi population, and the most attractive specimens can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.   Koi are merely a species of carp, and the lovely colors we see in curated ponds are mostly the result of care and maintenance by attentive human breeders. Writing is much the same. Any human in possession of basic education can read and write. We make words, and tell stories, as a part of our daily lives. Ask any kindergarten child to

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If it’s Thursday, it Must be … Santa Monica Barnes & Noble!

I’m in Los Angeles on book tour for the newest Shinobi Mystery, FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER Fortunately, I’ll have the chance to share some tales from Japan at tonight’s reading and signing– Thursday, July 30 at 7pm at the Barnes & Noble on 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. (1201 3rd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401) If you’re in the area, and available, I hope you’ll join us – everyone is welcome!

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When All the Hats are Yours – by L.J. Cohen

Today, please welcome my friend (and critique partner), L.J. Cohen, author of numerous novels and series including the YA Contemporary novel FUTURE TENSE, the SciFi series Halcyone Space: DERELICT and ITHAKA RISING, and the YA Fantasy series Changeling’s Choice: THE BETWEEN and TIME AND TITHE.  Now, three and a half years later, I have just published my 5th novel. One of my books has sold nearly 10,000 copies and spent much of last summer on the Amazon best seller lists. So am I a breakout success? That entirely depends on what you consider a success. By the ‘can you support your family on your art’ metric, no. But very few

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Finding Perspective in the Gates

Stop comparing your whole life to someone else’s curated joy. A dramatic message on a blog where I offer few absolutes, but if you read only one sentence from me today, it should be that one. Last month I spent a day at Fushimi Inari shrine outside Kyoto. People often ask me “how it was” — and I have a variety of enthusiastic answers on tap, but the truth is, I went up the mountain and came back changed. Passing through them feels like walking a sacred tunnel. Or how they appear from the other side. Writing and life are like that, too. Nobody’s

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Joy and Gratitude…and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Last week I flew to Denver to celebrate the release of Flask of the Drunken Master and to attend an event hosted by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers–a summer get-together at which RMFW announced its 2015 Writer of the Year. (Spoiler alert: It’s…me–although I didn’t know it in advance.) I was honored to be a finalist along with talented authors Cindi Myers and Joan Johnston–a truly talented pair of New York Times Bestselling Authors.  Then, I was startled, humbled, and honored to be named the 2015 Writer of the Year–and not only because the award itself is so important (though it is). I’ve never been

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Copyright Ownership in Derivative Works

Under U.S. Copyright law, “derivative works” are creative works based on a pre-existing work (either copyrighted or in the public domain) which incorporates elements of the original along with new elements, concepts, or ideas. Sequels, unrelated works based in a pre-existing created world, film scripts, and radio plays are all examples of derivative works.  The copyright owner of the original work has the exclusive, discretionary right to create or authorize derivative works. Unlicensed derivative works made during the copyright term of the original–including fanfic–are copyright infringement. Many people are surprised to learn that fanfic which simply copies the characters and situations from someone else’s copyrighted work is copyright infringement, because so

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An Interview With A.F.E. Smith

Please welcome A.F.E. Smith, author of the newly-released fantasy novel DARKHAVEN (Harper Voyager, July 2015): Ayla Nightshade never wanted to rule Darkhaven. But her half-brother Myrren – true heir to the throne – hasn’t inherited their family gift, forcing her to take his place. When this gift leads to Ayla being accused of killing her father, Myrren is the only one to believe her innocent. Does something more sinister than the power to shapeshift lie at the heart of the Nightshade family line? Now on the run, Ayla must fight to clear her name if she is ever to wear

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Brewers, Moneylenders, Ninjas, and Priests…**

My third Shinobi Mystery, Flask of the Drunken Master, released on Tuesday.** Writers of mystery series get attached to our protagonists, and I love the time I spend with Hiro and Father Mateo. But it’s not just the detectives I’ve grown to love. Some of the secondary characters have become good friends of mine as well, and one nice thing about series fiction is that I have the chance to explore those other characters’ lives (and torment them…) from time to time. In Flask, I bring back several favorite characters from earlier books in the series. Many readers have asked to know more about Ginjiro, his daughter

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Beware of Derivative “Inspiration”

Authors often ask me about the legality of using other works as “inspiration” for creative works–not just “fanfic” but also works intended to stand alone. The short answer is that while the “building blocks of fiction”–macro-level concepts like “wizards” and “talking animals” can’t be copyrighted, an author’s interpretation of those concepts, and creative worlds an author builds, are subject to copyright. Using another author’s characters, worlds, or creative flourishes without permission is often copyright infringement (if done without permission and prior to expiration of the copyright term). Use of copyrightable portions of another author’s creative works–either by copying or by using them for “close

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