AMEN!

If you want the whole story...read this.

If you want what I consider to be the best lines of the whole thing, they're here:

 . . . we should recognise the fundamental role that property rights play in the making of cultural things. Compared to the exciting rhetoric of the need for everything to be free, that might seem unglamorous, unromantic, and indeed hard‐hearted. But it may be all of those things and yet still be a better road for our society to take.

Do not be misled by claims of high principle in this debate. When someone tells you content wants to be free, what you should hear is ‘I want your content for free ’ – and that is not the same thing at all.

EXACTLY.

I am fed up with "brave new worldists"--many of whom have never written an original word in their lives--crowing about "content wanting to be free." That's just a polite way of saying  that they think they should be allowed to harvest freely  from MY creativity and MY work without giving me either credit or compensation for it.

In other words, they simply want to take whatever they want, whether it's theirs or not.

The way I was raised...that's called STEALING.

It still is.

The key to changing and arresting this deplorable situation is in not backing down--in being brave enough to align ourselves with people strong enough, and principled enough, to slap these people's little hands and force them to stop.

Thoughts?
Janny

Great Rejoicing Throughout the Land!

First of all, a buddy of mine has a new book! Search for the Madonna, by Donna Alice Patton, is cause for rejoicing on more than one front. Donna is not only a buddy but a faithful, persistent writer with tons of talent and it's a pleasure to see her succeed. Go there! Pick up the book! Tell your friends!

(There, was that subtle enough?)

Second, yours truly will be starting a great summer gig over at Chapter One starting on Wednesday nights in June. Yes, ladies and gentlemen...Ms. Mentor returns :-), with her ever-popular workshop, "12 Weeks to Submission." All the information you need to bring your work from rough idea, or rough draft, to ready to submit--in just 12 easy weeks. How can you go wrong?

Answer: You can't.

Seriously, the first time we did this workshop--which is years and years ago now, in Mentor Place--we drew 20+ people for each week's session, in the height of summer, when people have 100 more appealing things to do than sit in front of their computers...so you know they got something of value from it. AND we ended up with 6 people who actually submitted their stuff that August who said without a doubt that they wouldn't have been doing so without the shop "urging them on."

So there you have it. Spend your summer peeling, or spend it writing and submitting. Actually, you could do both--because the workshops are at 9 PM Eastern, which gives you plenty of outdoor time beforehand. The best of both worlds, no? Read Donna Alice's book on the beach, get your tan, and then come inside and work on your own success...

And yes, I'm pumped about it. So I hope to see YOU there.  Chapter One chat room, with your hostess, Shirley Flanagan, starting Wednesday night, June 2!

BE THERE!

Janny

Dahlings, I love you all....

...but I've just been through two weeks of deadline hell at the day job, and I'm too pooped to pucker!
Watch this space...I promise, I AM writing something and will put it up soon.

Janny