The U.S. Constitition guarantees the the right of authors to make money off their intellectual property. In Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8, it says that the Congress has the power “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”
The first Congress came up with a law pretty quickly when it convened. While other issues remained on the back burner, they enacted the first Copyright law in 1790. That law has been reshaped over the years, primarily because people were living longer and the length of a vaild copyright was extended. Changing technology also had a role in changes to copyright law; it has been amended over time to keep up with the times. Revisions came in 1831, 1870, 1909 and 1976.
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In 1959 an American schoolgirl wrote to C. S. Lewis asking him for advice on the craft of writing. He sent her a list of eight rules, and I add my own editorial comments to each of them.
Ernest Hemingway was a powerful, original writer and anyone who puts words to paper can benefit from learning about his writing style.
It seems every writer has created a top 10 writing tips list. I have viewed dozens of these lists and compiled the best of the best for Christian writers. Collectively they contain valuable insight about the writing process.
New writers often ask how many words their book should contain. That answer is not as easy as it used to be. Times are changing and people are busier and attention spans seem to be shorter. The old norms no longer apply.
