The curse of a perfectionist

[ascanius]

Do you have a web gallery? Link to your drawing? I'd love to see it.

I don't but I uploded some in the members gallery, and the rest are on the album on my profile. The latest one I'm not comfortable posting because I copied it from a photo, so not sure how the copyright thing works with that.

But most artists are their own worst critic.

Yes.

Well, I've found the best cure to revising a story ad infinitum is to submit it somewhere, where people will point out what really needs improving and what doesn't. I'm prone to correcting what's good by inserting what's bad - happens to me in exams, too ._.

I'm taking a break from that story. Gonna do some short stories and see if I can get my overall writing to be better. Start small and work my way to larger complexities.

 

[kennyc]

As far as copyright, as long as it is for your own use (e.g. not selling the original or prints etc) then it is no issue.

Thanks, will check your profile/gallery.

 

[Steerpike]

As far as copyright, as long as it is for your own use (e.g. not selling the original or prints etc) then it is no issue.

This is false. Copyright infringement does not require sale or commercial use.

Making a drawing from an existing image may have copyright issues. It's a fact-specific scenario depending upon the image you are talking about.

 

[kennyc]

Well, the fair use laws cover it. It is not blatantly false. I'm free to draw anything I want and there is nothing that can stop me. The copyright laws are about compensation, not usage.

I hate it when someone claims I'm Wrong and then says "there MAY be an issue" this is just ignorant.

There may not be an issue as well, and in fact it's extremely unlikely because it's likely unknown and is not worth the money to pursue.

In addition copyright is exactly what it says - COPIES - no drawings based on something else. It becomes a very grey area here, so to say drawing from a photograph is wrong or right is incorrect. Only the court can determine a specific case.

 

[Steerpike]

Well, the fair use laws cover it. It is not blatantly false. I'm free to draw anything I want and there is nothing that can stop me. The copyright laws are about compensation, not usage.

I hate it when someone claims I'm Wrong and then says "there MAY be an issue" this is just ignorant.

This is wrong again, and you shouldn't give legal advice when you have no idea what you are talking about, as is the case there. The Copyright laws in the U.S. are specifically directed to usage, not just compensation, which you can easily find out for yourself if you bother to read the Copyright Act prior to commenting on it. Non-commercial use does not equal Fair Use, either. In some cases, commercial uses can be Fair Use and Non-Commercial uses can be outside of Fair Use and thus infringement.

The problem with comments like yours, and why they need to be addressed, is people reading them on this site may mistakenly think you have some idea of what you are talking about and may actually act on your comments.

 

[Steerpike]

In the event you are interested in learning about this, you can start with 17 U.S.C. 106:

Subject to sections 107 through 122, the owner of copyright under
this title has the exclusive rights to do and to authorize any of
the following:

• (1) to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or
• phonorecords;
• (2) to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted
• work;
• (3) to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted
• work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by
• rental, lease, or lending;
• (4) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and
• choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other
• audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly;
• (5) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and
• choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or
• sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion
• picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted
• work publicly; and
• (6) in the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted
• work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.

You will notice, if you read carefully, that the right to distribute by sale is listed separately (and after) the right to reproduce the work. Which, of course, wouldn't be the case if you were correct in that non-sales or non-commercial uses are necessarily Fair Use. It is also separate from the right to produce derivative works, which is what is at issue in this particular instance.

Also, Fair Use is a highly fact-specific defense against infringement. To get there, you have to be within the literal scope of the copyright infringement laws. Advising someone to rely on Fair Use without a decent analysis of the works and exactly what they're doing with them is irresponsible. Multiple factors go into every Fair Use analysis.

 

[Steerpike]

In addition copyright is exactly what it says - COPIES - no drawings based on something else. It becomes a very grey area here, so to say drawing from a photograph is wrong or right is incorrect. Only the court can determine a specific case.

You keep adding to your ignorance, Kenny. A drawing based on an existing photograph is a derivative work. In fact, there have been cases on this very issue, ending in the artist being forced into a license or ceasing the activity. You should probably quit while you're less further behind than you're likely to be in a few minutes.

 

[Steerpike]

Now...I don't mind a tangent in a thread. In fact, I rather like them as a rule, because they lead to interesting conversations. However, in deference to the original topic, let's move back to that subject matter. I've already derailed the thread to correct a misconception (which I think is important), but the original poster also has an important issue at hand.

We can start a new thread specifically about Copyright and Fair Use if anyone is interested in knowing more, and I suspect we'll get a lot of input from people.

*moves thread back onto its tracks*

 

[kennyc]

This is wrong again, and you shouldn't give legal advice when you have no idea what you are talking ..
The problem with comments like yours, and why they need to be addressed, is people reading them on this site may mistakenly think you have some idea of what you are talking about and may actually act on your comments.

Nor should you. You are as ignorant as anyone.

 

[Steerpike]

Nor should you. You are as ignorant as anyone.

Again, if you'd like to take it up in a new thread, feel free. Move back to the original topic.

 

[kennyc]

Simply responding to your multiple 'off-topic' posts.

 

[Leif Notae]

To bring it back to the topic on hand:

PERFECT – The culmination of every bit of knowledge and skill you have to make something the best you can. This can shift from day to day.

PERFECTION – The inability to accept your project is perfect, so you must keep changing it until it achieves it.

PERFECT is everything you can do for that one day to make it your best. When you look back at it two years from now with your “hindsight goggles” on, you will see the flaws from a more learned point-of-view.

PERFECTION is the fear inside you that no matter what you do, it will never be perfect so why try to accept anything less. Because you never accept you are perfect today, and your perfect tomorrow might shift due to reality changing, you will never grow or learn but become stagnant in your ambition.

Don’t be a perfectionist. Accept this is your perfect moment, and the next one will be more perfect than the one before. Perfect applies over time, stretches over galaxies, and permeates every breath you take. You can get no better than where you are now, you are perfect.

 

[ascanius]

Hey just wanted to say Thank you everyone for the Advice. I've read through these posts and went back over some older ones with similar issues and have decided to put this WIP aside. I think, as a beginning writer, what I was working on was way too vast and complicated. I'm going to slow down and work on something small and my skills as a writer which have already been pointed out as needing work. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Steerpike]

Hey just wanted to say Thank you everyone for the Advice. I've read through these posts and went back over some older ones with similar issues and have decided to put this WIP aside. I think, as a beginning writer, what I was working on was way too vast and complicated. I'm going to slow down and work on something small and my skills as a writer which have already been pointed out as needing work. Thanks again for all the help.

Even setting aside issues of scope and complexity, sometimes just shifting focus to a new work will provide a breath of fresh air. You may even be struck with inspiration about your current work while you are doing so. Good luck.

 

[Kit]

How about some short stories using your world/characters? Good practice, and will also contribute to your future Great Novel.

 

[ascanius]

How about some short stories using your world/characters? Good practice, and will also contribute to your future Great Novel.

That's what I'm planning on doing. Short stories with the focus being fables and tales of heroes and what not. That way I can get some history, and culture figured out and practice with writing.

 

[Jess A]

That's what I'm planning on doing. Short stories with the focus being fables and tales of heroes and what not. That way I can get some history, and culture figured out and practice with writing.

I do this a lot. That's the stage I'm at now, to get me started. It certainly helps to work out the plot.

 

[Steerpike]

I do this a lot. That's the stage I'm at now, to get me started. It certainly helps to work out the plot.

If they're good, you can also publish them as an anthology.

 

[Jess A]

If they're good, you can also publish them as an anthology.

This is true and a good idea. A bit of work and short, background stories could certainly be anthology material. And these days, much of it goes onto the author's blog, I've noticed. Or their website. I do recall printing Sara Douglass's short stories and binding them into my own little book. They were freely available on her website.