About Christine
Christine Rowlands is a writer and editor in the Vancouver, BC area.-
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Author Archives: maikopunk
Cooks Source learns public lesson about Internet, public domain and copyright, sort of
The Cooks Source story that exploded on the web this past week is one of victory for every writer whose work has ever been plagiarized. It started when Monica, a food writer, discovered that a previously published article she had … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Publishing, Writing
Tagged Cooks Source, copyright, infringement, Internet, Judith Griggs, plagiarism, public domain
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If it sounds like writing, rewrite, says Elmore Leonard
Like all advice, these rules for writing should be taken with a grain of salt. And then only from the writers you actually like: Ten rules for writing fiction. I’m trying to particularly follow the oft-mentioned one about turning off … Continue reading
Call a proofreader next time
CBC News – British Columbia – Carr statue unveiling marred by bronzed typo. News of an unveiling of a statue dedicated to Emily Carr, a famous BC artist known for her paintings of West Coast forests and coastal villages, got … Continue reading
Posted in Editing, Grammar, Language, Literary, Writing
Tagged British Columbia, emily carr statue, proofreader, typo, victoria
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On the decline of paper and the survival of print
As someone who started out with dreams of a career in book publishing, I’ve lately been watching the e-publishing phenomenon with interest. One thing is clear: as much as I love printed books, they have become nostalgic souvenirs for many … Continue reading
Speechless
Or silenced: the BC government cuts off funding to the Association of BC Book Publishers, the BC Association of Magazine Publishers, and the long-running publication BC Bookworld. Is the BC Arts Council, which provides funding to many publishers, far behind? … Continue reading
Posted in Literary, Publishing
Tagged ABCBP, arts cuts, BC Bookworld, BCAMP, books and magazines, British Columbia, rant, writers
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Highlights of Word on the Street Vancouver
Word on the Street Vancouver is one of my favourite literary/book geek events of the year. For one day, publishers, writers, zine and comic makers, schools, and associations come out to read, promote their newest works, and sell some backlist … Continue reading
Posted in Literary, Publishing
Tagged books and magazines, comics, events, fairs, festivals, Vancouver, word on the street, yarnbombing, zines
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Friday afternoon crush: Kirby
Kirby Ferguson, also known as Goodie Bag, is a mad genius. His videoblog/monologues may not all be work-safe viewing, but they’re brilliant nonetheless. Some of my favourites that I’ll share with you: Trajan is the Movie Font: A rant on … Continue reading
Hug a book, it’s International Literacy Day
As the kids get back to school (aaah, sweet nostalgia from this former school nerd), perhaps some of the adults in this country might want to think about joining them. A new Literacy Map of Canada, based on an extensive … Continue reading
OK, what’s in the other hand?
After an outcry by arts groups, mainly by Vancouver’s wonderful Alliance for Arts and Culture, it seems that the government types have reinstated the approximately $20 million in funding that only days ago they threatened to pull. Not surprisingly, spokespersons … Continue reading
Posted in Off Topic
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We’re not gonna take it
I have a bad habit of watching/reading the news in the morning. Today is Budget Day in the province formerly known as Beautiful British Columbia, and the preview announcements of cuts, cuts and more cuts are enough to send a … Continue reading
City of interns
One of my favourite Seinfeld episodes was on last night, the one where Kramer gets a intern. Kramer’s intern serves “Kramerica Enterprises” by setting up coffee shop trips with Jerry (“Do you need directions, Mr. Seinfeld?”) and assembling chicken wire. … Continue reading
Opposing thoughts on a creative career
Admittedly, I’ve not been feeling rah-rah-rah about the writing/editing game lately. But this post came along just in time to provide some motivation: Five Opposing Thoughts on an Art Career. I hope it picks you up, too.
Stuff costs money
I don’t normally post links to YouTube videos, but I was sent this one today and found it cathartic: The Vendor-Client Relationship. Lady getting highlights: “It’s just a test … then if my husband likes it you can roll the … Continue reading
Kerouac’s Rules for Spontaneous Prose
Here is one my favourite resources/inspirational thingies. I used to keep this list pinned up over my desk (but then I moved and took it down and didn’t put it back up again). Here they are, for you (my favourite … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
2 Comments
The Twit stops here
For the last couple weeks, it seems like you can’t open an ear without hearing “Twitter” or “Tweet” or some variation on “follow.” Celebrities (or at least their social-media assistants) are competing to get the most followers. Newscasters tell me … Continue reading
Word of the day: awesome
My friend Rob sent me a link to the blog My First Dictionary. It’s gloriously dark and ironic. Rob is awesome.
Proactiveness
My two favourite stops to look for freelance writing and editing job leads each morning are Freelance Writing Jobs, a network site out of the US with a daily list of leads culled from from the web, and Canadian Freelance … Continue reading
Don’t stop believin’
From time to time, you can get a little blue about the prospects. You wonder if you’ll ever be hire to write or edit anything again, ever. You apply for things day after day after day, and never hear back. … Continue reading
Posted in Business
Tagged confidence, freelancing, job hunting, proposals, self-esteem
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Why you shouldn’t write custom samples to get a writing job
I found a link to this discussion board that illustrates very starkly both why you should be skeptical of very low-paying ads for writers on Craigslist, and why you shouldn’t write samples specifically for a job unless you know who … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Writing
Tagged dubious job ads, job hunting, samples, scam, warning
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Celebrate good grammar
I was alerted that yesterday, March 4, was National Grammar Day. I didn’t mark the holiday by doing anything special (like a grammar rodeo). Nonetheless, the website for National Grammar Day contains enough links to grammar-oriented blogs, grammar tips, and … Continue reading
