how to write inverted seventh chords properly

[dveej]

Can anyone tell me if there is a rule for writing inverted seventh chords so that they don't look all weird? I am talking about what side the note head should go on, with the notes of the chord stemmed together or with a chord made of whole notes. Also, how should one place accidentals in a chord in which some intervals are seconds or thirds? Isn't there some kind of rule that an accidental should occupy the interval of a fifth from top to bottom?
I have searched all kinds of search engines, looked at my music harmony textbooks, searched Wikipedia, but can't find anything that deals with musical calligraphy or music copying or writing seventh chord inversions. Where should I go to find out how to write or copy music by hand? Anyone know of any good books?
I am spoiled by my music notation software, and have forgotten or never learned how to write properly.
Thanks for any help.

[greyrune]

Put the note head on the right of the main chord if the stalk (don't know if it has a proper term) is going upward, and on the left if it's going down.  As for accidental i have no idea what this fifth rule thing is, i'd just put them wherever it looks nicest.  If you have three on three lines for instance then put the top two close to the notes and the one in the middle out to the left of it.  Just as long as it doesn't look too corwded you'll be fine.

[abell88]

Here's an answer that was given on another board to a somewhat similar question about accidentals;

"the highest accidental required on any inversion of a triad is placed closest to the notes, the lowest one required is placed a little farther from the notes, and if all 3 notes require accidentals, the one for the middle note is placed the farthest to the left.

This means that, if only the two bottom notes require accidentals, the sign for the middle note of the triad is closest to the notes, but if all 3 notes require accidentals, the one for the middle note is placed the farthest from the notes."

I guess you can look at some printed music for height of the accidentals.

The problem of note-heads in an inverted 7th chord is that two notes are a second apart, so one of them must be drawn backwards (on the "wrong side" ) of the stem. I think the upper of the two notes is drawn wrong for stem-up chords, and the lower of the two for stem downs, but that's just based on what looks right to me.

[dveej]

Well, I looked it up in this book (which I don't completely trust) on music copying, and it said that if the stem points up, then the higher of the two notes in the second is on the right of the stem; and if the stem points down, then the lower of the two notes of the second is on the left of the stem.
But it says nothing at all about seventh chords consisting entirely of whole notes. I guess they look good no matter how you write them; but it would be nice to have a rule to rely on. I will keep looking. Don't lose sleep over this! 

[thalberg]

 Do it on Finale!! Then you won't have to worry.

[dveej]

Right, Thalberg, but I'll be taking an exam in which they don't provide computers with which to write the responses to the exam questions.

[abell88]

I asked my son's piano teacher, who is an RCM theory marker...he says it really doesn't matter, as long as it's clearly written...the RCM will accept anything reasonable  -- in fact, he says they're a lot less picky than some teachers.