tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post271724025712518132..comments2024-03-18T21:16:14.441-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: R-r-r-revisions!Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13309389747763002782012-12-04T19:56:42.189-05:002012-12-04T19:56:42.189-05:00Lack of editing is probably the most common compla...Lack of editing is probably the most common complaint against self-published ebooks. And all those misspellings, grammar errors, repetitions, contradictions,etc. that could be caught easily by a decent editor are often a give-away that an ebook is self-published. But it’s errors in books published by big five houses that burn me. I’m tempted to name names. Top authors, industry gurus. Major NYC publishers. The errors are shocking, assaults on the readers’ sensibilities and insults to the author. <br />How can self-respecting publishers let formatting code slip through as text? Even if no one bothers to take a last look before hitting “send,” they could still make corrections when readers bring problems to their attention. Ebooks are written in e-ink, not stone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74317227071157280942012-12-04T00:58:22.524-05:002012-12-04T00:58:22.524-05:00Okay, yeah. That was supposed to be funny.Right. B...Okay, yeah. That was supposed to be funny.Right. Because I can't type anymore. xoxoMaureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70851843803549301292012-12-04T00:55:37.140-05:002012-12-04T00:55:37.140-05:00Judy, I don't know what a big box store is. I&...Judy, I don't know what a big box store is. I'd never heard the term before reading a recent JRW blog.<br /><br />Hank, I learned how to type in grad school by playing a Mac typing tutor game. I can't type anymore, but the good thing is that my disability forced me to try out different speech to text programs. The one that is built into the iMac is fantastic. I love it, and it makes writing books possible for me now. It's much faster than typing, for me at least.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-8871311790578737852012-12-03T23:37:13.720-05:002012-12-03T23:37:13.720-05:00Yup, Judy. I simply never learned to type. In typi...Yup, Judy. I simply never learned to type. In typing class, instead of touch typing, I'd memorize the paragraph, then look at the keys.<br /><br />And I think my brain goes faser than my fingers can.<br /><br />Oh, my gosh--it's one of the few decisions in life I regret. xoxo But if that's as bad as it gets, I guess that's okay.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-11830693463808870562012-12-03T23:09:19.841-05:002012-12-03T23:09:19.841-05:00I like revising after my beta reader (grad school ...I like revising after my beta reader (grad school prof who has remained friend and mentor for 40 years) reads what I write and points out that obvious. But I had problems with my editor in Wales--she didn't get some Americanisms--like big-box store. My newest title is Trouble in a Big Box, and she thought it mean a large package. I'm like Hank--fast but lots of typos.judyalterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13767466505891813090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69398382874651011512012-12-03T19:19:10.508-05:002012-12-03T19:19:10.508-05:00A few years ago I read a mystery in which one char...A few years ago I read a mystery in which one character is described as leaving either her home or her place of employment (I can no longer remember which), getting into her car and driving to an appointment. The scene then shifted to somewhere else and some other characters. Then the story picks up again with the woman arriving at her appointment all flustered and out of breath - because when she left her house (or office) her car was not out on the street where she left it, she didn't have time to call the police and so she had to walk to the appointment!Deb Romanonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30061811153503020512012-12-03T18:38:07.163-05:002012-12-03T18:38:07.163-05:00I'm lucky to have two editors who definitely e...I'm lucky to have two editors who definitely edit. They make whatever I've written much better. They catch errors in logic and plot holes that zipped right by me. <br /><br />When I'm reading what annoys me is the past perfect tense not being used when it's needed. I also get a little crazy when pronouns are used and I can't tell which he or she did what. The latter happens a lot in the novels of a certain prolific thriller writer (male) who I won't name to protect the guilty--so much that I've stopped reading his books. Sofie Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830230500527705589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7023599744621919012012-12-03T13:40:11.700-05:002012-12-03T13:40:11.700-05:00"Please address"? I love that! I have a..."Please address"? I love that! I have a few of my own, but I can't wait to use that in my next mystery.Michele Drierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06944263184981732147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77581204824085000062012-12-03T13:18:20.459-05:002012-12-03T13:18:20.459-05:00Yes we did have that discussion Rhys!
Jack, you? ...Yes we did have that discussion Rhys!<br /><br />Jack, you? Rope a dope? Never!<br /><br />Leslie, love the home fires!!!<br /><br />Hank and Kaye, really, have you lost your minds? more holiday cards? i send you all, each and every one, my love and best holiday wishes right here and how...xoxo LucyLucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65715980196376907702012-12-03T13:08:42.058-05:002012-12-03T13:08:42.058-05:00Dishwashers? I load them, John re-loads everything...Dishwashers? I load them, John re-loads everything according to his theories. Or...he rinses things off so completely that I'm not sure if they are clean or dirty.<br /><br />Didn't we just have a discussion on little things our partners do that could lead to divorce or murder?Rhys Bowennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-92031856922998271332012-12-03T13:05:56.725-05:002012-12-03T13:05:56.725-05:00Oh my goodness, this post is hilarious! What have...Oh my goodness, this post is hilarious! What have I encountered? I definitely feel everyone's pain with "comma-itis" and the hyphen problem. I tend to hyphen as well, and my editors slap me each time.<br /><br />My issue is when I'm referring to a Justice of the Supreme Court and the editor makes ALL of my "J"s lowercase. Leslie can understand my annoyance with that as I write legal thrillers (so there are a LOT). In many cases the j would be lowercase, but most people don't realize that when we are talking about the US Supreme Court, it's a whole different ballgame. Being an attorney myself, I have to have that right! My eyes still shake with exhaustion after the last go 'round and that was back in June.<br /><br />A funny recent editorial faux pas occurred during my latest book, "Advice and Consent." In one scene I had a Boston cop say "wicked pissah" just to be silly. The editor highlighted it immediately and said that she had no idea what the phrase meant so perhaps I should consider removing it. <br /><br />Ummmmm?J.R. Reardonhttp://www.jrreardon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47755308610528265952012-12-03T13:04:41.984-05:002012-12-03T13:04:41.984-05:00OH whoa, TYPOS. Thanks, DebRo for catching.
h rya...OH whoa, TYPOS. Thanks, DebRo for catching.<br /><br />h ryan at whdh dot com<br /><br />yeesh<br /><br />Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62417831329935115232012-12-03T12:46:39.847-05:002012-12-03T12:46:39.847-05:00Hank...yesterday the email address you gave had on...Hank...yesterday the email address you gave had one less "h" in it than the one you gave today. I sent an email to yesterday's address. I hope it was the correct one! (Did you do this on purpose?!)<br /><br />Lines and lines of dialogue with no indication of which character is doing the speaking can be exasperating. And like others, I have noticed that occasionally the spelling of a character's name changes. I saw that in a book I just finished reading. There are a couple of ways to spell the name, and once or twice the alternate spelling was used.<br /> Sometimes I will read a book in which the wrong character's name is used. I like to think that the author, like a parent, has called the person by another character's name. But I don't know why it got past the editor! Maybe the editor is so good at understanding what the writer meant that he or she never noticed!<br /><br />Our local library puts out a calendar of events on a monthly basis. A few years ago the library sponsored a "Red Cross infant and child choking training session"! I wonder if the police showed up!<br /><br />And a local Chinese restaurant featured a dish that was recommended "for spicy lovers"!<br /><br />No time to check for my own errors; lunch break is almost over!Deb Romanonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71959803845398093302012-12-03T10:50:02.286-05:002012-12-03T10:50:02.286-05:00Diane, Chinese restaurant menus! Too funny! I felt...Diane, Chinese restaurant menus! Too funny! I felt really sad when my fav local cafe changed its menu and offered home fries instead of home fires. Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-72144810958914691952012-12-03T10:47:38.610-05:002012-12-03T10:47:38.610-05:00I share an editor with Peg/Meg, and she has promis...I share an editor with Peg/Meg, and she has promised me edits for Christmas. Sure hope I've been good!<br /><br />Best Typo Ever (tie): 1) a discovery response saying "objection, calls for legal confusion" (instead of 'legal conclusion'); 2) a student moot court brief submitted to the Supreme Court of the Untied States of America. (Happily, these were typos I received, not ones I made!)Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7183381446672967002012-12-03T10:31:11.138-05:002012-12-03T10:31:11.138-05:00And our blog pals at Crime Writers Chronicle did a...And our blog pals at Crime Writers Chronicle did a pretty funny interview with me--come leave a comment there and be entered to win THE OTHER WOMAN!<br /><br />http://crimewriters.blogspot.com/2012/12/hank-phillipi-ryan-crime-writer-par.html?showComment=1354464158715#c4649556505465908774Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-6765945120773729472012-12-03T10:30:10.610-05:002012-12-03T10:30:10.610-05:00And don't forget--we figured this out yesterda...And don't forget--we figured this out yesterday late in the comments for Oh, Kaye!, so FYI:<br /><br />We're dong a holiday card list! Send your address to me, h hryan at wndh dot com if you want a list of addresses. Put JRW cars in the subject line.<br /><br />NO PRESSURE! And no deadlines for sending cards. January is good.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36371517516184178582012-12-03T10:28:26.004-05:002012-12-03T10:28:26.004-05:00Dear Jack: More I cannot reveal.
xxoDear Jack: More I cannot reveal.<br /><br />xxoHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-6799237517435204822012-12-03T10:18:05.415-05:002012-12-03T10:18:05.415-05:00I love editing. So much more fun than the actual w...I love editing. So much more fun than the actual writing part and, for me, a lot less pressure! As for "please address'? OMG, I gotta use that at home, too. Let's see if it actually works, though.Terri Herman-Poncehttp://terriponce.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20100733024371651712012-12-03T10:14:51.700-05:002012-12-03T10:14:51.700-05:00As an editor (and writer), it's a real pleasur...As an editor (and writer), it's a real pleasure to work with a manuscript that needs only "a lick and a promise" as far as line edits go. That way, I can really focus on the bigger questions of story line, character development and such. As a reader, typos are the most annoying thing; they tend to walk up and slap me. I am no fun with the menus at Chinese restaurants...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117814963944628355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91735613753004474452012-12-03T09:50:40.988-05:002012-12-03T09:50:40.988-05:00Being SO new to this whole thing and having writte...Being SO new to this whole thing and having written my very first novel ever, I have to say I do not love the revision process. BUT - I love how much better my story is after each round of revisions. So, I guess I have to say I don't like revising, but I love having revised. (with ONE more round of revisions yet to go. But that's it. ONE more)<br />Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47635365841934146622012-12-03T09:45:24.675-05:002012-12-03T09:45:24.675-05:00Jack, it's called "division of labor.&quo...Jack, it's called "division of labor." My husband's excuse for not putting dishes in the dishwasher is that he never knows if they are clean or dirty.<br /><br />Reine, my writer's group used to refer to the endless dialogue passages as "talking heads," and the miles and miles of explanation as "info dump." Both unacceptable!<br /><br />Nancy M, still cackling over "high dungeon." :-)Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62179172328523621932012-12-03T09:38:34.878-05:002012-12-03T09:38:34.878-05:00What is it about dishwashers that make women act h...What is it about dishwashers that make women act helpless? My wife can drive a truck, use an electric trimmer, and run a successful small business, but no way she knows how to put a clean glass back in the cupboard. Have I fallen victim to the old "rope-a-dope?"Jack Getzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09516237388744739669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15326383876858584972012-12-03T09:25:22.970-05:002012-12-03T09:25:22.970-05:00I am clearly an example of the old adage that one ...I am clearly an example of the old adage that one cannot edit one's own work! :-)Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2663207027432239492012-12-03T09:09:29.864-05:002012-12-03T09:09:29.864-05:00Right now I'm deep in edits for Laced With Poi...Right now I'm deep in edits for Laced With Poison, the second in my Sweet Nothings series, and my editor,Faith, did a splendid job of finding all the missed opportunities not to mention downright inconsistencies!Peg Cochran/Meg Londonhttp://wwww.pegcochran.com/www.meglondon.comnoreply@blogger.com