editing question -- help! - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T23:55:44Zhttp://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:42174?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A42428&feed=yes&xn_auth=noIt must have been a very big…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-30:537324:Comment:449912007-05-30T12:39:02.116ZBill Cameronhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/bcameron
It must have been a very big fish, even for a small chic party.
It must have been a very big fish, even for a small chic party. Hey Anne, I read this thread…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-29:537324:Comment:449152007-05-29T22:55:35.850ZMarta Stephenshttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Samharper2
Hey Anne, I read this thread and have to agree with all the good advice you were given. Everyone is right on the mark. You used the correct contraction for "that was" and “that is.”<br />
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Something else to consider is the character's voice.<br />
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Speech is a key component of characterization. While some characters (and most people) use contractions, if you may want to depict another character as having a more formal form of speech, you wouldn’t use contractions.<br />
<br />
I have two characters in my book who say…
Hey Anne, I read this thread and have to agree with all the good advice you were given. Everyone is right on the mark. You used the correct contraction for "that was" and “that is.”<br />
<br />
Something else to consider is the character's voice.<br />
<br />
Speech is a key component of characterization. While some characters (and most people) use contractions, if you may want to depict another character as having a more formal form of speech, you wouldn’t use contractions.<br />
<br />
I have two characters in my book who say "ya" instead of "you" and drop the "g" from “ing” words such as, somethin', wantin', doin', etc. Whatever you decide for your characters' speech is fine as long as you are consistent.<br />
<br />
Marta Excuse me, but have you met a…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-26:537324:Comment:440372007-05-26T04:05:07.590ZKaryn J. Powershttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/karyning
Excuse me, but have you met an original Duke of Hazard? Three years in a row? Was your sister's dog winged during hunting season cuz, he's large, brown and plays with last year's racks? Did you learn physics by slamming two station wagons together while your brother was studing for his drivers test next to you? If I lay out tie downs, come alongs, skirts, and sandbags on your front lawn would you be able to jugde the f strength of the tornado in the next county and still make it to the shelter…
Excuse me, but have you met an original Duke of Hazard? Three years in a row? Was your sister's dog winged during hunting season cuz, he's large, brown and plays with last year's racks? Did you learn physics by slamming two station wagons together while your brother was studing for his drivers test next to you? If I lay out tie downs, come alongs, skirts, and sandbags on your front lawn would you be able to jugde the f strength of the tornado in the next county and still make it to the shelter in time?<br />
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And meth is too hard on the kids. We've all moved to making Cheese (Tylenol PM & Black tar H) It's addictive, isn't it? I r…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-22:537324:Comment:428492007-05-22T06:20:49.776ZDaniel Hatadihttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/danielhatadi
It's addictive, isn't it? I remembered it because I put a <a href="http://danielhatadi.blogspot.com/2006/09/danny-hawaii-live-on-thrilling.html">story</a> of mine through it once.
It's addictive, isn't it? I remembered it because I put a <a href="http://danielhatadi.blogspot.com/2006/09/danny-hawaii-live-on-thrilling.html">story</a> of mine through it once. haha!
i love bill cameron's b…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-22:537324:Comment:428102007-05-22T02:07:32.334ZAnne Frasierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/annefrasier
haha!<br />
i love bill cameron's blog: reckon'in wif mah hide. :D<br />
<br />
here's my latest blog post:<br />
<br />
post-its an' editin'<br />
ah jest received th' copyedit fo' GOD an' ah have t'say ah doesn't knows how ah evah lived wifout Post-its.<br />
Here's whut wawks amazin'ly fine fo' me:<br />
<br />
ah read through th' entire manuscripp, an' eff'n ah cain't make a decishun in 60 seconds on a copyedito''s quesshun o' sumpin ah reckon needs t'be tweaked ah slap down a post-it an' move on, as enny fool kin plainly see. Once th'…
haha!<br />
i love bill cameron's blog: reckon'in wif mah hide. :D<br />
<br />
here's my latest blog post:<br />
<br />
post-its an' editin'<br />
ah jest received th' copyedit fo' GOD an' ah have t'say ah doesn't knows how ah evah lived wifout Post-its.<br />
Here's whut wawks amazin'ly fine fo' me:<br />
<br />
ah read through th' entire manuscripp, an' eff'n ah cain't make a decishun in 60 seconds on a copyedito''s quesshun o' sumpin ah reckon needs t'be tweaked ah slap down a post-it an' move on, as enny fool kin plainly see. Once th' manuscripp is done it might corntain 150 Post-its. Th' second time through ah jest read th' flagged stuff. This hyar allers me t'completely focus on th' problem, dawgone it. ah can usually make a decishun in less than a minute, an' is able t'remove th' sticker. Eff'n not, ah leave it an' by th' time ah's finished wif thet roun' ah usually haf aroun' 20 Post-its lef'. Repeat th' previous trick an' thet usually takes care of them all, ah reckon. I've used this hyar method fo' th' last three books an' ah's still amazed by how fine it wawks.<br />
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I've also had this hyar copyedito' befo'e an' she's excellent. Wif some copyedito's yo' might spend a lot of time tryin' t'decide eff'n sumpin is wo'th fightin' fo', but thar's none of thet gwine on hyar, which makes th' process purdy painless.<br />
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oh, I've added a link t'th' previous post in case ennybody be hankerin' t'watch th' video about th' li'l pop-up trailers. Forget about the editing. Jus…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-22:537324:Comment:428012007-05-22T01:35:08.733ZDaniel Hatadihttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/danielhatadi
Forget about the editing. Just use the Redneck Dialectizer. Here's an <a href="http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/dialectp.cgi?dialect=redneck&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannefrasier.blogspot.com%2F">example</a>.<br />
<br />
It's messy, but if you click on Dialectize and scroll down some, you'll see a fine story by one Henrietta Frasier!
Forget about the editing. Just use the Redneck Dialectizer. Here's an <a href="http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/dialectp.cgi?dialect=redneck&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannefrasier.blogspot.com%2F">example</a>.<br />
<br />
It's messy, but if you click on Dialectize and scroll down some, you'll see a fine story by one Henrietta Frasier! oh, how confusing! that was m…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-21:537324:Comment:426702007-05-21T14:55:49.284ZAnne Frasierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/annefrasier
oh, how confusing! that was my initial feeling -- that it must not be a contraction for that was at all. either way, my narrative is basically character thought, so i'm hoping the original works for most people. I do recall one CE putting a large portion of my narrative in italics because it was one step away from direct thought. A copy editor is a one more person reading the material, and that's always a good thing. I really appreciate when a CE goes beyond the basics to point out something…
oh, how confusing! that was my initial feeling -- that it must not be a contraction for that was at all. either way, my narrative is basically character thought, so i'm hoping the original works for most people. I do recall one CE putting a large portion of my narrative in italics because it was one step away from direct thought. A copy editor is a one more person reading the material, and that's always a good thing. I really appreciate when a CE goes beyond the basics to point out something she didn't understand, or something I dropped too quickly without enough clarification. not all copy editors do that. Bear in mind that the author…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-21:537324:Comment:426182007-05-21T04:06:25.208ZJoy Calderwoodhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Dragonlily
Bear in mind that the author may be talking to his audience, which would make it dialog, in a way. I go by how far the author, as a storyteller, is distancing himself. In general, a distant voice will be more formal. Talking about fiction, of course.
Bear in mind that the author may be talking to his audience, which would make it dialog, in a way. I go by how far the author, as a storyteller, is distancing himself. In general, a distant voice will be more formal. Talking about fiction, of course. Her favorite superhero was Th…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-21:537324:Comment:426152007-05-21T03:47:35.133ZCornelia Readhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/corneliaread
Her favorite superhero was The Codded Crusader...
Her favorite superhero was The Codded Crusader... Speaking up for copy editors…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-21:537324:Comment:426082007-05-21T03:12:40.994ZLourdes Fernandezhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/lourdes63
Speaking up for copy editors (I've been one for about 15 years, in newspapers): that's is a contraction for that is or that has, according to <i>Woe is I</i>, one of the Bibles for copy editors. If you had used those sentences in dialogue, then as a copy editor I'd probably have left them in, because people do speak that way. I know to the ear it sounds strange, but grammatically the copy editor was right. I know, probably not what you wanted to hear ...
Speaking up for copy editors (I've been one for about 15 years, in newspapers): that's is a contraction for that is or that has, according to <i>Woe is I</i>, one of the Bibles for copy editors. If you had used those sentences in dialogue, then as a copy editor I'd probably have left them in, because people do speak that way. I know to the ear it sounds strange, but grammatically the copy editor was right. I know, probably not what you wanted to hear ...