worst factual error you've ever written?

[dadadadiox]

I recently published a throw-away line referring to Sinead O'Connor. The scene takes place in the early eighties. She was not yet famous. A reader kindly informed me of my error in the comments. Writing in the past, using music and culture references, has me double-checking facts often. That was my big miss.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Yep, the Lego Star Wars game was the first in the series about a decade before, just as it was the first real licensed property (I think )


In which case I'm writing you up an official ticket for the 'Women writing Men' thread. Guys don't talk about games like that, not even gaymers.

There's much of my dialogue where I'd take that criticism, but that bit is directly quoted from actual men of my acquaintance, one of whom is my husband.

Sure, no-one ever believes he's 99.6% straight*, but he does certainly exist! As does the guy who the other character's voice is stolen from - who's straight as far as I know, much to many gentlemen's disappointment.

*based on estimates of both interest and notches on the worn bedpost, values can go down as well as up...

 

[KeithD]

As I've noted before, when someone hits me on veracity in a story, the point they pick out more often than not is the one closest to "fact" in the story.

 

[32aa]

First story... first paragraph. Talking about the music in 1968, I made reference to the group 'Jefferson Starship' instead of 'Jefferson Airplane'.

It was a 12K word chapter, and that was the only thing some Anonymous reader could comment on.

 

[AG31]

I can't remember the exact language, but I was once informed that the force of an ejaculation doesn't feel like it comes from the testicles, but sort of from the base of the pelvis. I'm pretty sure I took my image from someone else's work, but maybe it was a lady.

 

[Zootonius]

Were the writers of the Lone Ranger stories being more racist than we thought?????

Can't help getting a little off topic

 

[Bramblethorn]

In the U2 song, Pride (In the Name of Love) they sing about the assassination of Martin Luther King:



Rev. King was killed in the evening, as he left his room to go to supper.

Less egregious but more blatant: it was just two years between these singles.

 

[TheRedChamber]

There's much of my dialogue where I'd take that criticism, but that bit is directly quoted from actual men of my acquaintance, one of whom is my husband.

Sure, no-one ever believes he's 99.6% straight*, but he does certainly exist! As does the guy who the other character's voice is stolen from - who's straight as far as I know, much to many gentlemen's disappointment.

*based on estimates of both interest and notches on the worn bedpost, values can go down as well as up...

Yeah, well, umm...you can pass the ticket along to him and gently remind him that reality has to pass the sniff test as well.

 

[EmilyMiller]

worst factual error you've ever written?​

I once used hypotrochoid when I of course meant epitrochoid. I posted an edit, but you can imagine my embarrassment.

Emily

EDIT and I spelled epitrochoid wrong initially

 

[MillieDynamite]

I once used hypotrochoid when I of course meant epitrichoid. I posted an edit, but you can imagine my embarrassment.

Emily

 

[MelissaBaby]

I once used hypotrochoid when I of course meant epitrichoid. I posted an edit, but you can imagine my embarrassment.

Emily

What a turn off!

 

[MelissaBaby]

Less egregious but more blatant: it was just two years between these singles.

View attachment 2326088

View attachment 2326089

Typical man.

 

[MillieDynamite]

If it weren't for the necessity of sperm to fertilize eggs, we could do without men entirely! I do without entirely. Jo and I adopted.

Typical man.

 

[EmilyMiller]

What a turn off!

That is fucking hilarious

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I once used hypotrochoid when I of course meant epitrochoid. I posted an edit, but you can imagine my embarrassment.

Emily

EDIT and I spelled epitrochoid wrong initially

Made me get out my dictionary and my spirograph...

 

[EmilyMiller]

Made me get out my dictionary and my spirograph...

It was for Geek Pride, so I had an excuse.

The context was nipple-licking.

It worked for me.

Emily

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

It was for Geek Pride, so I had an excuse.

The context was nipple-licking.

It worked for me.

Emily

An expansive vocabulary is one of the sexiest things a person can have, especially gorgeous blonds.
No need to explain or apologize, my dear.

 

[EmilyMiller]

An expansive vocabulary is one of the sexiest things a person can have, especially gorgeous blonds.
No need to explain or apologize, my dear.

It’s more of a scopious lexicon to be honest.

Emily

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

It’s more of a scopious lexicon to be honest.

Emily

Are you meaning to imply that your concordance is unrepressed?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Are you meaning to imply that your concordance is unrepressed?

The cardinality of my glossary tends to א null in the limit.

Emily

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

The cardinality of my glossary tends to א null in the limit.

Emily

 

[EmilyMiller]

Real Analysis always trumps everything bar Complex Analysis

And my grasp on higher math is pretty tenuous to be honest - I’m a good mathematician for a biologist!

Emily

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Real Analysis always trumps everything bar Complex Analysis

And my grasp on higher math is pretty tenuous to be honest - I’m a good mathematician for a biologist!

Emily

Yeah, I'm a pretty good mathematician for someone that had to take Differential Calculus twice.
My study of biology was limited to brief and much too infrequent, yet intense studies of anatomy. Fortunately, most of those involved a partner.

 

[intim8]

One of my MC's is only 6" tall, and it's not a Sci Fi/Fantasy story...

Has he been to Stonehenge?

 

[cadeauxxx]

Referring to 'clit' as 'pussy' in some of my earlier stories. I was roasted in comments for it, and corrected by some kinder readers. Decided to keep the errors in my old stories as a reminder not to do it again.