What are the most common criticisms of your writing?

[Ironiclaconic]

Except it leaves out "she was lying on the bed" rather than "laying," which I find to be the most frequent use (and decision to have to make). I think that, for most, the false intuitive on this is to use "laying."

Yes, nice catch. I think "She was lying" is more intuitive as it follows regular conjugation structure. She kisses, she is kissing, she kissed, she was kissing. She lies. She is lying. She lay. She was lying. Lay is the only irregular form of the four, and is the one I see people usually screw up, using lied or laid instead.

But intuitive means different things to different people.

I also ignored subjunctive.

 

[_Lynn_]

And loads of other helpful explanations of terms that can be used wrongly. So thank you for pointing to that (and thank you to pilot for all the input over there).

You're welcome. The EF has several threads with useful information.

 

[lovecraft68]

At least you DO check

I've seen another popular author (in GM - naming no names ) get a whole comment full of than, than, than because the reader was irritated by the use of then instead of than.

And the annoying part was that until I saw that comment I had mostly overlooked the mistake, but now I notice it every time I read that particular author (and with others as well).

I'm sure I still miss some. I do believe that especially during a sex scene people will read past more than the occasional typo. I also noticed a lot of my typos happen during those scenes as I start typing faster as well.

 

[YDB95]

I don't know that there is any one criticism I get more than any others. One that sticks out is "you should have used an editor". Which I would, if I found any whose style was sufficiently close to my own, but to date I haven't.

 

[sethp]

I don't know that there is any one criticism I get more than any others. One that sticks out is "you should have used an editor". Which I would, if I found any whose style was sufficiently close to my own, but to date I haven't.

I don't think that's important. None of my editors write anything like me, but they've all improved my writing. In my case, they have to be better than me and know a lot about grammar! Lol. It's always good to have second set of eyes look over your writing.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I don't think that's important. None of my editors write anything like me, but they've all improved my writing. In my case, they have to be better than me and know a lot about grammar! Lol. It's always good to have second set of eyes look over your writing.

I agree. I edit for people whose style is nothing like mine. I find it really helpful, I learn a lot from them and they find my feedback helpful. Mainly it's about spotting typos, grammatical errors and repetitions (where you use the same adjective in one paragraph twice without realising) which the author can no longer see because they've got used to skimming their eyes over the writing to get the flow of the story.


(It's been a while since I had a banana!)

PS Luvthedesserts - would love to get your feedback on the stories, love to have feedback. If you thought my clipped sentences sucked rather than wanting to suck on more of them, you can comment as Anonymous! I love Anonymice. LOL.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

No editor oughta be able to improve your writing, what they oughta do is determine if its the right stuff, like if they was judging an antique car.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I'm sure I still miss some. I do believe that especially during a sex scene people will read past more than the occasional typo. I also noticed a lot of my typos happen during those scenes as I start typing faster as well.

Typos are never lethal unless they transform the sublime to ridiculous, HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME, WISH YOU WERE HER. I just read one typo thats cute...the writer is describing seduction...I'D START BY KISSING HER CHECK VERY SOFTLY. Maybe money can buy love.

Missing polished limestone blox takes nuthin away from the gravitas of the Cheops Pyramid, if the gravitas is there.

 

[PennLady]

I don't know that there is any one criticism I get more than any others. One that sticks out is "you should have used an editor". Which I would, if I found any whose style was sufficiently close to my own, but to date I haven't.

Same here -- I can't think of any one or two things I receive criticism for more than anything else. I know there are things to criticize -- lord knows I see them upon rereading -- but I guess I'm fortunate that people decide to ignore them for whatever reason.

And I agree that you don't need an editor with a style like yours. I've edited stories by various authors all of whom have different styles and none of which are like mine. In fact, sometimes I think that kind of objectivity, or difference, can be helpful in editing.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Typos are never lethal unless they transform the sublime to ridiculous, HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME, WISH YOU WERE HER. I just read one typo thats cute...the writer is describing seduction...I'D START BY KISSING HER CHECK VERY SOFTLY. Maybe money can buy love.

Missing polished limestone blox takes nuthin away from the gravitas of the Cheops Pyramid, if the gravitas is there.

ROFL!

 

[NaokoSmith]

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