DB-
A note to our readers: Jes will be taking some time off and Booktrap’s editor and chief, Catherine Lenderi, (who we all call “Cat”, because she likes mice and litter boxes) will be filling her shoes. Cat is an English teacher on a small island in Greece. She is a grammar Nazi who tries to keep us all in-line. I give her more trouble than anyone. I’m looking forward to razzing her in this forum. I owe her for all the virtual slaps on the wrist I get every time I post something. Boy, this is going to be fun! (She made me add the comma)
Okay, Kitty-Cat, let’s skip over the whole America/Greece culture crap and get right to the heart of what our readers want to know: why do editors insist on proper punctuation and grammar? Often, a Writer, such as myself, will add a comma, or a semi-colon; purely for effect. We want the reader to pause… and consider the brilliance, and amazing style, in which we are communicating. Then you come along and butcher our dazzling prose, so that the reader has no clue where to stop to admire our writing! We are left to cheap, coarse effects like italics, bold lettering, ‘brackets’, ‘or all three’. Some writers even go for the ultimate in gaudy prose and add an underline. We can only blame you, and all the persnickety editors in the world, for annoyingly precocious text that is hard on the eyes.
And another thing – Catwoman – why not? As long as. The reader – intelligent – knows what I’m getting at. Spice, it adds, when you brake rules, singing a song your own way is scene as self-expression and is encouraged, why not so, when we right – i live in america : where we have jimmy durante telling us that he did it {MY WAY} and then we shoot guns and belch and butt slaps with lots of snorting and much flatulence and laughing followed by more gun fire and belching with burgers and fries and American football and the cops show up and we all go to jail were we belch and snort and fart – cut the butt slaps – you get the picture.
I apologize. Catherine Lenderi will not be blogging with me this week. Shortly after she read the previous paragraph, she was committed to a small insane-asylum on the tiny island in which she lives. My blog post will answered by her twin sister, Katniss Everdeen Lenderi. Take your best shot, Katniss. But watch out - I shoot back.
Cat-
I don’t even know where to start with this. Tell me you just did it on purpose…Tell me that my effort and all my lessons since I met you have not been in vain… OH, LORD! WHAT IS TO BECOME OF ME?
*editor slumps shoulders in defeat and walks away while dramatic music plays in the background*
How very Greek Tragedy of me!
Well, dear Don, although you deserve more than a virtual slap this time for making me read this, even on purpose, I will answer your questions. (Let me grab my steely ruler for a second; it might get handy again.)
As an editor, it is my job to polish a manuscript and make it shine. What does that mean? I have to make sure that your words will flow like water when someone reads your story. That’s why you need perfect grammar and punctuation. An experienced reader will stumble while reading if something doesn’t seem quite right. I do understand the need to have a personal writing style and add punctuation purely for effect, and in some cases, I do allow it. In most cases though, it soon becomes apparent that it is totally unnecessary and will inevitably hinder reading. If ever in doubt as of whether you are using punctuation right or wrong, try reading your script aloud. If you can do it without it seeming awkward, then you have done well.
Now, enough of this! There is a more pressing matter that needs an urgent answer: “Who the heck is Katniss? Why was I never aware that I have a twin sister?”
Do you know something I don’t, Don? Do I need to question my parents about this?
*DUN DUN DUN*
*Camera focuses on the surprised face of the editor and slowly fades away…*
A note to our readers: Jes will be taking some time off and Booktrap’s editor and chief, Catherine Lenderi, (who we all call “Cat”, because she likes mice and litter boxes) will be filling her shoes. Cat is an English teacher on a small island in Greece. She is a grammar Nazi who tries to keep us all in-line. I give her more trouble than anyone. I’m looking forward to razzing her in this forum. I owe her for all the virtual slaps on the wrist I get every time I post something. Boy, this is going to be fun! (She made me add the comma)
Okay, Kitty-Cat, let’s skip over the whole America/Greece culture crap and get right to the heart of what our readers want to know: why do editors insist on proper punctuation and grammar? Often, a Writer, such as myself, will add a comma, or a semi-colon; purely for effect. We want the reader to pause… and consider the brilliance, and amazing style, in which we are communicating. Then you come along and butcher our dazzling prose, so that the reader has no clue where to stop to admire our writing! We are left to cheap, coarse effects like italics, bold lettering, ‘brackets’, ‘or all three’. Some writers even go for the ultimate in gaudy prose and add an underline. We can only blame you, and all the persnickety editors in the world, for annoyingly precocious text that is hard on the eyes.
And another thing – Catwoman – why not? As long as. The reader – intelligent – knows what I’m getting at. Spice, it adds, when you brake rules, singing a song your own way is scene as self-expression and is encouraged, why not so, when we right – i live in america : where we have jimmy durante telling us that he did it {MY WAY} and then we shoot guns and belch and butt slaps with lots of snorting and much flatulence and laughing followed by more gun fire and belching with burgers and fries and American football and the cops show up and we all go to jail were we belch and snort and fart – cut the butt slaps – you get the picture.
I apologize. Catherine Lenderi will not be blogging with me this week. Shortly after she read the previous paragraph, she was committed to a small insane-asylum on the tiny island in which she lives. My blog post will answered by her twin sister, Katniss Everdeen Lenderi. Take your best shot, Katniss. But watch out - I shoot back.
Cat-
I don’t even know where to start with this. Tell me you just did it on purpose…Tell me that my effort and all my lessons since I met you have not been in vain… OH, LORD! WHAT IS TO BECOME OF ME?
*editor slumps shoulders in defeat and walks away while dramatic music plays in the background*
How very Greek Tragedy of me!
Well, dear Don, although you deserve more than a virtual slap this time for making me read this, even on purpose, I will answer your questions. (Let me grab my steely ruler for a second; it might get handy again.)
As an editor, it is my job to polish a manuscript and make it shine. What does that mean? I have to make sure that your words will flow like water when someone reads your story. That’s why you need perfect grammar and punctuation. An experienced reader will stumble while reading if something doesn’t seem quite right. I do understand the need to have a personal writing style and add punctuation purely for effect, and in some cases, I do allow it. In most cases though, it soon becomes apparent that it is totally unnecessary and will inevitably hinder reading. If ever in doubt as of whether you are using punctuation right or wrong, try reading your script aloud. If you can do it without it seeming awkward, then you have done well.
Now, enough of this! There is a more pressing matter that needs an urgent answer: “Who the heck is Katniss? Why was I never aware that I have a twin sister?”
Do you know something I don’t, Don? Do I need to question my parents about this?
*DUN DUN DUN*
*Camera focuses on the surprised face of the editor and slowly fades away…*
Catherine Lenderi is actually a very lovely person (as I'm sure all editors are). She has helped me immensely, and is the glue that holds The Booktrap together. If you are in need of an editor, I can think of no better person. Join her at her website, Cat's Edits, for more.