search
top

Building blocks, marinara sauce, and sentences

old typewriter by menken at morgueFile.comA couple of weeks ago, I was at a retreat with several other writers. The topic of indie writers, small presses, and general writing quality came up. If you’ve ever spent more than ten minutes in a room full of writers, you’re not surprised by that, I’m sure.

One thing I said was this: I’ve read books published by a well-known (in the horror community anyway) medium-sized press where the copy editing was so lacking that I found glaring errors on nearly every page. I’d rather self-publish and pay for my own editing than publish with a house that doesn’t provide a good editorial staff.

Immediately, a chorus of objections arose. “That’s not all there is to editing!” “The story is more important!”

I don’t actually disagree. I know, shocking! 🙂

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to explain myself because unpleasant news about Hurricane Matthew’s looming party-crashing seized everyone’s attention, including mine.

So let me elaborate on what I meant.

If I go to a new Italian restaurant and find that the cooking staff cannot produce a substantial, rich marinara sauce, I don’t need to know much more. I don’t need to wonder if the tiramisu at that restaurant is substandard. I don’t need to taste-test the Pizza Rustica. I don’t need to sample the spinach ravioli either. Why? Because the basics aren’t there. The foundation is weak. I will look elsewhere for my lasagna fix.

If the building blocks of the story — the actual sentences the writer uses to build the plot, develop the characters, and weave the magic spell — are flawed, the structure of the story won’t be as strong as it could be. If the structure isn’t strong, things will fall apart sooner or later. Usually sooner.

When I check out a book, usually via Amazon’s “look inside” feature, I can’t read more than a few pages. I can’t read enough to know if the story itself will pass muster. I can, however, notice the basics. If I see spelling errors, bad grammar, screwy punctuation, etc., I have a pretty good idea I won’t enjoy the journey very much, no matter how good the story idea might be.

That said, can a book be perfectly grammatical, excellently punctuated, and brilliantly spelled and still be lousy? Oh, heck yeah. I’ve run into a few of those, too.

On balance, however, I’ve seen way more badly spelled, badly punctuated, ungrammatical books — usually with stories I can’t get into because the basics aren’t sound —  than correctly spelled, well punctuated, grammatical books with incompetent stories.

In my opinion, the ultimate responsibility for correcting these errors rests with the publisher if there is one and with the writer only if the book is self-published. If a publishing house is involved, I hold them responsible for editing. Granted, some writers are as obsessed with words and grammar as I am. Some aren’t. If you write and aren’t good with grammar, hire a copy editor, especially if you plan to self-publish.

Well, NaNo was a bust

old-typewriter-by-menken-at-morgueFile.com_.jpg

 

I suppose the title says it all. I blew NaNo to bits — and not in a good way.

I started getting sick in late October, but I figured the illness was just bronchitis (which I’m prone to) and would pass in a couple of weeks with proper medication. So off to the doctor I trundled. Yeah, well, not so much. As I type this little update, it’s 25 January, three doggoned months later, and not only am I not better, I’m probably worse. Three different antibiotics and now a course of Prednisone have failed to clear my bronchial tubes. My sinuses are now involved, too. I can’t smell, have had no sense of smell for maybe two weeks. And the headache? My poor skull has been crushed to powder since October. Ugh.

All righty then. Do I have any less depressing news? Why, yes, thankfully. 🙂

I have a book cover for my upcoming short story collection. I’ve finished the edits on a terrific followup book for a client. This book will be out in another month or two. I’ve picked up a couple of possible new clients and begun edits for a for-sure new client. Business is good, y’all.

Want a look at the book cover? Here it is. The wonderful Renee Barratt of The Cover Counts is the artist.

Book cover Roots of Darkness

Book cover Roots of Darkness

An interview

 

typewriter by Richard Edwards FreePicturesAZ

Photo by Richard Edwards Free Pictures A to Z

I recently did an interview with the wonderful Tonia Brown. She is one terrific writer. And she can ask some off-the-wall questions. I had a lot of fun with this interview.

Here’s a link to it:

 

Photo credit: Richard Edwards at AZFreePictures.com

I’m Sekhmet Press’s Woman in Horror today (24 February)

Yeah, I’m shamelessly self-promoting again. Sekhmet Press has made me their Woman in Horror for today. This link will take you to an article I wrote for them and an interview I did with them.

 

Sekhmet Press is a relatively new small press, but one that’s doing very well and gaining a considerable reputation for putting out a high quality product and treating their authors well.

 

Mary Ann Peden-Coviello, A Woman in Horror

 

Human Skull bansidhe everystockphoto.com

 

Photo credit: Bansidhe at everystockphoto.com

I am a Woman in Horror — certified!

 

Blaze McRob is celebrating Women in Horror Month – and he carries this on longer than the mere month of February as a matter of fact – and he’s chosen ME as his Woman in Horror for 21 February. I am shocked and surprised and above all honoured.

 

A Woman in Horror

« Previous Entries

top