Saturday, September 16, 2006

Responses to Question #1

I would say the question idea was a hit and will most likely return again. We got a higher response rate than we thought. So splendid to all of you! We even got one in the comments section at the end of the post which was wonderful.

Here were the response so far, my two cents are thrown in at the end as usual.

To me they matter a LOT. Now I can understand a new writer who does not yet have a beta reader to fix things up for them having mistakes in their work, and if the story itself is good, I try to overlook mistakes I notice. If the writer is OPEN for suggestions, I will offer them, but some writers do not really want constructive feed. It's the little things that annoy me most, such as using 'your' instead of 'you're' when it's needed. Those things just tend to jump out at me...LOL!!!

Fluffy
***

Yes, grammar and editing matter, at least have enough pride in your work to have it beta read by someone who can spot the obvious stuff. I realize writing is a process, but I do struggle to read what is obviously a rough draft -- once through with a red pencil is an important courtesy to the reader, and I will stop reading something if the mistakes are bad enough to distract me from the story itself.

Beth
***

I read a lot of online stories just as a break from my day. I load them
on my Palm and read when I get a extra few minutes. I can overlook
some editing errors and grammatical issues but in moderation. If I
have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what was supposed to
be said then I won't finish a story.

jolene
***

I read for the fun of it. I don't pay much attention to the grammar and editing unless it is really bad.

Sam
***

Question #1: When reading stories online does grammer and editing truly matter or do you read this for fluff and the fun of it all?

Answer: Yes, absolutely it matters. The point of reading, for me, is to enjoy the story. But if I'm constantly trying to ignore the grammar/spelling/etc., I can't concentrate enough on the actual plot. The entire flow of the story is broken and disjointed as my attention is drawn the mistakes rather than to the characters.

Does it have to be absolutely perfect? No. But the more the errors appear, the less readable the story becomes. I have quite sadly given up some very interesting looking stories just because I couldn't concentrate enough on them.
***

This is a wonderful question!

Grammar counts a great deal to me, and by extension editing. If one or two words are used incorrectly, I just fix them in my head and move on. But when the mistake is continual, and sentence structure is off, I'll stop reading because the poor grammar is too much of a distraction.

So, my answer is, Yes, grammar and editing really do matter, even when I read for fun. Isn't that what reading is - fun? (g)

Tracy
(usually very quiet)
***

It matters. It doesn't have to be perfect, but there is a certain level below which I just won't go.

Rachel
***

Yes, editing and grammar matter to me, and they should matter to the writer as well. There's nothing worse than going along, reading a pivotal sex scene (or any other scene for that matter) and you're blindsided by wrong word usage: "She shuttered in the throes of her climax". Shuttered? Another one I see a lot is the use of the word 'loose' when it should be 'lose'. If bad editing is rampant in the first chapter of a story, I won't finish it. If it's an author I've read before and liked, I'll give them until the end of the second chapter. After that, 'fageddaboutit'!
***

Just this morning, my GF was reading a story by a fairly well-known author who has written several stories, all very good and well-edited. There are several instances where she used the wrong words and my GF was mentioning that it's very distracting, because every time you come across one, you just sort of shake your head. I wonder if the author didn't review her work closely enough, or didn't take the time to have it beta-read.

You asked, I answered!
~g.
***

In a word YES! I'm a stickler for the correct grammar. Sometimes I won't read a story if the spelling is so bad that a 3rd grader could spot the difference. It takes away from the story for me that is. And one more thing, when a story is being written, and author doesn't seem to know how to split out a paragraph, that drives me bonkers.
I have to stop reading.

I know I'm anal (grins)

Ebb


So, in general, most of you who took the time to reply thought yes, it did matter. Different levels for many of you, but it was good to know that I'm not alone.

I personally have a tough time finishing stories that are poorly edited and this includes proper grammer and language usage. Example: lathe usually implying lave, but a very different concept when used incorrectly.

So thanks to you all for those great responses, they are appreciated. Go ahead and continue to throw your two cents in and we will post those as well. Now off to the updates and don't forget Monday is the last day to vote.

Elisa

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)