Monday, January 24, 2005
Proofread, damn you!
Title: The Exchange Studnets
Fandom: Harry Potter
Author: James Babe
Location: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2220519/1/
Feedback given:
Repeat after me - I will use a spell-check program. I will proofread my story before posting.
Correct spelling - along with grammar, punctuation, form and structure - is necessary if you want people to read your story. Occasional errors can be overlooked most of the time; after all, everyone makes a typo or two. However, a large quantity of errors tends to make readers abandon your story. In case you didn't know, this is not a good thing.
Most, if not all, of your spelling errors would have been caught (and hopefully corrected) if you'd used a spell-check program. Nearly all word processing programs have this feature built-in. If yours does not, then a thirty-second search on Google will locate an on-line version. But that is probably too much work for you, so here's the address - spellcheck.net.
In a three-word title, you managed to spell one of the words wrong. And, in an approximately twenty-five-word summary, you have seven errors. Did you read what you typed in or simply hit the 'create story' button? Slow down and read what you type.
Like it or not, a vast number of readers will form at least a partial opinion of you simply by the way you write. Based on this story, I'd be willing to guess that opinion will never be favorable, or repeatable in public.
In the grand scheme of things, it does not matter if your story is not posted RIGHT NOW. You may think your reading public is clamoring for more of your work NOW, but not if it comes out looking like this story. Spend some time (a day, two days, a week...) and proofread your work. Have someone else proofread it if you can. And use a spell-check program!
If you cannot, or will not, spend the extra time to ensure your work has as few errors as possible then you should stop posting. No one wants to read poorly written stories like this and you will not earn many good reviews when your work is so shoddy. Unless you don't want good reviews, but I don't know too many writers who enjoy nothing but negative reviews.
[Edit] Jan 25-05 Story removed
Fandom: Harry Potter
Author: James Babe
Location: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2220519/1/
Feedback given:
Repeat after me - I will use a spell-check program. I will proofread my story before posting.
Correct spelling - along with grammar, punctuation, form and structure - is necessary if you want people to read your story. Occasional errors can be overlooked most of the time; after all, everyone makes a typo or two. However, a large quantity of errors tends to make readers abandon your story. In case you didn't know, this is not a good thing.
Most, if not all, of your spelling errors would have been caught (and hopefully corrected) if you'd used a spell-check program. Nearly all word processing programs have this feature built-in. If yours does not, then a thirty-second search on Google will locate an on-line version. But that is probably too much work for you, so here's the address - spellcheck.net.
In a three-word title, you managed to spell one of the words wrong. And, in an approximately twenty-five-word summary, you have seven errors. Did you read what you typed in or simply hit the 'create story' button? Slow down and read what you type.
Like it or not, a vast number of readers will form at least a partial opinion of you simply by the way you write. Based on this story, I'd be willing to guess that opinion will never be favorable, or repeatable in public.
In the grand scheme of things, it does not matter if your story is not posted RIGHT NOW. You may think your reading public is clamoring for more of your work NOW, but not if it comes out looking like this story. Spend some time (a day, two days, a week...) and proofread your work. Have someone else proofread it if you can. And use a spell-check program!
If you cannot, or will not, spend the extra time to ensure your work has as few errors as possible then you should stop posting. No one wants to read poorly written stories like this and you will not earn many good reviews when your work is so shoddy. Unless you don't want good reviews, but I don't know too many writers who enjoy nothing but negative reviews.
[Edit] Jan 25-05 Story removed
# posted by hellsbit_ch @ 10:39 PM 
