I’m fortunate that I have two dads, the one who raised me and the one who came into my life after I married my dh. I truly feel doubly blessed to have two very different types of men in my life.
After my interesting Friday, things seemed to calm down quite a bit…thank goodness. I guess it was as I described ‘just one of those days’. I haven’t done much this weekend beyond run errands. I have some more to do today, but I may just give dh a list and stay home. I’m about halfway through my book and I’d like to finish. I am enjoying the story, but it’s weird, there are language choices that are throwing me off.
I know a lot of readers out there have issues with language. I’ve heard from a few after they’ve read my EC books. (wg) I understand it’s a ‘me’ issue when it comes to being thrown out of a book by a language choice. The author hasn’t done anything wrong. That said, some of the choices made in this book remind me of high school. More specifically, the way guys used to talk about their ‘member’ in high school. I think that’s why I have to stop and re-read passages on occasion. She’s a very good writer. I really am enjoying the story, even if a Sioux would rarely refer to themselves as a Sioux, since it’s derogatory. (They’d call themselves Oglala, Teton, Hunkpapa, Brule (with an accent), or Miniconjou. Basically whatever branch of the nation they came from.) None of these things would prevent me from buying this book or her other books in this series.
I guess my point is that when writing, an author has to be very conscious of her/his word choice. I’d known this before, but this book has driven home the point. Hope everyone’s weekend is grand.
June 18th, 2006
Well, it’s good to hear things have calmed down your way, chica. Wish I could say the same. But if I do, then universe will conspire me to prove me wrong. *rolls eyes*
As for word choice while writing, I’ve never thought about it. Then again, I’m not very conscious when I write. I go into this trip. I know my hands are moving over the keyboard, but let my concious dictate what’s written and how.
by Silma June 18th, 2006 at 2:05 pmSilma, I sure hope things are calming on your end. You NEED a break.
I get into a zone at times too, but most of the time I’m just following the mini-movie in my mind and rewriting the script as I go along.
by Jordan June 18th, 2006 at 2:16 pmWords are the basic building blocks. Most word choices are unconscious, but in some cases I really do stop to think about what word choices I should go with. Usually that’s in the realm of Those Words, heh.
I have made many word changes at the behest of editors and copy editors that I didn’t argue about. Dunno what book you’re reading but I can just see the editorial comment, “why Oglala here, our readers aren’t familiar with that term, recommend Sioux as more recognizable…”
by Charlene June 19th, 2006 at 6:42 amCharlene, I hear you. I just think a mention would’ve been nice, considering the negative meaning. You’re right about the word choices being unconscious. Like I said, I’m still enjoying the story. They just throw me on occasion.
by Jordan June 19th, 2006 at 11:04 amI think the biggest problem I have with word choice is when the book is a historical and there are turns of phrase that are clearly from the current century. It really bothers me because it distracts from the story and makes me that much more critical of what I’m reading. The other problem that I have is when there is spelling or grammatical error that was not caught before the book went to press. Nothing worse than an out of place letter to disrupt an erotic love story or action sequence.
by Shannon June 19th, 2006 at 11:25 amShannon, I hear you. Unfortunately, by the time the book goes to print, the author has read it so many times that they ‘fix’ the mistake in their head.
by Jordan June 19th, 2006 at 1:39 pm