tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post8202077784055900687..comments2023-10-15T04:06:07.268-07:00Comments on Marja's Mystery Blog: Marilyn Levinson, Guest AuthorMarjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-40079058186214181612016-10-27T08:14:58.942-07:002016-10-27T08:14:58.942-07:00Thank you for writing about a subject that interes...Thank you for writing about a subject that interests all of us. I hope you'll come back.Marjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-19067770280795234762016-10-26T20:28:42.433-07:002016-10-26T20:28:42.433-07:00so it does, Grace.so it does, Grace.Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-37137679750945220052016-10-26T20:27:53.268-07:002016-10-26T20:27:53.268-07:00So glad you enjoyed this post. Aside from rules an...So glad you enjoyed this post. Aside from rules and style guides, our language is constantly changing. No wonder things can get confusing.Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-32412279107123637082016-10-26T20:24:32.756-07:002016-10-26T20:24:32.756-07:00Marja,
Thanks so much for having me as your guest....Marja,<br />Thanks so much for having me as your guest. Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-7000028264330104962016-10-26T08:32:45.068-07:002016-10-26T08:32:45.068-07:00Thank you all for stopping in. Editing can be a co...Thank you all for stopping in. Editing can be a confusing subject, because it seems that each editor seems to want something different. We do the best we can, and sometimes we have to put our foot down because we know how we want the book to read.Marjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-65832156125401751442016-10-25T17:24:47.152-07:002016-10-25T17:24:47.152-07:00I loved this post, Marja and Marilyn. There are ru...I loved this post, Marja and Marilyn. There are rule books and style guides but I've heard of some editors who like to go with their gut and can make a mess of a book. It can be pretty confusing for writers, and even other editors! lynnerosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11628293660296675697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-51357702787239243892016-10-25T07:35:23.193-07:002016-10-25T07:35:23.193-07:00It is truly confusing. Those of us old enough to f...It is truly confusing. Those of us old enough to follow old, established rules of punctuation find some of these changes hard to make. I'll cling to the final comma in a series till death. It helps to avoid confusion. Grace Toppinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10291304815273486038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-30827759875240428812016-10-25T05:58:14.800-07:002016-10-25T05:58:14.800-07:00Thanks for stopping by. I think editors follow a c...Thanks for stopping by. I think editors follow a certain style, not always the one we use.Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-78915269939801084232016-10-25T05:55:44.332-07:002016-10-25T05:55:44.332-07:00Thanks, Evelyn. And to see how it's edited.Thanks, Evelyn. And to see how it's edited. Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-7609838044978597592016-10-25T05:52:38.492-07:002016-10-25T05:52:38.492-07:00LOL
It might be one reason that so many authors ar...LOL<br />It might be one reason that so many authors are self-publishing now. They get tired of feeling like a puppet dancing on a string. I know it's an editor's job to catch any errors and to make suggestions where they think improvements are needed but some of them, in my opinion, take it a bit too far. After all, who wrote the book?Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-32041960128674008312016-10-24T18:38:19.629-07:002016-10-24T18:38:19.629-07:00Good post. Usually learn something every edit. And...Good post. Usually learn something every edit. And yes, conventions keep changing...and sometimes it's hard not to be "hard headed!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-29222917770988161822016-10-24T14:31:03.907-07:002016-10-24T14:31:03.907-07:00You're welcome, Eileen. Marilyn made some grea...You're welcome, Eileen. Marilyn made some great points. Sometimes we have to relearn things, and it can be very frustrating, but we persevere. Marjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-59212078947705961602016-10-24T13:57:56.027-07:002016-10-24T13:57:56.027-07:00I've gone through much of the same with the di...I've gone through much of the same with the different editors I've used over the years. As a matter of fact, my latest manuscript is in the hands of my current editor. Can't wait to see what she has to say about it. :) Anyway, I'm looking for forward to reading the sequel to Giving Up the Ghost.Evelyn Cullethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00042981370607083281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-9135090227498437792016-10-24T13:46:41.458-07:002016-10-24T13:46:41.458-07:00My agent, or her assistant, took out all my em-das...My agent, or her assistant, took out all my em-dashes, correctly placed outside of quotes for interrupted dialogue, put the first one inside the quote, and replaced the second one with a comma! <br /><br />Eg: "But--" Rahier turned his attention from his ruffles to Haydn, his pale blue eyes meeting the composer's in a steady gaze, "I cannot promise to stay silent for very long."<br /><br />When I pointed out that wasn't correct usage, she said I over-used em-dashes! And yes, I did go back and correct every single one she'd changed. Nupurhttp://ntustin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-25155667179755810582016-10-24T13:23:26.984-07:002016-10-24T13:23:26.984-07:00Great to see your comments on editing here, Marily...Great to see your comments on editing here, Marilyn. As a writer, but also an editor, I'm aware that changes keep happening, such as one space after the period and no comma after "white" but it took me a while to get used to the new rules (and look up awhile and a while, which still confuses me). Thanks for hosting our friend, Marja.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15981043016427528990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-12787025280999645342016-10-24T10:17:49.991-07:002016-10-24T10:17:49.991-07:00It's hard, isn't it? The worse was my firs...It's hard, isn't it? The worse was my first publisher who took out my em-dashes for interrupted dialogue and put in ellipses! She said em-dashes "are harsh on our readers' eyes." Honest! When I left her and republished, you can bet those em-dashes went back in.Kaye Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05596677617002735674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-6967009960975485182016-10-24T08:48:36.045-07:002016-10-24T08:48:36.045-07:00I like your interesting blog on this topic. I'...I like your interesting blog on this topic. I've had a few editors and one has a thing about clauses and continuity. And sometimes, her speech changes are formal for the character and not the voice I need. I reject those. I'm a huge comma person and believe one should be "After dinner," . Vicki Batman, sassy writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13846704675542248648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-9671098578203877232016-10-24T08:27:21.736-07:002016-10-24T08:27:21.736-07:00Thank you. Yes, this is something we all go throug...Thank you. Yes, this is something we all go through.Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-29478862875319288712016-10-24T08:26:56.658-07:002016-10-24T08:26:56.658-07:00Ah, Pat. One of the perks of the profession. Ah, Pat. One of the perks of the profession. Marilyn Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10424778692932139865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-31763670092448955822016-10-24T06:30:20.991-07:002016-10-24T06:30:20.991-07:00Great interview. We share your frustration. :)
...Great interview. We share your frustration. :) <br />Janice J. RichardsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-69186603747889622012016-10-24T06:00:44.877-07:002016-10-24T06:00:44.877-07:00Ah, changes! I don't mind adapting to changes ...Ah, changes! I don't mind adapting to changes that are universally accepted. For example, leaving only one space at the end of a sentence and omitting a comma after the second word in a series of three. However, I do take exception to an editor's "personal" preferences. <br />I have a friend who is a romance writer. When she tells me the stories of how one editor took this out and another editor put it back in, I wonder how she keeps herself from screaming, "Enough!" There are limits!Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com