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Margaret wants to have fun!
It’s no good trying to write a
book unless you enjoy it. Writing needs to be fun. Take the fun out of writing
and it becomes a chore. I’m not saying there are times when it doesn’t feel
like fun. The occasions when my hero or heroine won’t behave themselves, for
instance. But on the whole writing is a pleasurable, satisfying, worthwhile
experience.
On one of my bookshelves I have a
book called “When The Fun Begins” It was a Sunday School prize. It’s about four
girls who are about to leave school and jobs are being suggested to them by
their headmistress.
The first job was a junior for
clerical work in a Hairdresser’s and Beauty Parlour. The second, junior clerk
for a big bookshop in London’s West End. The next for a junior in a big office
in the City – some shorthand and typing, plus going out to buy cakes for tea,
etc. And the final one in a small general agency office where she would make
herself useful. When the girl asked what the agency did she was told a little
of everything – taking children across London, recommending schools, doing
shopping for people, typing manuscripts, and so on.
It was the typing manuscripts bit
that amused me. I know how laborious it can be. I’ve been there, done that. But
I couldn’t help wondering how different it would be if you were typing out
someone else’s work. Would you feel like changing anything? I know I would. I’d
be so tempted. Or I’d want to say, “Don’t you think it would read better if
………” Presumably it’s because I’m a writer and I see these things better than a
reader would. After all, it is what we have editors for.
One of my marks of a good story is not thing of a better way to say something, not stopping because the punctuation is abysmal or the sentence structure jolting. So typing for other people would turn on my internal editor. Not fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you agree with me, Anna. I'm reading a book now where I've discovered two typos - and it's a major publisher!
DeleteBig box published books have so many typos lately. It's sad.
ReplyDeleteThat used to be one of the insults they tossed at small presses and self-published works.
Oh, I'd totally rewrite as I was going along! I probably wouldn't even know I was doing it though.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, Jennifer. It does become automatic after a while.
DeleteBut then you might get into an argument with your employer, Jen.
ReplyDeleteI've personally found that most people I've come in contact with are glad to have an extra pair of eyes on their work, so it's never been a problem for me yet, Ana.
DeleteI have a reader who is wonderfully eagle-eyed, and I rely on her to spot the typos or missing punctuation etc. But I've come to the conclusion that however many eyes see a manuscript or even a final galley, we all miss something somewhere!
DeleteI find it difficult to read a book these days without something jumping out at me and making me cringe! Only if the story itself grabs me can I ignore minor transgressions.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to good editing? Is it that they're so inundated with books these days that they read them too quickly to catch the typos? Or is it that editors miss these things because they have so much to do? And do readeers think it's our fault when there's a mistake or the publishers? It does make you think.
DeleteI know I go through my manuscripts with a toothcomb, Margaret, but even so, I always manage to miss something! In the end, I suppose the responsibility is actually ours, since we have to approve the final galleys!
DeleteI agree that writing, for me at least, definitely needs to be fun or I am not productive at all. There are certain times when it can feel like a homework assignment...and that's frustrating. I GIVE those, I don't DO those! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd ever be able to just type someone else's mss without wanting to do some editing along the way. I guess if I was able to tune out the story and simply make it a keyboarding exercise, it might work!
I know exactly how you feel, Debra.
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