fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2664 ]

[ SECRET POST #2664 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2664 ⌋

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Hello! How do you react to grammatocal and spelling errors in fic? Do you notice them at all?

The reason I ask is that my writing is riddled with mistakes. I usually write in really small fandoms and I have one friend who can beta. The problem is I don't want my fics betaed for three reasons.
Firstly because this friend is more dear to me as a reader who enjoys my fic without being busy fixing mistakes. Secondly because I don't always want to apply changes my beta gives me. Sometimes the whole fic would be different stylistically - probably better - but different. Thirdly I'm not serious about writing fanfiction. For me it's a spur of a moment thing, so I find the whole process of waiting to publish it and also rereading it to check my friend's corrections daunting, especially after going over it a few times myself. I get tired of fic. Also maybe on some level I don't like knowing how many mistakes I make in text. On the other side, I don't want to produce a sub-par quality work; I feel somewhat ambitious.

I notice them a lot, and if there are too many I stop reading.

If the story is really, really good OR something rare I can't get a lot of, I will try and read it. One every 7-8 sentences isn't too bad. If the mistakes are all things that a spell checker would find, I generally get too annoyed to read.

No paragraph breaks will make me stop reading quicker than spelling errors. By quicker, I mean I instantly hit that back button when I see a wall of text with no breaks.

Every 7-8 sentences? Hmm, I see. Thanks!

Tiny grammatical errors, like leaving out an article, or tiny spelling spelling mistakes are okay in small doses as those don't usually break the fic. But too many and it's hard for me to read. The longer the fic, the more I forgive. I don't forgive misspelling characters names are constant misuse of words.

What about mistakes like repeating a word? ;D

I often read over my stuff to try and catch things before I post. If somebody points it out, I just generally facepalm to myself and then correct it as quickly as possible.

If a fic is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors I can't read it, no matter how good the plot is.

For me, it's cumulative. One or two mistakes in, say, 1000 words I can ignore. A mistake every paragraph? Not a chance.

Sometimes the whole fic would be different stylistically - probably better - but different.

Ask your beta not to do that. Seriously, you can dictate what you want from a beta; if all you want is spelling/grammar/word choice correction, make sure that's what you say. If that's all you're asking for, then your beta doesn't even have to be familiar with your fandom.

And you don't have to apply every change your beta suggests. If they're suggesting stylistic changes that you don't like, just ignore them.

Thank you for the input! I'd have to go over all the changes my beta makes one by one then, but I think I'll give it a try.

I have an error every couple paragraphs, about 200 words. *sigh*

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-19 23:09 (UTC) - Expand

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-20 17:46 (UTC) - Expand

Honestly, if it seems like the author didn't bother to read over their fic to catch the glaring errors, I backspace right away.

I notice. I stop reading if there are multiple in the first page or so, or any in the title or summary. If you want to get your fic beta'd, consider asking your friend if they'd be willing to just do spelling-and-grammar editing; I do that for my mother (although that's because I don't know anything about her fandom).

I'll try eather this or checking more thoroughly myself. Thanks!

You beta for your mother!?

Wow, anon, I have so much envy of you right now. My mom would never ever write fic in a million years; she would told me how pointless and juvenile being in fandom is first. :(

Cherish your mom.

They annoy the crap out of me and if there are too many, I'll quit reading the fic and find another one.

You don't have to apply all the changes your beta suggests. Just the grammatical and spelling ones, if you want. You're the writer. Take control.

Personally, I hate SPAG errors in fics I read with a mighty fury. I notice every single one.

The problem is that they build up. One chapter in, there have been 10 small errors. That's okay, especially if half of them are just typos. I can deal with that. Five chapters in, there have been 60 and my will to continue has gone on.

Also maybe on some level I don't like knowing how many mistakes I make in text.

That sounds like the nub of the issue. You're having fun and you don't want other people to point out your errors, especially if they're right. Unfortunately, without a little pain you're not going to improve.

Thank you, anon! It seems everyone notices errors. I have only a few fics that theoreticaly could be chaptered, though.

Sometimes I think that only a few people're going to read fic in small fandoms anyway, so I don't make an effort to improve my writting. You're right, no pain no gain.

I notice them, they annoy the fuck out of me, and i generally stop reading. If you can't be bothered to fix a simple spelling error, your fic probably isn't all that great.

I notice pretty much any grammar or spelling mistakes in fic, unless, of course, they're the ones I habitually make myself. The occasional mistake won't put me off a fic, especially not if the author is good at keeping characters in character or is the only person writing the sort of fic I want to read. But I'll echo what some other people are saying; mistakes are cumulative. The more there are, the more I notice them, and the less I want to continue reading. Not knowing things like new speaker/dialogue=new paragraph is an instant backbutton for me. Good luck with your fic writing!

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-20 02:34 (UTC) - Expand

A lot of them I kind of overlook--you know how your brain automatically corrects that kind of thing.

BUT...if you're making the same spelling mistake over and over? Or mixing up the same two words? No bueno.(give me a few 'weary's for 'wary's and I'm about to burst, and once someone wrote 'quaffed' for 'coiffed' and I literally fall out of my chair laughing and couldn't take the work seriously any more.)

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-20 17:08 (UTC) - Expand

Given your post starts with a spelling error, and replies to other comments continue with the theme... I'd probably skip the fic altogether. Assuming you make the same kinds of mistakes in your fic, they really leap out and sour the whole experience for me.

The thing is, you say you may not want to know how many mistakes you make, and then follow up by saying you don't want to produce sub-par work. The two aren't compatible. They're just not. If you're feeling ambitious and want to produce something of decent quality, then you need to a) find out what mistakes you're making and b) keep an eye out for those mistakes in future. Are there common grammatical errors you keep making? Learn the correct form (and why that's the correct form, rather than relying solely on your beta to fix it for you) and make a consistent effort in the future to watch out for and fix those kinds of errors.

Don't count how many mistakes there are per line, as you seem to be doing. Instead, focus on what types of mistakes you're making, and start working on whatever's most common.

It's a process, and you shouldn't expect immediate improvements. But if you work at it, it will become more natural for you to use the correct forms of things, and then the number of errors you make on your initial drafts will drop, and then you'll have less work to do while editing for spelling and grammar, and then everyone will be happy, yes?

If it makes you feel better, practicing editing on your fic will bleed over into other types of writing as well. It never hurts to improve your spelling and grammar, and fic is at least a fun and pressure-free way of doing so.

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-20 17:27 (UTC) - Expand

I notice grammatical and spelling errors regardless of how minor or frequent they are, but they don't necessarily stop me from reading. If the story is interesting enough, I copy it into a word document and fix the mistakes as I go, then re-read it later.

I think your reasons for not wanting a beta are crap though.

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-20 17:33 (UTC) - Expand

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-20 20:40 (UTC) - Expand

Re: How do you react to mistakes in fic?

(Anonymous) - 2014-04-21 23:25 (UTC) - Expand

I notice them. They won't drive me out of a fic unless they are extremely frequent. Say... if you have an error or two in every sentence. Also, walls of text will kill my interest dead.

On the subject of beta'ing, I know from some of my past experiences beta'ing (and I only beta grammar and spelling) that I may change around a few words if a particular turn of phrase is something I cannot understand. If she is changing whole paragraphs o you... I don't know, she may be going outside the bounds of strictly gammar-&-spelling correction.

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