Dave Birchbauer's Blog: Alec's Dream - Posts Tagged "alec-s-dream-grammer"
Dear Diary: Ouch
Boy, have I been getting nailed on grammar (their/they're/there, your/you're...). I know there (their?) are grammar errors in Alec's Dream but I never really thought it would matter much to readers. It doesn't bother me when I see them in other books... but I guess for some its (it's) make or break.
I am very grateful for your reviews, even though they can be a bit painful. On the bright side, everyone seems to enjoy the story, about a third whack me on grammar (ouch).
I just need to vent a bit. After working full time, doing yard work, house work and spending time with my family... after watching Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and American Idol (Idle?); is when I find time to write. If I'm lucky, I get 2-5 hours a week. I wish I could write full time, but life isn't letting me.
You see, when writing the first draft or two of a book, you just 'crank'... you write what's (whats?) in your head as fast as you can without worrying about grammar, spelling or whether it makes sense. You just get it down as fast as it enters your head. It isn't till the third draft when you start worrying about cleaning up the wording. After that you begin editing your (you're?) mess. Each pass finds errors, fewer each time, but eventually you just need to move on and work on something else.
If you're (your?) lucky, you get published. If not you self publish. Publishers provide editors... editing is a profession. When you self publish, you rely on yourself and friends. Being my first attempt at writing, I didn't realize I needed professional level editing. I now have a few people willing to help edit in the future (which I will take advantage of).
Oh, by the way, I am just a few pages away from finishing my first draft of 'Jett Speed - The Seed'. It is a romp. Some people thought Alec's Dream was imaginative, this goes beyond that... I hope not too far. I think it'll be a fun read, I just hope I can find a publisher that thinks the same. If not, I'll make sure it gets (get's?) better editing before I put it out there.
I am very grateful for your reviews, even though they can be a bit painful. On the bright side, everyone seems to enjoy the story, about a third whack me on grammar (ouch).
I just need to vent a bit. After working full time, doing yard work, house work and spending time with my family... after watching Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and American Idol (Idle?); is when I find time to write. If I'm lucky, I get 2-5 hours a week. I wish I could write full time, but life isn't letting me.
You see, when writing the first draft or two of a book, you just 'crank'... you write what's (whats?) in your head as fast as you can without worrying about grammar, spelling or whether it makes sense. You just get it down as fast as it enters your head. It isn't till the third draft when you start worrying about cleaning up the wording. After that you begin editing your (you're?) mess. Each pass finds errors, fewer each time, but eventually you just need to move on and work on something else.
If you're (your?) lucky, you get published. If not you self publish. Publishers provide editors... editing is a profession. When you self publish, you rely on yourself and friends. Being my first attempt at writing, I didn't realize I needed professional level editing. I now have a few people willing to help edit in the future (which I will take advantage of).
Oh, by the way, I am just a few pages away from finishing my first draft of 'Jett Speed - The Seed'. It is a romp. Some people thought Alec's Dream was imaginative, this goes beyond that... I hope not too far. I think it'll be a fun read, I just hope I can find a publisher that thinks the same. If not, I'll make sure it gets (get's?) better editing before I put it out there.
