Grammar, english and spelling

[dou1t2]

I have read thousands of stories and have found a number of them with misspelled words, poor grammar or bad english in general, I am a 52 year old male , who could be called old school in some senses, in other senses and ways I am new school, either way I love this site and maybe that makes me a dirty old man or perv'. Either way, I would like to edit stories for the above infractions, if you will.

 

[sr71plt]

And you posted this here because . . . ?

How do you plan to go about doing that? Only way I know of would be to ask the authors directly whose work you'd like to edit. I think perhaps about 23 percent would be grateful for the offer--but I suggest you stand back a ways from your computer to absorb the response of the rest.

 

[amicus]

]I have read thousands of stories and have found a number of them with misspelled words, poor grammar or bad english in general, I am a 52 year old male , who could be called old school in some senses, in other senses and ways I am new school, either way I love this site and maybe that makes me a dirty old man or perv'. Either way, I would like to edit stories for the above infractions, if you will[/I].

~~~

Don't mind the jerk, welcome to the forum and there are many who could certainly use your expertise.

There is actually a place for volunteer editors on Literotica and they are much taken advantage of. Spelling and grammar seems to have become a lost art as it is rampant, even here on a so-called Author's Handout.

Not quite sure how you can access the right place to volunteer but surely someone can direct you.

Welcome again

regards...

amicus

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I have read thousands of stories and have found a number of them with misspelled words, poor grammar or bad english in general, I am a 52 year old male , who could be called old school in some senses, in other senses and ways I am new school, either way I love this site and maybe that makes me a dirty old man or perv'. Either way, I would like to edit stories for the above infractions, if you will.

Of course there are always exceptions to every rule, but this is what I've come to learn in life.

The greatest writers make for the worse editors and vice versa.

The greatest orators can't write their own material.

The greatest writers are barely literate when speaking in public.

For me, it's difficult to create a story, develop characters, and to stay in the story while watching for errors in misspelling and grammar. That's what editors do.

Only, for the purpose and intent of this web site, I've never used an editor. I never wanted to wait for an editor to post my story. Also, I seldom agree with the changes that the editor wants to make in my story. This is fun, writing whatever I want when I want to write it.

If I had to depend on an editor, writing would no longer be fun. It would be work. It would feel too much like accounting.

Certainly, if someone wanted to publish any of my material, I'd happily agree to having them edit it. In the meantime, please excuse my misspelling and poor grammar. I'm just a dumb writer.

 

[cloudy]

I have read thousands of stories and have found a number of them with misspelled words, poor grammar or bad english in general, I am a 52 year old male , who could be called old school in some senses, in other senses and ways I am new school, either way I love this site and maybe that makes me a dirty old man or perv'. Either way, I would like to edit stories for the above infractions, if you will.

Welcome to the AH.

You're preaching to the choir here. Most of the folks here are extremely intelligent, well-educated, and care deeply about writing the best stories that they can.

 

[SimonBrooke]

I have read thousands of stories and have found a number of them with misspelled words, poor grammar or bad english in general, I am a 52 year old male , who could be called old school in some senses, in other senses and ways I am new school, either way I love this site and maybe that makes me a dirty old man or perv'. Either way, I would like to edit stories for the above infractions, if you will.

The site does have a system where you can volunteer to be an editor. I commend this to you - I'm a volunteer editor and have met some very nice people that way. But authors have to invite you to edit their stories - you cannot impose your edits on someone else's material.

Remember two things: people of our generation were taught a degree of literary precision which some of the generations who follow us do not share. What you or I might see as well crafted writing they may see as stuffy and fussy. Our standards are not necessarily better, just different. And some authors whose use of language is - by our standards - eccentric can never the less produce startlingly fine writing and narrative.

 

[Guest]

Welcome to the AH.

You're preaching to the choir here. Most of the folks here are extremely intelligent, well-educated, and care deeply about writing the best stories that they can.

Agreed. And welcome to the AH, dou.

The Story Ideas Forum is a good place to start, also the Story Feedback and the Editor's Forum. Many people will publicly ask for help, especially after their first posted story becomes trashed by readers for grammar (or other things).

Who knows? Maybe you could even help certain AH posters with their overuse of ellipses. Ahem.

 

[Guest]

Simon, your AV is positively delicious.

I mean, good morning.

 

[oggbashan]

...Who knows? Maybe you could even help certain AH posters with their overuse of ellipses. Ahem.

Me? Surely only in The Worst Chain Story Ever Ch.01.

Og

 

[Guest]

Me? Surely only in The Worst Chain Story Ever Ch.01.

Og

Dearest King, I graciously genuflect, tossing a few flower petals at your feet.

Nahh, you know darn well to whom I am referring.

 

[sr71plt]

Did I misread the OP? It doesn't ask about volunteering to edit stories before they are posted. The poster noted the mistakes in the posted stories were irritating and he/she wanted to edit them. That may not be what the poster meant. But that's the inference of what the poster posted.

If the question is how to volunteer to edit stories before they are posted, then, yes, the query needs to be directed to the proper board (the one on editing).

 

[trysail]

...Remember two things: people of our generation were taught a degree of literary precision which some of the generations who follow us do not share. What you or I might see as well crafted writing they may see as stuffy and fussy. Our standards are not necessarily better, just different.

Simon,
I disagree.

Our "literary precision" and standards are a trillion times better. They are neither stuffy nor fussy.

The ability to write a correctly punctuated, properly-spelled and complete English sentence is a nearly infallible indicator of education and problem-solving capacity.

That does not mean that someone without the ability to write properly is unintelligent; it does, however, place a burden of proof upon them to prove otherwise.

Cordially,
Trysail

 

[Guest]

Did I misread the OP? It doesn't ask about volunteering to edit stories before they are posted. The poster noted the mistakes in the posted stories were irritating and he/she wanted to edit them. That may not be what the poster meant. But that's the inference of what the poster posted.

If the question is how to volunteer to edit stories before they are posted, then, yes, the query needs to be directed to the proper board (the one on editing).

I don't think you misread it. And you know better than to listen to ami.

I think everyone helped direct the OP to the proper place where he can help beginning writers before they post.

 

[dou1t2]

Thanks for the responses..........

Excuse me for having posted this in the wong place, I thot I was startin a new blog if u will! If u can excuse evryones mistakes, then u shuold be able to excuse mine.LOL As one said proper use of grammar and spelling is a lost art, that was all I was inferring, it may bother me as it does when I read the local newspaper too. It would seem in the least that writers would use spellcheck. As I am not for the fun of making my point. Yes I once read where you could volunterr and I will go there,thank you for the link.As a reader and not a writer, I seldom make it this side of the site.dou1t2..........Do you want to.......

 

[cloudy]

Excuse me for having posted this in the wong place, I thot I was startin a new blog if u will! If u can excuse evryones mistakes, then u shuold be able to excuse mine.LOL As one said proper use of grammar and spelling is a lost art, that was all I was inferring, it may bother me as it does when I read the local newspaper too. It would seem in the least that writers would use spellcheck. As I am not for the fun of making my point. Yes I once read where you could volunterr and I will go there,thank you for the link.As a reader and not a writer, I seldom make it this side of the site.dou1t2..........Do you want to.......

Textspeak? From someone who complains about spelling and grammar?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

dou1t2

You stepped in it now.

No one in the history of LIT has ever spelled incorrectly, violated one rule of grammar, or ever been boring. To even suggest that any grammatical convention is archaic or unnecessary or flat-ass wrong is to defile this temple with heresy.

 

[dou1t2]

yes you are right again!

It seems this group is as diverse as the rest of world. Textspeak as cloudy so kindly referred to it, may be a whole new category of stories, or possibly a sub-category. Is it not possible to add an icon to stories that have been edited and another for not. I did follow the links to sign-up as an editor, but they appear to be out of order or broken! I will try again later.

 

[cloudy]

Textspeak as cloudy so kindly referred to it, may be a whole new category of stories, or possibly a sub-category.

um...no.

1) A story written in textspeak would never pass Laurel to get posted. So not going to happen.

2) When something's written in textspeak, I usually assume the writer is illiterate. It's sloppy, and it's moronic to use textspeak for anything but texting by cell phone - and I won't even use it then.

 

[SimonBrooke]

Simon, your AV is positively delicious.

I mean, good morning.

Good morning, sweetest.

 

[impressive]

I have read thousands of stories and have found a number of them with misspelled words, poor grammar or bad English, in general. I am a 52 year old male who could be called old school in some senses. In other senses and ways, I am new school. Either way, I love this site, and maybe that makes me a dirty old man or perv'. Either way, I would like to edit stories for the above infractions, if you will.

A public service. Either way, you do get points for using site instead of sight.

Welcome to the AH. I am certain there are those who can benefit from your skills. I am not certain you'll find them in this forum, though. We tend to be a more literate bunch of deviants.

 

[Stella_Omega]

It seems this group is as diverse as the rest of world. Textspeak as cloudy so kindly referred to it, may be a whole new category of stories, or possibly a sub-category. Is it not possible to add an icon to stories that have been edited and another for not. I did follow the links to sign-up as an editor, but they appear to be out of order or broken! I will try again later.

If you share my prejudices (and it seems that you do) the site is positively riddled with crap writing-- but when you find the good stuff-- damn, it's good!

I've been tempted at times to copy something into Word and proofread it-- just so that I could read it comfortably. But I always wise up and simply click away, and go find something better.

 

[Guest]

Good morning, sweetest.

 

[SimonBrooke]

Simon,
I disagree.

As is your right.

Our "literary precision" and standards are a trillion times better. They are neither stuffy nor fussy.

But that smacks, to me, somewhat of hyperbole.

The ability to write a correctly punctuated, properly-spelled and complete English sentence is a nearly infallible indicator of education and problem-solving capacity.

That does not mean that someone without the ability to write properly is unintelligent; it does, however, place a burden of proof upon them to prove otherwise.

Define 'properly'.

When I was young - I imagine when you were too - our elders questioned our taste in music and believed that anyone for whom Bach and Beethoven were not sufficient was clearly defective in intellect.

They were wrong.

When I was young, our elders believed that those who went to work in pinstriped suits with discreet ties were respectable and trustworthy, whereas those who went to work in jeans were less so.

They were wrong.

So, in my opinion, are you.

Popular culture is a dynamic, complex, mutable thing. It changes. What was 'correct' for one generation becomes peculiar or even scandalous for the next. If we stuck to the literary conventions of just one hundred years ago, virtually every single story on this site would be considered unwriteable, unreadable, unliterary.To judge our work by the standards of our grandparents would be to condemn virtually all of it.

Narrative is first and foremost about communication. To communicate, one must first use a form of language to which one's audience is receptive. If one fails to do this, one fails utterly. And I suspect that many younger people today are as alienated by and distrustful of sophisticated and precise use of language as we are of people who wear business suits.

Of course, we could seek to redefine Literotica as a site for the over-fifties, but the problem with doing that is that in ten years it is a site for the over sixties and in twenty for the over-seventies.

In short, the grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there read erotic narrative.

 

[SimonBrooke]

um...no.

1) A story written in textspeak would never pass Laurel to get posted. So not going to happen.

2) When something's written in textspeak, I usually assume the writer is illiterate. It's sloppy, and it's moronic to use textspeak for anything but texting by cell phone - and I won't even use it then.

All right, challenge for all the pompous gits here (I include myself, naturally): write an erotic tale - something like flash fiction - entirely in textspeak. Make it interesting, fun, and sexy.

I'm slightly disadvantaged in that I write in correct English even when texting, but I'm game to try.

 

[Stella_Omega]

In short, the grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there read erotic narrative.

Now you've struck the fear of death into me.

I wonder if you're right, though, Simon. I've been reading a lot of Young Adult lately, and I still see precise writing-- reported dialogue should always be colloquial, of course...

All right, challenge for all the pompous gits here (I include myself, naturally): write an erotic tale - something like flash fiction - entirely in textspeak. Make it interesting, fun, and sexy.

I'm slightly disadvantaged in that I write in correct English even when texting, but I'm game to try.

Prince wrote his lyrics in "diaryspeak" you might call it--

U
I would die 4 U
Darling if U want me 2

and was pretty damn sexy with it