The (Almost) Perfect Story

[Djmac1031]

I was SO CLOSE!

I reviewed and edited it at least several times. And editing 750 words is so much easier than, say, 7,500.

But I checked and checked. Then checked again.

Not one missing period or quotation mark. Not one typo, or autocorrected word replacement, our double spacing.

No errors. Flawless.

And yet, somehow, during the publishing process, this happened:

"Hello, Oliver. It's been awhile,

hasn't it?" Her voice was sweet, just as I remembered it.

My Google Docs copy does not have this error. And I copied and pasted that version.

It's like the universe decided I just couldn't have that one PERFECT story, nope.

I WAS SO CLOSE!!!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I was SO CLOSE!

I reviewed and edited it at least several times. And editing 750 words is so much easier than, say, 7,500.

But I checked and checked. Then checked again.

Not one missing period or quotation mark. Not one typo, or autocorrected word replacement, our double spacing.

No errors. Flawless.

And yet, somehow, during the publishing process, this happened:



My Google Docs copy does not have this error. And I copied and pasted that version.

It's like the universe decided I just couldn't have that one PERFECT story, nope.

I WAS SO CLOSE!!!

Fucking useless beta readers.

Emily

 

[Djmac1031]

Fucking useless beta readers.

Emily

No, not human error. That sentence is perfectly fine in my Google doc.

 

[EmilyMiller]

No, not human error. That sentence is perfectly fine in my Google doc.

But a good beta reader would catch glitches like that…

And make you a cup of coffee at the same time.

Emily

 

[vagrantx]

"Hello, Oliver. It's been awhile,


hasn't it?"

 

[Zootonius]

A conjecture, a hidden character. One system ignores it while the other sees it as a new line.

 

[AchtungNight]

This is why the Preview button exists. Review your preview. Make sure it looks right. Remember that for the future.

 

[samhasstories]

Let that be a lesson to you. You should just do what I do and barely read it over, just close your eyes and hit submit. It's a wild ride.

 

[alohadave]

"Hello, Oliver. It's been awhile,

hasn't it?" Her voice was sweet, just as I remembered it.

I saw that and was disgusted. What had the chance to be excellent

was reduced to grade school level drivel. My cat can format words better.

I expected more from you. I'm not mad, I'm just dissappointed.

I wanted to look past it and score based on the content, but GOD DAMMIT, presentation matters. Since you couldn't bother to get it right, you deserve the 1 star rating I gave you. I might go back and change the score if you correct the glaring mistake. Probably not though, I'll still remember your gaffe.

And scene.

Seriously though, it was good. I liked it.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Patience, Grasshopper. The world was designed by pranksters, built by the selected inept and maintained by the ill-tempered, all with the express purpose of teaching us humility.

 

[12oclocktales]

"Hello, Oliver. It's been awhile,
hasn't it?" Her voice was sweet, just as I remembered it.

You type comma, machine sees period. Capital letters at the beginning of a sentence don’t matter, I guess.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

One trick I use on occasion is to significantly alter the size of the letters in the whole story. Gaps like the one what mugged you become much easier to see.

 

[Trionyx]

This is why the Preview button exists. Review your preview. Make sure it looks right. Remember that for the future.

I always do this. Helps with page layout, paragraphs, italics etc. About half the time I find something by doing this.

 

[AG31]

I was SO CLOSE!

I reviewed and edited it at least several times. And editing 750 words is so much easier than, say, 7,500.

But I checked and checked. Then checked again.

Not one missing period or quotation mark. Not one typo, or autocorrected word replacement, our double spacing.

No errors. Flawless.

And yet, somehow, during the publishing process, this happened:



My Google Docs copy does not have this error. And I copied and pasted that version.

It's like the universe decided I just couldn't have that one PERFECT story, nope.

I WAS SO CLOSE!!!

My intense sympathies!!!!

 

[Cagivagurl]

I was SO CLOSE!

I reviewed and edited it at least several times. And editing 750 words is so much easier than, say, 7,500.

But I checked and checked. Then checked again.

Not one missing period or quotation mark. Not one typo, or autocorrected word replacement, our double spacing.

No errors. Flawless.

And yet, somehow, during the publishing process, this happened:



My Google Docs copy does not have this error. And I copied and pasted that version.

It's like the universe decided I just couldn't have that one PERFECT story, nope.

I WAS SO CLOSE!!!

I had one of those as well.
I was going so well. Then I typed my third word and it fell in a heap.
Destroyed.... Ruined.
Bugger

 

[SimonDoom]

I was SO CLOSE!

I reviewed and edited it at least several times. And editing 750 words is so much easier than, say, 7,500.

But I checked and checked. Then checked again.

Not one missing period or quotation mark. Not one typo, or autocorrected word replacement, our double spacing.

No errors. Flawless.

And yet, somehow, during the publishing process, this happened:



My Google Docs copy does not have this error. And I copied and pasted that version.

It's like the universe decided I just couldn't have that one PERFECT story, nope.

I WAS SO CLOSE!!!

Think of "perfection" the way Crash Davis described strikeouts in Bull Durham. They're fascist. You want to get the job done. You don't need perfect spacing.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Unfortunately the line break isn't the only issue there. That "it's been awhile" should be "it's been a while": https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/awhile-usage