Correcting factual errors from previous chapters...

[Frinkles]

When you've made an non-substantive but troubling error in a story that is submitted in chapters can anyone give me some ideas as to how this should be corrected, if at all?


Specifically, if you forget to advance the date in a story and realize it a few chapters later but don't think anyone else has, do you simply correct it in the next chapter and say nothing by way of footnote, taking the risk of the reader getting further confused? Do you correct and footnote thus drawing attention to something that perhaps no one noticed but you? Or do you do nothing and have that mistake mocking you for all of eternity (Yeah that's dramatic I know but...IT REALLY BOTHERS ME AND I WANT TO FIX IT!)


Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

 

[sexylaila438]

go on and fix it!

frinkles - if it is driving you crazy, fix it!



i'm sure if you have noticed so have others and by taking the time to go back and fix the errors, wherever they may be (i.e. one chapter or several), will only make your work stronger. it will also make you feel better

good luck!

 

[sr71plt]

When you've made an non-substantive but troubling error in a story that is submitted in chapters can anyone give me some ideas as to how this should be corrected, if at all?

These instructions from the site's FAQs:

". . . submit the new version as you submitted the old one, only adding the word "EDITED" to the title (ex. "My Sexy Firefighter Ch. 03 - EDITED") so that we know to replace the old text with the new text. We will then replace the original text with the new text. Your story will retain its previous voting score and views."

 

[evanslily]

Yep--go back and fix it!

Remember, not all readers will read your stuff when it first appears on the site. It may be that they're attracted to your work when they read another of your pieces and come to your other stuff as a result. So you want them to read the best version you've got, right?

And remember, this writing process is just as much for you. I don't think you ever stop learning, and fixing your past mistakes is all part of it, LOL.

And yes, it may well be that many of your readers wouldn't notice the odd anomaly, but you can bet your bottom dollar that someone will--there's always one...

 

[Darkniciad]

I tried to wring back control of Arilee from her in one chapter of Blackhawk Hall and ended up badly deviating from her character at the end of one chapter. I put the edit in the queue as soon as Ari finished dressing me down, and apologized to the readers as well as her in an author's note at the beginning of the next chapter, telling everyone to read the new ending of the previous one before they continued on.

My characters are rather adamant about doing things their way, no matter what my vague and hazy outlines call for.

If it's bugging you, correct it and note it for those who are following along chapter by chapter. Every time you post a new chapter, you potentially have new readers going back to the beginning. Those who are following along will notice you've made the change ( hey, at least you can admit you messed up! ), but for those coming in, they're getting the fixed version of the story without the roadbump.

 

[Frinkles]

Thank You!

thanks all for your advice. I am going to go back and fix this error with a notation.