Today’s post is going to be a little ranty and mostly just a list of a few things that annoy me. Because I've been reading a lot and these things came up. A lot.
(But at the end, I share some good news, so if you don't want to read the first part, skip down. You don't want to miss the best part.)
Pet Peeve #1
If you are reviewing a book on your blog or on Goodreads and plan to tell the end WITHOUT putting the word *spoilers* anywhere on your review, then I hope you know you’ve ruined it for me and I sort of secretly hate you for at least a day. For the love of all that is good, type the word SPOILER if you reveal the end. Please. I beg of you.
(I have recently stopped going to Goodreads pages for books I am reading anyway, because of this problem, but I went to a blog, and was not expecting the end to be revealed at all, and now it’s ruined for me. What’s the point of reading if I already know the end?) (And if you are a person who reads the end first, well, I don’t even know what to say to people like you. That's just weird.) (But, I probably can still be friends with you. As long as you don’t tell me the end and put the word SPOILER in your review. Ha!)
Pet Peeve #2
If you are an author of a book and know you have a problem with homonyms, please get an editor that is really good at sniffing out those pesky homonym mistakes. (Although I have to say it does make me laugh out loud.) There is no way for someone to “peel with laughter,” “need a drink after being in the hot dessert for so long,” (although I suppose technically you could sit in a hot dessert. But that would be messy) “loose your mind,” or “walk up an isle at the grocery store.”
Pet Peeve #3
If you are going to use dialect in your dialogue, please try to make the person sound less dumb. People with accents are not dumb. Generally speaking. And it makes your character feel stereotypical and unrealistic when you do that.
*deep breath*
The Good News!
Well, I just got an email that makes me feel much better. Misty Moncur interviewed me for her blog, and she surprised me and posted it today! Hooray! There’s some pretty funny stuff on there. She likes me better than Dave! She wants to come over and eat ice cream and hang out with me! I have a new best friend who doesn’t mind my Return of the Jedi secret writing story.
Click here if you want to read it. (Come on, you know you want to.)
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
18 comments:
At least a day! Spoilers can kill the reading experience, and the most fabulous the ending the worse the let down!
Those are annoying things! I'll go read the interview now.
Excellent rant, Julie :) And may I add a complaint about the difference between "discreet" and "discrete."
Now I'll go read your interview!
I concur with all your rantings.
Your pet peeves are good ones too! Thanks for stopping by my 'pet peeve' post earlier. I now have a confession. I often read the last page first ...
Donna, I know!
Angie, thanks!
Stephanie, that's a good one, too! :)
Thanks, Gina.
Tracy, I hope we can still be friends. ;)
My mom always reads the end first! I don't get it! Love the post!
Liked the homonym examples made me chuckle. I'd go read that article, but my eyeballs are threatening to revolt if I do any more reading tonight.
I enjoyed the interview, and who wouldn't love to share ice-cream with a friend? :-)
Totally agree with pet peeve one... though I can't help myself and read reviews from Goodreads anyway...
I'm one of those that sometimes takes a peek at the ending, but I completely understand why it would ruin a book for someone, so I always make sure I either don't reveal any spoilers, or I ask the person: "Do you want to know, or are you going to read it for yourself?" Yes to your other pet peeves!!
And, off to read your interview. Congrats!! :-)
Here's an interesting question: Are the examples in #2 homonyms or homophones? School me! I'll freely admit to confusing the two. And don't get me started on homographs and heteronyms. The mind reels.
I think this is the best definition I could come across:
"A homonym is a word that has the same pronunciation and spelling as another word, but a different meaning. (bat-baseball equipment, bat-nocturnal animal)
A homograph is a word that has the same spelling as another word, but a different meaning.(dove- a bird, dove- past tense of dive)
A homophone is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word, but a different meaning.(there, their)"
Clear as mud? :)
You know, even in my English teaching the difference between homonyms and homophones is disputed by several experts. So I think you could honestly say either/or in this instance. But it still doesn't change my pet peeve about it. :)
Thanks, Julie. The mind continues to reel (especially since no two websites seem to agree), but that does help! I hope I haven't totally blown my street cred on this one.
LOL I don't think so. But maybe we should debate it just to be sure. You could be for homophones and I'll be for homonyms. Nym gang vs. phone gang. Hmmm... on second thought, maybe not. I'm sort of scared of you, hence I'm sure your street cred is fine. :)
I pity anyone who has to learn English as a second language--or as a first language, for that matter. I really do.
At the end of the day, all that really matters is that "lose" and "loose" are not interchangeable. Ever. Nor are "way" and "weigh," despite all late-night typos to the contrary.
Well, you know, you have to keep "towing the line." Ha!
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