Americans....

[meridian_rose]

I received a review on an older fic - it's always nice to get comments on older fics, and fics in small fandoms, and this was both. However the writer was under the impression that there were "minor spelling and grammar" errors. Now this is a fic that I edited before posting to AO3, but which has never been beta read. So I copied and pasted the AO3 version into Word to have another look.

I found I'd used portacabin when I mean the propriety term Portakabin. Fair enough. Maybe it was because I used some non-standard words within the dialogue, "lemme see" rather than "let me see" as a nod to a character's speech patterns. I couldn't find any other errors. Then I thought, oh-oh.



Changing the text from UK to US in Word showed up a whole lot of "errors", eg favourite, neighbour. However these are not errors in my work. I try to have characters use the correct terms "elevator" rather than "lift", for example, if the character is American. But I'm British, and I write a variety of characters, fandoms, and original works, and I am not going to start spelling words without a u in them "Because America".


Team America: World Police. "It's okay, we got the terrorists!"

Do I need to have the spelt vs spelled debate again?



#yesIknow #notallAmericans #BritishEnglish

Comments

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

Ugh. From time to time those comments pop up, it's always on old work and always from readers who aren't writers. Ignore.

And how the hell are you? *hugs*

[meridian_rose]

"Readers who aren't writers"; to be honest I didn't check, but that's a good point. Also readers who don't read widely, I'd wager.

I'm doing good thanks! I'm working on a few things that aren't ready for posting and real life is treating me well, thanks for asking. I'm thinking I'm well out of the Idol drama, though I'm still reading and voting quietly, on the sidelines :)

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

It probably sounds weird, but I do tend to check the "cred" of some reviewers....

Oh, I'm so glad to hear you're doing well! I hope to see you writing original again. And yeah, that's a &^%$storm, isn't it? Ugh. I, personally, don't think you got the votes you deserved when you were in...do you think you would try a mini-season?

[meridian_rose]

I probably would try a mini-season. But I like writing fanfic, and I learn and keep in practice by doing so; and I like playing in my original fic universes without necessarily knowing where the entire plot is going. It's rare I write original fic one-shots, and original fic one-shots of a particular length are what naturally do best; although if I'd done better with my one-shot mythology AU, I wouldn't have been in the redemption poll against a personal/diary style post that week. So a definite maybe :)

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

*nods* I think it also helps to be in from the beginning and establish a presence.

ALSO, plenty of Idolars used the weekly prompts to write chapters in their own 'verses and lasted quite long for the most part. Used Idol as an exercise, if you know what I mean, and got good feedback. Just a thought.