sherryillk: (Default)
sherryillk ([personal profile] sherryillk) wrote2009-02-18 06:05 pm

(no subject)

Is it wrong that I mentally correct the fanfics I read? Sometimes I see little mistakes in the text and since I tend to obsess and have that obsession ruin a story for me, I've lately taken to just mentally correcting the mistakes... It's usually little things like rewording or rearranging a sentence, replacing a word that they misused so I would get a better flow. Is that such a bad thing though? In a way, it makes the story seem better than it should be but in another, I'm still conscious of the fact that there are mistakes and that I have to go to such lengths to enjoy a story.

In the past, I've thought about saving stories on to my harddrive and going in and actually correcting every mistake that I saw before I started reading a story from the beginning with my corrections. And I'll admit it, I've actually done it once but I didn't actually correct the story. Rather, the story had some problematic formatting issues so I went and made it a lot easier to read. After that, I felt immensely guilty because it feels so very wrong to fix someone else's story without their permission, even if it's just a formatting issue.... So I never did it again. But damn, if I don't still have the urges to go to town on some stories....

I guess what I really, really want is for people to just go and get a beta reader already. Not even a great beta reader, just one to catch all the little typos, spelling mistakes, simple grammar problems... Is that really so much to ask? If you invest time in a story, you might as well invest a little more time to make it an awesome story.

[identity profile] xyliette.livejournal.com 2009-02-21 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
I do this automatically, my brain just rearranges and sees what it likes to for some reason. Though, as someone who attempts writing, I have to say even I catch some things months later, beta, grammar checker and all. Or I read a sentence and think, "WTF were you trying to do here?" Probably not good signs in the grand scheme of things but I think you should go for it. If it makes it more enjoyable for you I'm all for it.

P.S.- I'm brand new to you so I wanted to extend a hello and yay for having another Derek/Addison shipper around. Denial is wonderful.

[identity profile] sherryillk.livejournal.com 2009-02-21 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
LOL, I just realized I hadn't actually reviewed your story, The Clockwise Witness the first time I read it so I did last night as I was going through FF.net for any and all fics Addek.

It was after reading that story the first time around that convinced me I had to friend you (thanks for the add back!) because most of the fics I've read thus far go way too fast into reconciliation and tend to make me really have to suspend my disbelief to read them but that story really felt right. I really believed this could actually unfold in the universe as you've written it and your Derek is so believable that it took my breath away. I was just sooo happy to find one that seemed in character after reading so many that just didn't feel right.

[identity profile] xyliette.livejournal.com 2009-02-22 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
It's still one of the nicest things anyone has ever said, you make me blush a little.

As for the crazy rush in of their relationship, I've done it, or rather glossed over the difficult times and moved on, but I really like them this way. It's not that easy in real life and what it would take to put them back together is almost unfathomable.

Thank you again. :)