A Writer's "Eye"

[dirtsider]

I recently started reading a book, partially because the plot looked cool, partially because I thought it was on the further edge of the genre my WIP is in. (Turns out it's not but that's ok.)

However, when I started reading it, I found myself critting it. Now, I'm not an editor at all, although I do tend to occasionally catch some minor slips in books. It's just that I've been here on AW for a few months now and I think some of what I've learned here has started to slip through. So, while the plot is interesting, I'm finding myself distracted by what I feel to be info dumps and too much exposition, inconsistent naming structures (the author goes from one name to another to another for the MC on just one page alone and not in dialogue where it would be expected). Normally, I don't get that distracted by stuff like that to the point where I find myself grabbing a pen and jotting down crit notes in the margins. (Unless it's research notes for my own story.) Don't get me wrong, the plot concept is interesting. It's just that I feel this should've going through a couple more drafts before being published.

Any similar stories to share?

[Willowmound]

'Tis the curse of the writer. I has it. Now you has it too.

[ClaudiaGray]

If you can do the same thing while also figuring out everywhere the writer went right, you'll learn a lot more.

[Staroffurby]

I seem to have two types of books i read. Some i can pick up and start, i am engrossed almost instantly and i don't stop to criticise them as i want to get to the next page. Then some i start reading and before i have finished the first page i am noting things that are wrong or i just don't like. i have noticed this over the past couple of months.

[Willowmound]

If you can do the same thing while also figuring out everywhere the writer went right, you'll learn a lot more.

Yeah, that's important. I does it. You should does it too.

[sunandshadow]

I'm puzzled by the mention of inconsistent naming strategies. Its normal and good to vary the ways by which any character is referred to if you need to refer to them multiple times in a paragraph or page, whether in narration or dialogue. Typically I make sure each of my major characters has a formal name (Etsandere), a shorter form of that name (Sander), two or more descriptive phrases (the tall blond man, the shapeshifter; these can then be modified to suit the particular occasion, becoming things like the excessively tall man, the annoyed shapeshifter), and two insulting things that other characters can call them (beanpole, amoeba).

[ACEnders]

Oh yes. I do this too. I'm so much more critical of author's writings now. Grammatical errors, info dumps, telling when they should be showing...knowing all that we know, learning all that we learn as we write...makes it hard to just sit back and enjoy a good story anymore.

But, the good news is that it's just another way to learn. Reading is now a way to examine what works, what doesn't, and why.

[Talkatoast]

I'm the same way. When I learned more about query letters, I found myself critiquing the Writers Market 2007 query letter, the "good" fiction query letter. There were a lot of things on the query letter that people told me should never be put in a query letter becuase it wastes the agent's time. The novel compared itself to other books and authors. It wasted a paragraph with senseless prattle about supernatural binding genres being on bookshelves, or some wasteful trash like that. I started laughing.

A couple of days ago, I was reading a book from 1996 published by Writer's Digest. I noticed a horrible error involving subject-verb agreement in numbers. The sentence went something like this: An author believes they have what it takes to. . .something like that.

I strongly criticize even published books now. I criticize that Paolini wastes his books with needless descriptions and scenes. I critcize that Flavia Bujor's novel is too cliched, unrealistic, and not at all original.

[Willowmound]

I'm puzzled by the mention of inconsistent naming strategies. Its normal and good to vary the ways by which any character is referred to if you need to refer to them multiple times in a paragraph or page

From the bottom of my heart, I utterly disagree. It's one of those writerisms that simply calls attention to itself and does nothing else.

[Willowmound]

I critcize that Flavia Bujor's novel is too cliched, unrealistic, and not at all original.

I criticise forum posts with special attention to tautologies ;)

[dirtsider]

I'm puzzled by the mention of inconsistent naming strategies. Its normal and good to vary the ways by which any character is referred to if you need to refer to them multiple times in a paragraph or page, whether in narration or dialogue. Typically I make sure each of my major characters has a formal name (Etsandere), a shorter form of that name (Sander), two or more descriptive phrases (the tall blond man, the shapeshifter; these can then be modified to suit the particular occasion, becoming things like the excessively tall man, the annoyed shapeshifter), and two insulting things that other characters can call them (beanpole, amoeba).

What I mean by inconsistant naming strategies is that for the most part, most of the characters are usually called by one name throughout a book. Usually it's either by first or last name (i.e. "Charlotte examined the item" or "Smith walked down the hall"). That's consistency, particularly when there are more than one MC's in a 3rd Person POV, so that the reader knows which character is doing/saying what. In one instance in the book I'm talking about, the author calls one MC first by her last name, then her first, then by a nickname, all on the same page. It's not a case where she's talking to someone. It's just narration. But it's a bit distracting when there is only one other instance where her nickname is brought up and hasn't been used since until that one page. (At least where I am in the book.)

But for the most part, the author is continually jumping from this character's first and last names and doesn't stick with one or the other. It's just distracting. It would be understandable if it were in dialogue but it's not.

Other than that, I think it's kinda cool that I'm getting to the point where I'm looking behind the curtain and seeing all the running around behind stage.

[steveg144]

If you can do the same thing while also figuring out everywhere the writer went right, you'll learn a lot more.
Aye, there's the rub. I too have the Crit Disease, and can identify (often in great detail) exactly where a writer screwed the pooch. But when I read something good and engrossing and well-written, much of the time I find it impossible to point to exactly what thing(s) make it work. I just know that it does.

[tehuti88]

I practically can't read online amateur fiction anymore because of this very problem. (Not to blame it on AW, though, since I've had this problem long before coming here. I often feel like I was the only person who actually paid attention to the grammar lessons in English class so long ago.)

So I can no longer read amateur writing just for the fun of it because it's always so full of errors! And usually I've found that amateur writers seem more interested in a reader pointing out problems with plot and characterization rather than every little misspelling and comma splice, etc....I just can't ignore those things because to me they aren't little and they should be learned about before one goes showing off their writing. Learn the basics first, THEN I'll help you with the bigger picture.

I find it in published books, too, unfortunately. It's rampant with smaller-press books and self-published things or local papers. Our own local newspaper is just...UGH UGH UGH!!

I remember buying a small locally published book, a murder mystery set on Mackinac Island, a place I love...I got through all of the first page before giving up. "What's with this big historical infodump right in the middle of the first page?? Do we really need to know all this right at the beginning of the story--a history lesson? That's not how the police on the island dress--this guy didn't do research! OMG TYPO! This is horrid!"--*tosses book on shelf and never returns to it*

Kind of annoying sometimes, but honestly, these things should be fixed before publication.

[Use Her Name]

Earlier this month I sat down to read some Hemmingway. After the first chapter of "The Sun Also Rises," I said, "God this is boring! Who published this Crap!"

[tehuti88]

Earlier this month I sat down to read some Hemmingway. After the first chapter of "The Sun Also Rises," I said, "God this is boring! Who published this Crap!"

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I thought I was the only person on Earth who can't stand Hemingway!! :hooray:

[Shadow_Ferret]

Normally, when I read, I'm a reader. My reader and writer rarely ever surface at the same time. So critiqueing as I read is a rarity for me. Usually I just enjoy the story.

Unless something happens in the story, either a plot quirk, or a grammatical problem, or a hitch in the writing, THEN my writer wakes up and starts to tear the book apart.

Usually though, instead of continuing reading, I just move on to another book and leave that one unfinished.

[dirtsider]

Normally, when I read, I'm a reader. My reader and writer rarely ever surface at the same time. So critiqueing as I read is a rarity for me. Usually I just enjoy the story.

Usually this is the case for me too. Even when I sit there and notice the occasional punctuation mistake, I usually notice it then go on. Or if I really can't stand the book, it's usually because the plot didn't pull me in enough for me to enjoy it.

But for some reason, the plot of this book is interesting enough to hold my attention despite the need to crit or I'm just being masochistic.

[Polenth]

When I'm reading and writing, I don't think about writing rules. It has to be a major mistake for me to notice. It's only when I edit or critique that I let the editing monster go free. Until then, I keep it locked in the basement I don't have.

You are no writer, Willowmound. You are a ten-year-old. Or you have the mind of one.

No, he has the mind of a lolcat. :e2cat:

[JustGo]

I was reading a few novels late in a certain fantasy series last year, a series that had hit the New York Times Bestseller List more than once. The farther I got, the more appalled I became.

Typos left and right. Grammar issues. There were even a few scenes where the names of characters were accidentally replaced with others, sort of like this -

(Joe is off fighting a war on the other side of the continent. The only people in the room are Jim and Jess.)
"What do we do?" Jim demanded.
"All we can do," Jess replied. "We wait."
Joe folded his arms. "You know how I feel about weighting."

And so forth. The other mistake is also intentional, in case you were wondering.

How do the writers let that slip? How do the editors let that slip? I have no idea how people can get so sloppy, especially when the books are so popular.

In any case, it seems that it happens everywhere. Books put out by small publishers, books put out by big publishers. It's rare to find a book free of them, but all the same, it never fails to tick me off.

[loquax]

It's a curse, but also a blessing. Sure, you notice the flaws, but you also notice when someone's written something mind blowing. And then you learn from it!

[EriRae]

:popcorn:Newbie just picked a fight w/ Willowmound?

I also find myself critting novels more often than I did before joining AW. I take notes on how to revise my own writing so I don't make the same mistakes. I also jot down phrases or ideas that I think would benefit my WIP's.

[JimmyB27]

Normally, when I read, I'm a reader. My reader and writer rarely ever surface at the same time. So critiqueing as I read is a rarity for me. Usually I just enjoy the story.

Unless something happens in the story, either a plot quirk, or a grammatical problem, or a hitch in the writing, THEN my writer wakes up and starts to tear the book apart.

Usually though, instead of continuing reading, I just move on to another book and leave that one unfinished.
I read just like the ferret. Usually, I just read, but occasionally, there will be a phrase or a plot twist that is just so wrong that I get thrown out of the story. My normal reaction is to sort of blink in surprise and then jump right back in again. Occasionally, though - when it has happened for the fifth time on the same page - I huff and fire the book across the room. Then I sulk until I find another book to get lost in.

[Keffington]

My ability to just read other work without critiquing came around the same time I learned how to bludgeon my internal editor into submission and lock him up in a closet with very little food and water for the duration of a rough draft.

Or forum post.

[dirtsider]

No, he has the mind of a lolcat. :e2cat:

LOL - I love the lolcats.

Yeah, the book I'm reading is weird. Normally when I get like this, I just normally just give up and find another book to read. Then again, I've also found I'm having a hard time getting into a lot of new novels since I've started writing again. I can read stuff I'm using for research for my own book but nothing's really caught my fancy in the fiction (particularly the fantasy) sections.

Sigh. So I guess I just have to keep looking....

[jannawrites]

Normally, when I read, I'm a reader. My reader and writer rarely ever surface at the same time. So critiqueing as I read is a rarity for me. Usually I just enjoy the story.


Part of me wishes I could keep the two separate, but then I realize the best reader in me is what makes the best writer in me.

[Phaeal]

The older I get, the fussier I get. Grammatical errors or misspellings annoy me, but I can give the published writer the benefit of the doubt and blame the copy editors and printers. However, if I hit a stylistic device I dislike, I'm out of there. Dan Brown started losing me in sentence one of TDC and lost me for good in the second or third chapter, when the MC started looking in a mirror and describing himself.

The other day I was glancing at a fantasy novel in which the MC POV character self-description problem was solved by having a couple of little kids describe the MC, in detail, to her face. When one little kid told her, "You look unearthly," the book flew across the room.

Very rarely a book has a plot so good or characters so interesting or monsters so slimy, I can get through it despite stylistic awkwardness. Some of Dean Koontz's early work comes to mind.

[ishtar'sgate]

However, when I started reading it, I found myself critting it.
Any similar stories to share?
I read for enjoyment and don't get stalled and start critiquing unless I run into something really irritating. Repetition of pet words and phrases bugs me and so do main characters who whine a lot. Other than that I'm not overly critical and can shut off my little editor for the most part.
Linnea

[Shweta]

:popcorn:Newbie just picked a fight w/ Willowmound?

Folks, when personal insults are being thrown around by anybody, let alone multiple people, shouldn't that be time to report the post? I mean, it's not real fair if I have to follow the smell of popcorn, is it, cause by the time I get there it's all out and I don't get any and it was from the month before last and it's stale anyway... :e2cry:

*looks in the empty popcorn bag, sighs, slinks out the other door, kicking empty cans on the way*

[Oberon]

Talk about character names! when was the last time (or ever) you tried to keep track of the characters in The Brothers Karamosov?

[Chauchat Butterfly]

I finished trainspotting last night and all I could think of was that Welsh needs to learn to stay within the same tense at least in the same chapter.

[Clarec]

I notice stuff too, but it's got to be pretty glaring as I'm usually deep into the story. Unless I am not enjoying the book and then I just nitpick. I mostly notice spelling or grammatical errors but sometimes sentence structure if it's a bit confusing. Sometimes you pick up continuity errors too - I just read a book (for the millionth time but only just noticed this error) where the MC's car was written off then the next day she drove her car to a meeting but the next day she moaned she had to get a lift because she hadn't had time to rent a car. Hmm....

I've done this with films for years too, since taking drama at school. I hated the acting side but loved the directing side and now look at films with a critical eye, speaking about the direction and lighting just as much as the acting.

Clare

[Chameleon]

The most painful read, I thought, was Kim Harrison's first novel. So many grammatical and structural errors (I'm definitely not even qualified to be an editor, and I caught it). This is the first book where I was like, how did she manage to get this book published? It was a good thing that her plot was somewhat decent, and thus probably saved her book.

[Manderley]

Talk about character names! when was the last time (or ever) you tried to keep track of the characters in The Brothers Karamosov?

8 years and 8 months to be exact.
Oh, wait, is that what you call a rhetorical question?

[Birol]

Talk about character names! when was the last time (or ever) you tried to keep track of the characters in The Brothers Karamosov?

Ah. But that's a cultural thing. It helps if you know, or if someone tells you, the naming etiquette in Russian society with formal names, proper names, and diminutive names being the norm, and what each one is in relation to the other. Most of the names in The Brothers Karamazov are the equivalent of John Michael/John/Johnny, with Johnny regularly being used by the family to indicate intimate acquaintance. It's a bit like the difference between the formal 'you' and informal 'you' that exists in many languages. What name the characters use with one another reveals their status and relationship, or the status and relationship they are trying to create, with one another. It's a subtext, another layer to the story, one that doesn't necessarily translate well between the languages and the cultures.

[/English Lit ;) ]

[Liosse de Velishaf]

A couple of days ago, I was reading a book from 1996 published by Writer's Digest. I noticed a horrible error involving subject-verb agreement in numbers. The sentence went something like this: An author believes they have what it takes to. . .something like that.



I don't see the issue here... Are you objecting to "they" as a singular pronoun? Or something else?


On-topic: It depends on the mood I am in. Sometimes I do critique as I read, sometiumes not; I can't help noticing typos, grammar and spelling errors, though.

[Use Her Name]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I thought I was the only person on Earth who can't stand Hemingway!! :hooray:

I have been reading Hemingway though, and have even gotten a bit fond of his writing. The simplicity grows on you. It took trudging through a few books before I got the hang of it. Faulkner was the same way. I thought he was a nut-case when I started to read his books, but I got through them, and in the end really liked him. I am now reading "The Green Hills of Africa" and I like it a lot. So I guess some writers need a fair look before passing judgment.

[BfloGal]

This discussion interests me. I don't remember ever critiquing as I read a book until about a month before I began writing in earnest. Now I have trouble enjoying a book without critiquing it -- or at least studying it from a writer's perspective. If I find what I consider a major flaw or a good example, I can't go on until I do something about it -- so I started keeping a little audio recorder with me so I could make a quick note, and then I can keep reading. Strange, huh?

[Chris Huff]

As an editor, I have to say that I can't turn it off anymore. Even for forum posts. Bad grammar, subject-verb agreement, parallel construction, misspelling, misplaced modifiers. My eyes bleed after even reading a page of most threads. Not so much here, you guys are better, but sometimes, just sometimes I need to scream.

It's a bit lame at times, but after reading slush, I can appreciate published books for what they are: greatly improved versions of the ms. (errors and all). If you could see the same ms. at submission and compare it to the final published version, you'd cry. Not because the published book has errors, but because of how many the editors had to take out. Everyone makes mistakes: writers, agents, editors, publishers.

I have to admit though that I'm a fan of Hemingway's shorts. I haven't read a novel of his in a long time though. Maybe try him in short bursts.

[Cranky]

:popcorn:Newbie just picked a fight w/ Willowmound?

I also find myself critting novels more often than I did before joining AW. I take notes on how to revise my own writing so I don't make the same mistakes. I also jot down phrases or ideas that I think would benefit my WIP's.

That's something I've always done, though I didn't always know the exact reason things writers did either aggravated me or inspired me with their writing.

Since I came here, though, I have an urge to treat all the books I read as textbooks. LOL! But I read them first like a reader, and then I dissect them as a writer. Unless the book is just too horrible for some reason.

My two big examples to learn from lately were Son of a Witch (for bad) and A Prayer for Owen Meany (for the excellent).

[Makai_Lightning]

Anyone else ever read Battle Royale? Me and my friends read it once for our book club. It's a grammatical mess. I'll blame it on it being a translation from Japanese to English, but it drove me crazy. I found one sentance that had no period, there was an instance where the wrong character names were in the wrong spots, some things were spelled wrong, there were random switches from 1st to 3rd person between paragraphs, the author put in parenthesis "?," "!," and "..." instead of actually writing out any sort of bewilderment, and some things randomly appeared or disappeared. I'm betting it was better in Japanese, but that doesn't stop me from noticing it's a mess in English.

What kills me is how many of my friends didn't notice.

[Wolvel]

Normally, when I read, I'm a reader. My reader and writer rarely ever surface at the same time. So critiqueing as I read is a rarity for me. Usually I just enjoy the story.

Unless something happens in the story, either a plot quirk, or a grammatical problem, or a hitch in the writing, THEN my writer wakes up and starts to tear the book apart.

Usually though, instead of continuing reading, I just move on to another book and leave that one unfinished.

I try to seperate the reader from the writer in me. Its just there are some stories I can't get past a hitch in the way the author wrote the book.

Case in point was back in my early twenties I was heavily into reading Conan the Barbarian novels. Most of them were fine but there was one by Roland Green I could not get past. I think he was trying to build some drama in the scene and went for the effect. It fell apart and I didn't even finish the book.

[Use Her Name]

I have been reading Norman Mailer's "The Spooky Art" which is writing advice. A lot if it is mind boggling stuff I never thought of before. Anyway, he has some advice on reading I think I will take. One is really to read only "masters" of writing. Writers who are obviously good. You tend to pick up things from the things you read, and (I would guess) you might not want to pick up, and try to emulate bad writing (innocently), because just because it is in the bookstore, does not mean it is good writing. I think you do it subconsciously. I don't know how good memory is, but they say everything you see, do , read and so on is stored in your brain. I really wouldn't want bad writing in there (maybe this is overkill).


Another is not to read any book that is too new. He says it is because most new books are published quickly and fail, frankly. You should only read books that have been on the market for a few years-- Not necessarily best sellers, because those are not always good either-- constantly sold, that is. In that way, you read only books that have staying power, and are better in one way or other than others.

Oh, a third piece of related advice is that even the so called masters like Hemingway, had horrible flaws in their writing. He said that Hemingway wrote the way he did to compensate for inadequacies in his writing. He could not write a complex sentence to save his life (according to Mailer). He gave a few other examples of the flaws of various "great" writers.

So, over the past few days, I've been thinking: so, if Hemingway had a flaw, and if he was heralded as a genius because of his manner of compensation, then all those who followed and emulated him were emulating flawed writing. So the flaw becomes institutionalized and taught, and it then becomes standard, and on and on.

To me this means that everyone can choose to follow some writing guru, who is preaching last decade's flawed writing ideas, or go off and create their own style and remain truer to themselves.

This was more of a source of inspiration to me, because it told me that as long as I fulfilled the basic rules of grammar and so on, I could tell an honest story, despite the fact that my writing might have flaws.

Anyone see this?

[Shweta]

. One is really to read only "masters" of writing. Writers who are obviously good. You tend to pick up things from the things you read, and (I would guess) you might not want to pick up, and try to emulate bad writing (innocently), because just because it is in the bookstore, does not mean it is good writing.

I tend to read only those people I think are good because I get annoyed at writing I think is bad. However, I'm no way nohow going to resort to someone else's list of "masters" for that. I read enough and widely enough to have my own list.

I think you do it subconsciously. I don't know how good memory is, but they say everything you see, do , read and so on is stored in your brain. I really wouldn't want bad writing in there (maybe this is overkill).

I think this only happens when one reads uncritically. I've read some messes which taught me what not to do -- but only because I was aware that they were messes and thought about how.

Another is not to read any book that is too new. He says it is because most new books are published quickly and fail, frankly.
Yeah, not gonna happen here. For one reason, at this point staying power and quality are not hugely linked. This approach cuts out the midlist entirely, and I find that much of the best writing is in the midlist.

Another reason is that it's really hurting oneself as a writer not to have a sense of what's current in the field.

So I go by my mnowledge and by word of mouth. It works far better, IMO, than any rules of what you can and cannot read.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

This is an interesting thread. :) I think I'll add my two cents and maybe a bag of :popcorn:for Shweta, so she doesn't have to slink away all depressed. :)


To the OP's question, I have a similar problem. Many a time I have started reading a book, only to find myself unable to get into it because of the writing. I have recently put down about three or four books by somewhat well-known names because the writing just did not suit me. I am amazed at how picky I have become over the last couple years. There was a time when I could devour almost any Fantasy novel or short story. That time has long since passed. :(

I don't like not being able to read what would normally be an interesting story, but like one poster put it, 'I has that problem now.' Not much I can do about it except find works by people that I know write well. :Shrug:

[Shweta]

Yaaaay!
:popcorn:

[simplyaven]

Reading is a treat, an escape for me. I wouldn't spoil it. Besides, when I start reading a book I enter a world created by someone else. I respect both their imagination and their efforts. If I don't feel comfortable in this world, I'm free to go. But I agree with the point that reading masters is best. And I've noticed certain expressions and words I've remembered without thinking of it.

I like Hemingway, he is different. I hope one day my work would be qualified as "different" too. There are many world known authors whose writing style is difficult in one or another way for many readers. It doesn't make the writers worse, though. One example - Markes. Many people can't finish even a chapter of his books. It's all about personal feelings and attitude toward art. Same with paintings or music.

[Zoombie]

Okay, this happens to me sometimes...but I've got it under control.

Sorta. I can still enjoy my guilty pleasures, because...I've found a lot of them are actually VERY well written, at least from a technical aspect...

[freezer burned]

Earlier this month I sat down to read some Hemmingway. After the first chapter of "The Sun Also Rises," I said, "God this is boring! Who published this Crap!"
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I thought I was the only person on Earth who can't stand Hemingway!! :hooray:
Sometimes boring is fun! For examples, see: Jim Jarmusch's films "Down By Law" and "Stranger Than Paradise."
Oh, a third piece of related advice is that even the so called masters like Hemingway, had horrible flaws in their writing. He said that Hemingway wrote the way he did to compensate for inadequacies in his writing. He could not write a complex sentence to save his life (according to Mailer). He gave a few other examples of the flaws of various "great" writers.

So, over the past few days, I've been thinking: so, if Hemingway had a flaw, and if he was heralded as a genius because of his manner of compensation, then all those who followed and emulated him were emulating flawed writing. So the flaw becomes institutionalized and taught, and it then becomes standard, and on and on.

To me this means that everyone can choose to follow some writing guru, who is preaching last decade's flawed writing ideas, or go off and create their own style and remain truer to themselves.

This was more of a source of inspiration to me, because it told me that as long as I fulfilled the basic rules of grammar and so on, I could tell an honest story, despite the fact that my writing might have flaws.
A quote that I think may fit in fine here: "Does one's integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do? I think that usually it does, for free will does not mean one will, but many wills conflicting in one man. Freedom cannot be conceived simply." -- Flannery O'Connor

It doesn't apply completely here, but it does make sense on some level.

[Gary Clarke]

I find that one of the problems that I have is, I can't read while I'm writing. It's unbelievably annoying. It seems to be easier to read research books, or stories that are waaaaay outside my current genre, but I seemingly don't have the head-space to immerse myself into another person's universe. I'm currently struggling with writers exhaustion ( crawling towards the end of a long, long project) and suddenly I’m reading voraciously. I'm greatly looking forward to my time off, when I can sit down and thoroughly enjoy a book again.

As for punctuation, grammar etc. ( even spelling, as spell check can only catch so much) I’m almost dyslexic when it comes to such things. I simply cannot get these rules to stay in my head, and I depend very much on others to point them out to me. I doubt I’m the only writer who has this problem. This has led to my having to proof read my edits very, very closely, but then just keep my fingers crossed.

Following the edit right to the end is something that I firmly believe any writer should do, if given the chance. Editors, particularly in foreign translations, can sometimes make huge changes to an MS, and, lets face it, once your book is on the shelf it’s not your editor that people will be calling an illiterate fool, it’s you.