New Year's Resolutions

Every year we all go through the same ritual. We decide those issues we wish to change about our lives and resolve to change them in the forthcoming year. Some succeed. For most of us, it's just another year of empty promises. Well... the Mistress of the Red Ink Pen is slamming down the gauntlet to all you writers out there.

In my fifteen years of editing, I've seen the good, the mediocre, and the what-the-hell-were-you-thinking. There is NO EXCUSE for today's novelists, or any writers for that matter, not to present writing that is error free. The internet is available over the world and access is better than ever. 

RESOLVE to use the internet if you can't find a dictionary or thesaurus--most programs have them automatically installed.

RESOLVE to learn the correct tenses of verbs. This is another case of using the internet, public or personal library to verify the correct word/s. Don't make your editor crazy.

RESOLVE to perform at least ONE edit/read through before sending off your manuscript to the publishing house. Yes, editors are supposed to find the little glitches in the manuscript and note them to you so you can correct them. How lovely would it be if your editor emailed you there were none?

RESOLVE to be the best writer you can be.

Don't make me break out my red pen. Have a great new year and create some magic.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Merry Christmas

The Mistress has set the red pen on the desk and is contemplating the state of the world. I think we all need to take one or two days, shut off all of the annoying outside distractions and savor what we have. So many have far less.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

One more time...

IT

A pretty talented young writer named Stephen King wrote a story entitled IT. This has nothing to do with that story.

This has to do with the overuse of the word it. The word is small, only two letters, yet the impact made by these two letters can drive some people to contemplate -- literacide. 

I'm not suggesting elimination. I'd be at an utter loss with the use of it, however, after you've written your preliminary draft, edit your work, putting in the time to search for alternatives.

When you spot the little devil, ask yourself what is the it? Are you referring to a person? Item? By putting in a specific descriptive word, will you be creating a redundancy of phrases? If so, then you need to work a bit harder to be clear. 

Writing for others to read requires the author to be knowledgeable about the language while still entertaining. Do the work. Your good novel will become a great novel.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Three little letters

It's so simple. Just three little letters that seem to confuse the heck out of writers, professional and otherwise. Let's break it down...

It's - is a contraction of two words: it is. Put them together and you have it's.

its - a possessive pronoun, for example: The shield is its protection against fire. 

Read the context of your sentence. Are you trying to shorten it is, or are you describing a possession of some thing?

Now do it right.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

What's in a name?

Names. They are necessary for characterization when writing. I have a 'naming' book I use if my stories are short and punchy. The book provides simple meanings for basic names of most nationalities. I also have reference books for the specific cultures I might feature.

If I wish to portray a female character who'll be a strong warrior and lead a clan into battle, I'll go to my reference material and search for a name that provides those characteristics. Aife is a Celtic name of a great warrior woman of myth.

When you are choosing names for your characters, be cautious not to make them sound alike if possible. You don't want your readers paging backward to remember if it was Bill or Phil who is the bad guy. They'll do it once. Then the book goes in the trash and you lose a reader.

If you decide on a name and something nags at you that the name is familiar, check it. While names can't be copyrighted, they can be so heavily identified with a character, you'll appear to be plagiarizing someone else's work. Not a prospect I want to consider.

There is a world of names out there and some have unique meanings. Spend time to give your characters an identity from the start. After all, most of us know who Albus Dumbledore is, don't we?

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Welcome to Genie Gabriel

From the Mistress:

I'm taking time to quit kvetching and share with you the writings of an amazing talent. Please take a look and keep in mind the author will be giving away a digital copy of 'More than Just a Dog' to one randomly selected visitor. So please stop and leave a comment for your opportunity to win a copy of this novel.

Here's a taste:

Three generations of independent women, driven in different directions by one man’s anger. Until his death reconnects them with their mystical Irish ancestors and wonders beyond this limited human existence.

Trained in the shamanic arts by her Irish grandmother, Chessie Durand travels to alternate worlds to rescue animals in danger. Aided by her Chosen One, an angel dog and a mysterious merkaba necklace, she discovers powers unknown to most humans.

Ever practical, her mother provides a sanctuary for these alien and exotic species stall-beside-stall with barnyard creatures. And when their paradise is threatened by ignorance and poachers and unknown dangers beyond the stargates, Marlise loads her shotgun and joins the fight.

Oh, alright. Here's more of the story.

With only a fleeting second thought, Peter entered the coordinates in the computer implanted in his wrist to transport to the cave on Chessie’s farm. His mentor had warned him of disturbances in the stargate that caused several “incidents” and had resulted in the decision to seal it off. However, Peter hoped opening the surface entrance had corrected those disturbances.

This was the most direct route to see Chessie and, after weeks of waiting, he wanted more than to just court her in dreams. He wanted to touch her. Smell the scent of flowers in her hair. Convince her they could build a relationship in the real world.

But which real world? His dimension or hers? Or perhaps somewhere totally different.

One step at a time, Peter reminded himself. After his abrupt departure the last time he had seen her, Chessie might not exactly fall eagerly into his arms. Best he establish a cover story before he contacted her. Thanks to a disagreement between the ruling governments of his dimension, he had some time off between assignments of retrieving endangered species during which he could pursue his Chosen One.

He stepped through the stargate in his dimension, anticipating the look of pleasure on Chessie’s face when she saw him.

”Danger. Danger. Coordinates cannot be guaranteed.” His computer implant transmitted the message to Peter’s brain as his body was sucked into a spinning vortex, faster and faster, buffeted on all sides by angry voices and recriminations until he blacked out.

~ * ~

The rock formations fascinated Chessie as she descended into the cave. However, the hot springs drew her most strongly. She loved to slip into the heated water and feel all her tensions wash away, as she was doing today. She thought about posting a notice at the entrance of the cave informing her family of her private hours in the hot springs so she could soak in the nude. But so far, she limited herself to wearing a modest one-piece bathing suit while in the springs.

Her body floated slightly as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on a rubber pillow she brought with her. “Ahhh…”

She wondered if Peter would enjoy the hot springs as much as she did. Where was he? Were her dreams of Peter and the cave simply her overactive imagination?

Intuitively, she knew more than fantasies were involved. She hoped by returning to the cave, she could solve this mystery.


With her eyes closed, her mind and body relaxed even more. The water rippled against her skin, soothing and calming. A small wave splashed against her chin and Chessie shifted her body. Opening her eyes, she noticed tiny, choppy waves across the pool’s surface that hadn’t been active when she first stepped into the pool.

Sitting up straight now, she touched the merkaba around her neck and wondered if some of its magic was at work.

The ground began rumbling.

Get out of the pool. Chap’s image appeared in her mind.

She didn’t need to be told twice. She shoved her feet back in her tennis shoes and pulled the terry cloth robe around her body.

Frozen with fascination, she stared toward the rock wall where the cave ended—that her grandmother insisted wasn’t the same as when the cave had been closed up.

The rock wall was now splitting apart like giant elevator doors, revealing the dark night sky filled with billions of stars and a spinning vortex that grew larger and larger as it moved toward her.
Use the merkaba, Chap stated. Do not give in to fear. Simply know the merkaba will protect you.
Chessie braced her feet at shoulder width apart and placed a hand over the merkaba. Protect all that is pure. Surround us with love and keep us safe.

She didn’t know where the words came from, but Chessie repeated them over and over as the vortex engulfed her, echoing with her grandfather’s angry voice. “You will never practice your witch’s spells again! You will be obedient! You will do as I tell you!”

Images of her grandfather as he had been when alive swirled within the vortex. Chessie held fast to the merkaba and called upon the spirit of her grandfather. Help us! By all that is loving and pure, keep us safe!

As Chessie repeated these words, a body fell at her feet as the vortex faded and drifted away like mist dispersing under the morning sun.

About Genie...

Fur against my face and the soft smell of a dog curled protectively around me existed before my first memories of this life. So began my journey of being more in tune with animals than with people.

I went through the expected motions of marriage, kids, divorce, and career, but usually out of step with most of the human population. This proved to be an advantage in developing an independence and a curiosity about things most people don’t even consider.

A minor health issue led to energy healing and becoming a master level Reiki practitioner. Working at the local animal shelter flipped on the switch to communicating with animals. Each dog I adopted showed miraculous changes most people couldn’t believe.

As a writer, I explored the mysteries of why people behave as they do, and also became fascinated by science, especially quantum physics. But perhaps my favorite way of writing stories is to ask the question, “What if?” and dive into those imagined worlds—surrounded by my beloved furbabies, of course!

Website URL: www.GenieGabriel.com
Blog URL: http://quantumcanines.blogspot.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/genene.valleau

Very, very, very interesting subject

Today, we attack the overuse of adverbs. The biggest problem I find as an editor is writers insisting on using overwhelming amounts of adverbs. The words very, really, hardly, every, pretty much all the ly words should be banned from use in manuscripts. A strong adjective or precise verbs can relay the information you need to get across to your readers. Adding very or really doesn't make quite the impact. For example:

She was very pretty or her beauty was breathtaking. 

He worked really hard or he toiled from sunup to sundown.

Go through your manuscript, search and find all the verys, reallys, and ly words. Then eliminate them and use proper adjectives to enforce your story.

I'm Baaaccckkk!

You thought you were shed of me. Ha!

Today, I'm approaching a subject where I have been guilty of committing this sin. Character crowds.

What? Character crowds. As I mentioned, I'm guilty of creating such a phenomena. I was encouraged to expand a story I'd written about a reverse Frog/Princess story with Dragons and Shapeshifters. The story started simply with the main female shapeshifter discovering her condition and a real dragon near Mt. St. Helen's in Washington. I made the mistake of allowing the characters to take over and, quickly, wound up with clans of dragons and shifters from all corners of the world. 

This book did become the base for my dragon series but, initially, that was not my intention. Having so many characters vying for the reader's attention will make them tired, cranky and liable to put the book down and walk away. I've been fortunate my readers liked the story enough to slug through the characters and ask for more.

If you must have myriad characters, give them names that aren't similar. Provide solid descriptions of the characters and give each a particular trait shared by no other. Let their personalities shine so your reader knows exactly who is speaking when they read the lines. If there have been numerous pages since the character appeared, give a short introduction, i.e., Bob, Betty's old boyfriend who recently returned from Asia...

You can always create an index page listing the names and a few identifying traits.

I think it best to create your characters so well, there is no need for an index. After all, look what J.K. Rowling accomplished with her cast of thousands. Everyone knows who Snape is.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Putting life on hold.

The Mistress of the Red Ink Pens is putting all projects on hold for the time being. 

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Two little words -- as, so

AS

I recently edited a story consisting of around ninety thousand words. In the one hundred fifty pages of text, the word as was used 2600 times. After the first thirty or forty instances, I decided to search and find just how many were in the manuscript. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. 

My Doubleday Dictionary cites the word to be an adverb. Adverbs are defined thusly: 'Any of a class of words used to modify the meaning of a verb, adjective, or other adverb, in regard to time, place, manner, means, cause, degree, etc.'

When writing your story, after the first draft, check your verbs. If they are strong active verbs, the need for additional adverbs will be unnecessary. Don't tack on additional bits and bobs with, "as he left the room" or "as if she didn't already know". Once or twice in your work is sufficient; 2600 times is over the top. Your reader will close the story and walk away. 

SO

Another adverb overly abused in writing. I'm finding too many authors depend on this little word to start a sentence or conversation. "So, what do you think?" While this is common everyday language, we as writers should strive for the best standard to present to the reader. "What do you think?" conveys the same message and doesn't sound -- sloppy. 

This little word, along with a couple others I'll rave on about later, has become a standard crutch for too many. After you have finished your novel, newspaper piece, or story, do a search/find to see how much you might have abused the two little adverbs here; as, so.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Four letter word

What you see above is the Mistress after having removed the 100th that in a manuscript... in the first chapter. Obviously, I'm exaggerating, a bit, but some days it feels as though writers have forgotten all the rules of English.

That is, indeed, a four letter word. It's the lazy way of taking a pause while pretending to write. Even the Mistress uses the word when speaking, but my keyboard gives me an electric shock if I write it in a story.

Go through your manuscript. Search and find  EVERY that. Read the sentence with it, then read the sentence eliminating the word. Nine times out of ten, you'll realize the word is unnecessary to the thought you want to convey. Consider it a four letter word and stop using it.

Your editor will love you.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

A day to reflect.

Today, we had to let this beautiful baby go. Medical issues forced us to reconsider our decision to own this bike. With the Master looking at another back surgery, riding has morphed into pain not pleasure. I'll be back tomorrow to rage on another editing subject. Tonight... we mourn.

Mistress of Red Ink Pens

Questions?

Don't miss out. This is your chance to stump the Mistress. What is the one question you have been dying to ask some "know-it-all" English person?

See if you can make the Mistress hesitate.

Let the editing... begin.

Official Mistress of the Red Ink Pen Tool

Today we attack, and then/but then. The Goddess who was charged with editing my early manuscripts, and dragging me into this profession, earned her expertise as the Editor of a daily newspaper for thirty (30) years.

Her biggest peeve, and now mine, is the overuse of the phrases, and then or but then. The two words together are nothing more than stuttering. And is used to connect two ideas, just as the word then; granted then gives a bit of timing to the idea, but so does and. You can't do two things simultaneously. You may be in the big store shopping for groceries, decide to order your medication, and pick it up later. However, time will elapse between your tasks.

If you go to Place (a) and Place (b), the reader can deduce the actions were completed in one trip since you mentioned them in the same sentence or paragraph. There is no need to say, "and then" or "but then". Putting and then or but then together is nothing short of saying and and or then then; but but or then then.

The lines are bubbling along when, "and then" or "but then" pops up on the page. If you are putting the story down for the first time, continue to the end. THEN, go back and edit, edit, edit.

Example:

Joan parked the truck in the overcrowded lot. Why was it every fool, and their neighbor, felt the need to grocery shop on a Friday night? Maybe she should wait until the morning. After all, who would care except Tessa? Just the thought of her dog prompted her to brave the insanity. She grabbed the handle, jumping when the heavy door swung open, the metal slipping from her grasp. She snapped her head sideway to see who was bold enough to try and harass a uniformed deputy, in her car, still wearing her loaded service revolver?

Eyes the color of a Caribbean Sea held her attention. Joan sucked in a deep breath, then released a husky, "James."

Okay, it's not Shakespeare, but the paragraphs hold your attention more than if I would have written:

She grabbed the handle, but then the door opened, slipping from her fingers. She snapped her head sideway to see who was bold enough to try and harass a uniformed deputy, in her car, still wearing her loaded service revolver?

Eyes the color of a Caribbean Sea held her attention. Joan sucked in a deep breath, and then released a husky, "James."

If you insist on taking the easy way out, I'll have you choose either and or then; but or then--just ask my authors. They hate it. You are a writer, get imaginative.

I have weapons of Red Ink Destruction, and I'm not afraid to use them.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Short and sweet

You've received a contract, and the time has come to begin the editing. Have you been 100% honest with your new publisher, and especially your editor, about your writing and publishing history? I hope so because once I've been assigned a new author, the first step I do is to run a name search on the internet; for the writer's legal name and pen name.

When I locate the author's name, website, or Facebook page, I read about them. It's amazing what people will say on Facebook that they wouldn't swear to in a court of law. If you've tried to play off you haven't been published before, but have a year's worth of blogs on a site or in the public domain, you just lied.

Save yourself the embarrassment and back-pedaling; make your editor aware you've experience writing [and self-editing] on a blog or in a newsletter at work. This gives me knowledge about your ability to take suggestions and sets the tone for a better working relationship. As an editor, I DO have the ability to say no to an assignment.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Can you put that in the form of a question, please?

I think it only fair to put you to work, too. So... Fridays will be question days. If you have a question you are dying to ask, do so. Otherwise, I'll put up a picture featuring red that strikes my fancy.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Oh, ye of little Knowledge.

Yes, the saying is -- borrowed. Literary license; my story, and I'm sticking to it. The image is free clip art, because I'm... as my Scottish ancestors would say... thrifty. Since we have belabored the obvious, let's get started. We have a lot of work to do.

Here you are, completed manuscript in hand, wondering about the next step. You are afforded several options; however, is your masterpiece ready for the next step? Writing this novel has taken several months, possibly, years to finally arrive at your destination. What could you possibly need to do?

The list is endless.

Take a serious look at the manuscript you have in hand; you've just finished the work. I would suggest placing it in a drawer, and walking away for a week, maybe even, a month. After that time, take your manuscript from its place of rest, and read the story from Chapter One, page one, with rested eyes. If you are unable to see anything but perfection, then ask a trusted friend to read it. Make sure this person will not have a problem making a brutal critique about your writing. Having someone fluff your ego at this stage, isn't wise. You need an honest, truthful assessment, as it is; warts and all.

Would you print the story, right now, just the way it is written? Would you be proud of the product, all the grammar and punctuation?

Even the famous 'gray' author stated she felt her story was released too soon. She wanted to do more editing before publication. When you sign a contract with the majority of publishing houses, you release control over most of your work. You are just the messenger--who can write, sort of.

If you and your 'reader' aren't 100% comfortable with the work, it's time for you to become the Mistress of Red Ink Pens. Edit your work, then do it again. Two times of clean editing before submitting to a publisher is a good number to use. Having your editor remark they have to search for errors in your work versus a manuscript resembling elementary school writing, will generate a willing partner in the process of getting your work to the public versus a roadblock at every turn.

Writers who, not only entertain but send near-perfect manuscripts, usually have editors arm wrestling to edit their work. They build a vocal cheering squad, too. Yes, I'll get a pittance of royalty when the book is released, but considering the readers I'll try to send the author's direction, I believe the arrangement evens out.

Grit your teeth and pay your dues by editing before sending. Don't make me use my Red Ink Pen...


Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

FYI-this blog took about thirty minutes to write. It took an hour and a half to edit, and I'm sure I missed something. Our chosen passion is not easy, contrary to what most people think.

Covens of editors

I, Mistress of the Red Ink Pens, aka C. L. Kraemer, do hereby state this blog is for 'entertainment' and possible 'education' purposes only. The information I offer has been learned through my experience and guidance from editors of my writing. I offer this to you, 'as is'.

This last weekend, I met with a couple other editors to discuss the current issues we face.

Just a note: we met through a professional writing organization as we, too, are novelists.

I'd let them know prior to our meeting time about this blog, and my intention to share with everyone the trials, tribulations, and hair-pulling involved in preparing a manuscript for publication. Their response was--overwhelming--to say the least. We normally meet and discuss where we are with our current novels, what new marketing ideas we will be trying, and book cover ideas. We figure our meetings will last two hours. 

Some meetings center on editing, and the challenges presented to our graphic artist/editor/author members. When I started listing the topics about which I'll be writing, somewhere along the line, the floodgates opened, and I sat furiously taking notes for new topics. Three hours later, we parted ways.

I'm going to touch on grammar, punctuation, research, and so much more.

Right now, I'm taking the 4th off to thank every military person I know for my ability to complain on this blog, and any other place I choose. Billy Ray Cyrus has a song titled, "Some Gave All, All Gave Some." It touches me every time I hear it. Thank a veteran for your ability to read whatever you like. Then assemble your armor, because when I return, I'll be lunging and parrying manuscripts until the floor runs red with ink.

Happy 4th of July, America.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Boy, are you in trouble!

Today, I had a meeting with several other editing cohorts. This meeting of great minds was to pool  thoughts about what sets our teeth on edge, and tempts us to pull great handfuls of hair from our heads. While no alcohol was consumed, we did resist the urge to run screaming from our meeting, and attack all we saw with our exploding red pens.

I'm sure when we've taken the proper dosages of medication, we'll be fine. But don't bet on it...

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

To be Continued...

Picture courtesy Anthony Sisson via The Dragon Den.

Sometimes, life makes you wait.

The Mistress of Red Ink Pens has been ill, but will return in a day or two, ink pens filled to the max, and ready to rage.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

"Luke, I am your fa..." What? Oh, sorry. Wrong blog.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens is the daughter of a Marine. Hence, the insignia--and it has red.

This session is going to be very bumpy, so buckle your seat belts.

I have been assigned 'newbie' authors from the beginning of my editing career. My initial course of action was to cross t's and dot i's, but not make too many waves. Safe -- too safe.

Big publishing company editors are a completely different breed than myself. Many of them are aiming to simply plump the bottom line of the publisher's ledger and, at the same time, their own portfolios and checking accounts. A good example is a recently released book that has gone to the top of the charts and been made into a movie. Readers I know have commented the writing was so awful they wondered if the book had been edited at all. Didn't stop them from reading or buying the book, but how much better would it have been with careful editing?

 

Now--the tough part. When I am assigned as your editor, all forms of democracy cease to exist. I won't work with your Aunt Tilly or Uncle Bob, your best friend, next door neighbor, the guy on the bus who's got a 'sure fire' way to sell your book or anyone else. This work is between you and me.

I promise to help YOU smooth over the bumps in the manuscript.

I'll point out inconsistencies in your characters and mistakes in spelling.

I'll question facts you're trying to pass off as truth if I don't have direct knowledge of them myself.

I'll HIGHLY suggest you eliminate overused phrases and, with my teeth clenched so hard they squeak, make the point you've described the event perfectly without using a 'like' phrase.

I'll suggest you try not to include every single detail of a movement performed by the character to avoid grocery lists of three or more actions. And, believe it or not, there is a valid reason for all this -- torture.

My ruthless nit-picking is to resolve these items before the book hits the streets. The cost to reprint a novel is horrendous. Seldom, if ever, is a book reprinted. Editing should have caught the oopses.  Behind all the sweet smiles of your friends and family, lie literary tigers ready to pounce on any errors that slip through the system.

If you and I are working together without a publisher, then we can plan to prevent the problems prior to their arrival.

I'm still the boss. With two of us focusing on one end goal, we'll get there faster, and in the fashion we want. If you try to bring your village, the results will remind you of Congress and the Health Plan.

You are free to ask for another editor, or walk away. If you dare...

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Edit my email or blog? Have you lost your mind?

There have been whispers...

Let's get to the meat of the issue. You have just announced to the world that you are a -- ta da!--WRITER. After all the oohing and aahing subsides, you bask in the glow of expected glory tinged with a bit of envy [oh, that's the green hue]. What you have just done, in effect, is shot yourself in the foot.

Being a "writer" means you know how to do all that English stuff, right?

With your announcement, you put your language abilities in the line of fire. You'll be expected to spew forth pearls of wisdom perfectly written and properly punctuated. Oh, poop. Didn't think of that. Every notation, refrigerator reminder, sticky note to your boss, all communication you make will come under intense scrutiny. The days of dashing off quick, poorly written, emails to your friends have ended.

Before you initiate the send button on your email account, edit what you have said. Is it properly punctuated? Is it an actual letter, or a line of hieroglyphics only understood by three people in your friends group? In a blog, have you taken the time to check your spelling?

It has become commonplace for employers, agents, publishing houses, and everybody's grandmother to use the email for communicating. Employers, agents and those in the business end of the world, judge the sender, first, by the prose of the text, second, by the proper use of the English in the text, and, third but not last, by the punctuation. Diplomas and degrees don't necessarily guarantee a job.

Your grandmother--well, she's just your grandmother.

If you can't write a readable, intelligent email, how are people expected to think you will write a novel worth reading?

Edit your emails.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Why?

Why? Why would anyone give a rat's behind about editing or writing issues?

To use a phrase my parents wore out... because I said so. {eye roll, here}

Because... if we stop giving a rat's behind about simple issues such as punctuation, using the right form of a verb, and so on, we'll be forced back to a time when communication was grunting a certain length and volume. Oh, wait a minute. That form of communication still exists--in recliners and on bar stools.

The enlightened age of electronics has tried to eliminate communication requiring any thinking beyond initials, hashtags, and 120 characters. That's a lazy person's way to elude responsibility for what you're about to put into cyberspace.

I'll age myself here and admit I grew up with 'party line' phone service--no, not the one where you call and have phone sex with multiple unknown people from multiple locations, but--picking up the phone, as quietly as possible, so you won't interrupt another person's on-going conversation.

You know, sharing phone service with four to five other people on your block? No? It was literally one step above having an operator put your call through. It required the caller to think about what they said or understand their business would soon be everybody's business.

In days of yore, knowledge was protected as ferociously as gold. Reading was considered attainable only by the wealthy and upper level churchmen, i.e., priests, cardinals and the like. These days, the internet has provided a wealth of information, and disinformation, to anyone able to decipher the letters on the screen. It has also done a fantastic job of dumbing down the public. Want to say something outrageous but can't spell it? Make it into initials, OMG!, and stick a bunch of punctuation behind it because, who knows what it means anyway, and who cares?

I believe writers, and I am one myself, have a duty to know what they are writing, and how to communicate that information in a form every person will understand. Of course, it's a chore. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be master classes at prestigious colleges around the world offering degrees.

Don't lose readers from your poor English skills. Honestly, I've heard people make the comment that they started reading a book, but the 'writing' was so bad, they put it down and walked away. Remember, the big book stores are constantly offering 'free' downloads of books, so you can't count on the old adage, "well, they bought the book anyway." Not necessarily. 

You may find errors in my ravings; probably so. My 95-year-old aunt commented once, she would stop learning on the day she died. Point well taken. I have shelves of reference books on writing and punctuation, and I still feel uncertain on many occasions.

If you are following this blog, you have been officially warned. I felt it only fair to let you know... you have stepped into the dungeon of the Mistress of the Red Ink Pens. There is no mercy for bad English here... and I don't mean the rock and roll band.

Mistress Red Pen

Bleeding Red Ink

She looks harmless enough, right? She thought so, too. At this point, the Mistress of the Red Ink Pen was trying to juggle college, work full time, and be young without being stupid. The Red Ink Pens had yet to be a force in her life. I was still struggling with the idea of just who I wanted to be, and not finding any answers that brought great satisfaction.

Fast forward mfph-mfph years, and my love of language kicked in with a vengeance. I started editing in small ways; a company newsletter, friends' resumes, and a few short stories. The beast would soon define me, and allow me to focus on using my brain, instead of looks that faded with time.

I have edited with four publishing houses, and am currently editing, and copy-editing, for two of those houses. I find the horrendous lack of education about the language we all speak appalling.

Thus, I will be ranting as the mood, and red ink, strikes.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen