You know, that's one of my major pet hates when it comes to reading fic. I am a bit of a stickler for grammar, and there are a few things that make my teeth ache like nails scratching a blackboard. One of them is the blond/blonde issue (although is not that bad when it comes to brunet/brunette, though I still prefer it when used properly) That one grates, and makes me want to put the fic down immediately.
Another one is the effect/affect issue. I think these two are some of the most wildy missused words that ever existed. "Draco has an effect on Harry, and it affects the way Harry behaves." It's so common to read "Draco has an affect on Harry" instead! And omg, how it grates!!
And then there is the there/their problem. And I could go on and on. O.M.G!! I'm a nightmare!!! Sorry for the rambling mail, you stumbled upon a very touchy subject fo me here! Lololol! *glomps*
Please keep on rambling about grammar issue pet peeves. My lj is certainly the place for it. Admittedly, I am at a point where I am thankful for each fanfic that does not mention "blond" at all. ;)
Actually, better remove that. I wouldn't want to offend anyone, even if my preferences lean towards fics that are free of blonds, Gryffindors and Snakes. *grins*
Ah, really, there was no need. Epithets have been discussed at length in this LJ. And I, personally, will never base my opinion of a fic solely on whether the author uses epithets or not.
That's a really cute cosplay! I don't think I've ever seen one I've really liked, before.
As for your tip for today, I remember being 9 years old when I corrected my teacher about this. She'd written something on the board about a blonde man. I must have been annoying as fuck :DD
Such an interestingly timed post! I was just discussing this issue with torino10154 on IM last night. She's in the process of pre-reading Snarry Thon fics. Anyway, one of the newer writers in the fest submitted a story rife with references to 'the younger man/the older, dark haired-man' etc. and she was coming up with a way to gently suggest that the author use their names.
As I told her, I know I did this, and in fact, when my beta reader at the time suggested (gently) that I stop it, I argued, thinking it would be boring. As I've since learned, no one really notices when you use characters names, but they definitely notice those descriptors. And to think I was so proud of myself when I started using blond/brunet for men. *shakes head at self*
Also, along the same lines, one of my current betas has a pet peeve about using anything but 'said' unless necessary. As she tells me, and she's right, people don't notice when a character 'says' something, but it can be quite distracting when they 'exclaim/declare/hiss/growl' etc. unnecessarily.
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Another one is the effect/affect issue. I think these two are some of the most wildy missused words that ever existed. "Draco has an effect on Harry, and it affects the way Harry behaves." It's so common to read "Draco has an affect on Harry" instead! And omg, how it grates!!
And then there is the there/their problem. And I could go on and on. O.M.G!! I'm a nightmare!!! Sorry for the rambling mail, you stumbled upon a very touchy subject fo me here! Lololol! *glomps*
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Now reading my old fics is a little annoying, but there are way too many for me to comb through lol.
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As for your tip for today, I remember being 9 years old when I corrected my teacher about this. She'd written something on the board about a blonde man. I must have been annoying as fuck :DD
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Hahaha! You were Hermione reincarnate as a chil. :)
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EDIT : Getting the dictionary out, I see that it exists but is referred to as old-fashioned.
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I was just discussing this issue with torino10154 on IM last night. She's in the process of pre-reading Snarry Thon fics. Anyway, one of the newer writers in the fest submitted a story rife with references to 'the younger man/the older, dark haired-man' etc. and she was coming up with a way to gently suggest that the author use their names.
As I told her, I know I did this, and in fact, when my beta reader at the time suggested (gently) that I stop it, I argued, thinking it would be boring. As I've since learned, no one really notices when you use characters names, but they definitely notice those descriptors. And to think I was so proud of myself when I started using blond/brunet for men. *shakes head at self*
Also, along the same lines, one of my current betas has a pet peeve about using anything but 'said' unless necessary. As she tells me, and she's right, people don't notice when a character 'says' something, but it can be quite distracting when they 'exclaim/declare/hiss/growl' etc. unnecessarily.
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I am especially critical of characters that somehow manage to hiss phrases without sibilants, too. :)
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