"The knowingness of little girls, is hidden underneath their curls."
~ Phyllis McGinley ~
Spelling
Spelling Is One of my very biggest pet peeves. If I might be allowed to rant for a moment, you're most likely writing on a computer. That means that you're most likely using a word processor. If you're using a word processor, there is NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER for some of the horrific spelling errors I see at times. None. If by some chance you can't afford a commercial word processing program, there is a program called "Open Office." It is an open source application that's free. Just do a search for it, and you'll find a download site.
Spell Check, Spell Check, SPELL CHECK!! Then, when you've finished doing your spell checks, proofread your work. (More on proofreading in another discussion topic). Slowly and carefully, go through your story, looking for things that your spell check will easily miss, such as, "their" instead of "there," or "here" instead of "hear," or, "rapped" instead of "wrapped." Computers aren't infallible. They don't yet take context into account.
Why Is This so important? Why am I sounding like the spelling police, or like Sister Mary Smack-Your-Hands-With-A-Ruler? It's important because when someone is reading your story, and that story is riddled with spelling errors, those errors are distracting, and they interrupt the flow of your story for the reader. When the reader is distracted, he or she won't enjoy your story as much, and that goal you had, of arousing her or him to the point of absolutely NEEDING to masturbate is likely not going to happen.
If Your Word Processor gives you more than one option for a word that it flags, then you'll have to figure out which spelling is the correct one for your purposes. This is quite easy - there are free online dictionaries available. Just enter the word "dictionary" into a search engine, and you'll find piles of them.
And Just A small note here: Certain "vulgarities," such as "cunt," "cunny," "twat," "cum," etc., are going to be flagged by your word processor. Not to worry - most word processors allow you to add words to the internal dictionary that they use. Just be very certain that the word is spelled correctly before you add it.
When You Have taken all the possible care that you can with your spelling, you'll have a story that is much easier for people to read. They won't be left struggling to decipher what you meant, or worse, shaking their heads, thinking, "Oh, my God! Can't this person spell?" When that kind of reaction comes just at the point where Daddy is spreading his ten-year-old daughter's (and I quote from a story I read not long ago) "prefect, smoth, pank little libia," you've utterly ruined the moment for your reader.
Let Me Ask you this: If you went to the store, and paid, say, $25.00 for a new book, and when you began to read it you found it to be riddled with ridiculous spelling errors, what would you do? I know what I'd do. I'd slam the book shut, take it back to the store, demand my money back, and then write a nasty, scathing letter to both the author and the publisher of that book.
It's Just My opinion, but to me, a story riddled with spelling errors shows a complete lack of caring on the part of the author. A lack of caring about the story, and a lack of caring about the reader.
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