Zen Master: Blog

I try to privately email other authors to let them know that the lack of a proofreader is obvious, but sometimes I can't find a way to do that. We all need proofreaders. We have what we want to write in our minds, and we type what we're thinking. We cannot proofread our own work, as our minds know what words are supposed to be there and we don't notice the mistake. It takes a separate person, reading someone else's work, to notice things that have gone awry.
A spell-checker program will only point out things that aren't correctly-spelled words. The program has no way to know that the correctly-spelled word used isn't the CORRECT word. Only a human reader will realize that there's something wrong.

-ZM

I've been reading your current story "A New Life" and I keep seeing the word "power" where the word "powder" fits the context. I mean, the narrator is talking about 1800s weapons, and he says "... and power and shot for the revolvers...". I've seen it twice so far. A spell-checker program will not find this, since 'power' is a properly-spelled word. It's just the wrong word. You need a second pair of eyes to catch stuff like that.

(Oh, yeah. You seem to have all SOL feedback turned off. Email, feedback, reader comments, all off. The only way to tell you is a public shout-out in the blogs.....)

-ZM

Personally, I think you've missed the point. The people behind SOL aren't saying that you can't or even shouldn't write about younger people having sex. They've never said that.

What they have said was that you can't post such stories on their website. That's not a subject for argument. It's their website. They can make whatever rules they want. They can prohibit stories that mention Toyota vehicles if they want. You can still write car stories, but if you mention Toyotas you have to post them elsewhere. Follow their rules or go elsewhere.

In this case, they have posted in various places that they have a rule, they have explained that rule, and they have even given their reason for that rule. Whether you or I or anyone else believes that their reason makes sense or is true or relevant does not matter. Personally, I think that the rule is silly, but this is their house. All that matters is that this is their website and they have posted rules for its use. Follow the rules and use the website, or don't.

When you complain about the rules on someone else's website being wrong or unfair, you are a religious bigot insisting that others follow YOUR values. If you came to my house and started telling me that I'm using the living room wrong, I'd throw you out on the curb.

Have you considered starting your own free web-publishing website that has whatever rules you want? If you do a good enough job, eventually you will have people come and complain about your rules.

Me, I'm happy here on SOL but I have a well-received story on ASSTR that can't come here because it revolves around a woman, now of age, who became a sex-slave when much younger. It doesn't matter how the subject is treated. It isn't allowed on SOL.

Follow their rules or go elsewhere. It's not a hard decision. Tell the webmaster, if you want. Maybe you can convince him he's wrong. Whining to the readers that you don't like the rules does not increase my respect for you.

-ZM

Did you know that you have comments turned off on your blog? What's the point of having a blog if no one can reply? That's very much like saying "Y'all should listen to what I want to say but I have no desire to hear your reply".

Um, have you considered having someone else look over your work before you post it? SOL calls that person an 'editor' but since you retain full control he or she is really a 'proofreader'. SOL maintains a long list of people who have volunteered to do that for other authors.

-ZM

One of the other authors here just mentioned that Wes Boyd has left this vale of tears. The only reason that "Busted Axle Road" isn't on my favorites list is that I never finished reading it so I don't know how it turns out. I couldn't. I was laughing too hard.

-ZM