I hate when Authors get it wrong

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OsideGirl -> I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 4:13:14 PM)
I first noticed it with a Janet Evanovich book where she got the name of her main characters mother wrong. Considering that she has written 20 Stephanie Plum books, I was surprised that neither author nor the editor caught the mistake. But, now Stuart Woods has trumped her by not only getting a long standing character's name wrong, but also by completely forgetting that in the previous book that the killer had been killed by the main character's secretary. Two books later, the killer is hiding in Mexico. I don't understand how these things get missed by not only the author, but also the editing staff. It turns me off from reading their newer books.

blacksword404 -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 4:48:24 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: OsideGirl I first noticed it with a Janet Evanovich book where she got the name of her main characters mother wrong. Considering that she has written 20 Stephanie Plum books, I was surprised that neither author nor the editor caught the mistake. But, now Stuart Woods has trumped her by not only getting a long standing character's name wrong, but also by completely forgetting that in the previous book that the killer had been killed by the main character's secretary. Two books later, the killer is hiding in Mexico. I don't understand how these things get missed by not only the author, but also the editing staff. It turns me off from reading their newer books. Some authors use a few hand picked fans to bounce ideas like this off of. It keeps them from making mistakes like that.

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 4:56:50 PM)
A lot of them actually work with cards, the characters have their looks and characteristics recorded, and the dead ones end in another box, makes the checking of continuency a lot easier

Rawni -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:04:32 PM)
There is a program that someone suggested to me and it might work for others, but I think it more a hassle. This is something I have seen and want to make sure never happens in one of my book series or even within the same book. I keep notebooks for each book. Actually two notebooks so I can readily grab one to check my facts. I pulled the redhead/blond mix up once and scared me. lol With my memory issues... keeping track of storyline and characters is major work. lol What helps is to have a picture of someone that looks like your character, right in front of you as you write. What I saw the other day when reading a book... just stunned me. I have an author I like for easy reading. I bought the whole series in one shot. Bummer, because as I read the first one, I remembered things about another story, but it wasn't too bad. The second one... I kept thinking, I know this story... but its different. I finally remembered the series name of the one it reminded me of. Same plot, slightly different story. Sure enough... she had written that one too. On top of that, she published all of them during the same three month time period. I can never read her again. I feel cheated. lol

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:18:02 PM)
Sounds like Grisham, liked the 1st book, liked the 2nd book but not so much, read the 3rd book and thought "oh not again" Formula writing doesn't really do it for me

LittleGirlHeart -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:26:33 PM)
What is formula writing?

Rawni -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:34:18 PM)
Formula writing is having a basic plot type that fits the genre you are writing. Though it may work for most, it has serious drawbacks in my opinion. Say romance. You have a man and a woman and attraction of some sort, even if it is not attracted. There is a challenge to getting together. Most often this means someone is rather nasty or combative. It could also mean that there is something that stands in the way of the couple getting together... which they must in the end. Then the resolution. Pretty simple and pretty boring with the limited places this can go and seriously lacking in reality. To some degree you may need this formula... which I have described badly with a headache I have. Still, I want to break out of the formula mold, little by little until one day... we can read romance without all the dysfunction. A couple doesn't need to battle themselves, one another or life to get together. Drama doesn't have to mean, bad drama. lol Formula can mean a box and how it is supposed to be done, based often times on old publishing houses and what they dictated the industry, had to be.

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:37:14 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LittleGirlHeart What is formula writing? You are following a formula, the plot is usually the same, only the location and the characters change, a simple example "Boy meets girl, the fall in love, tragic events pull them apart, a few adventures later they find each other - happy ever after", you can put that into different time periods, use different locations, give the characters different names, etc.

ShaharThorne -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:40:52 PM)
Or you read the book and they made a movie or TV mini-series out of it. Drives me nuts...

jlf1961 -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:44:22 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Rawni Formula writing is having a basic plot type that fits the genre you are writing. Though it may work for most, it has serious drawbacks in my opinion. Say romance. You have a man and a woman and attraction of some sort, even if it is not attracted. There is a challenge to getting together. Most often this means someone is rather nasty or combative. It could also mean that there is something that stands in the way of the couple getting together... which they must in the end. Then the resolution. Pretty simple and pretty boring with the limited places this can go and seriously lacking in reality. To some degree you may need this formula... which I have described badly with a headache I have. Still, I want to break out of the formula mold, little by little until one day... we can read romance without all the dysfunction. A couple doesn't need to battle themselves, one another or life to get together. Drama doesn't have to mean, bad drama. lol Formula can mean a box and how it is supposed to be done, based often times on old publishing houses and what they dictated the industry, had to be. Oh, you mean like the Elvis movies, you can splice in scenes from various movies he made and it will still work, with the exception of the two westerns. Although continuity mistakes are enough to make me quit reading a fiction author, however those "armchair historians" who make mistakes in history based books are the worst.

Rawni -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:47:35 PM)
LOL JLF... one good reason I don't do historical novels! I know I would get something wrong. I just say no and get into my paranormal/fantasy romance. I can make some rules there and I have broken a few. [:D]

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:54:53 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ShaharThorne Or you read the book and they made a movie or TV mini-series out of it. Drives me nuts... I usually even dislike the movies, I'm old fashioned and prefer the books...

jlf1961 -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:55:00 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Rawni LOL JLF... one good reason I don't do historical novels! I know I would get something wrong. I just say no and get into my paranormal/fantasy romance. I can make some rules there and I have broken a few. [:D] Just remember, vampires do not sparkle, walk in daylight, or fall in love. Just read the myths (pre-Stoker)

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 5:58:47 PM)
Ohhh I was a purist but then the BBC had a series and heavens, the vampire was such a dish, I must say I prefer a vampire I can fancy to the horrible looking ones, in fact, Interview with a Vampire was a movie I actually did like...

Rawni -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 6:02:38 PM)
I don't do vampires. So over-done and over-rated. Plus, I suck at it. [:D] I am breaking out of the box of young and beautiful people... you know those are the only kind that can have amazing love stories to tell. I'm working on a series for older folks. We will see how that hurts my numbers or if it fills a spot long ignored. If I end up homeless... you know I'm starting a pity me thread and asking for tributes. [:D]

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 6:11:04 PM)
I think the vampires have been done to death, but I do like a sexy vampire (and the idea of being eternally young - should have asked to be bitten 10 years ago or so) There are actually a few authors in the UK who break the mold and do middle aged romances, lumps and bumps, warts and all, they seem to be selling rather well, especially to female audiences, as they want a character they can relate to

Rawni -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 6:13:59 PM)
I so know it! Where is a vampire when you need one? That is good to hear LC... thanks for adding that note about other authors doing what I am attempting. I need all the encouragement I can get as I travel this new frontier. [:D]

rockspider -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 6:15:54 PM)
If that is your attitude on fiction then throw away your bookshelves, chuck out your DVD player and TV. Accuracy has never been the aim of the entertainment industry. Like Hollywood must have been the inventor of that special style of fucking where it can be done without removing any of your clothes. It must be great against unwanted pregnancies. With 4 layers of clothing in between, I doubt that anybody can get pregnant. I remember when our crown prince got married, Hollywood decided to make a movie on the story. I laughed trough out the whole movie. They must have written the story completely without any form of research. Stuff like how these kind of things actually is conducted, court protocols, engagement and wedding ceremonies and the like was completely ignored and replaced with the Hollywood scriptwriters version. Well it was hilarious and the combined Danish press called it “Just another example of American ignorance and complete disregard for anybody else’s traditions.

LadyConstanze -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 7:03:43 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: rockspider If that is your attitude on fiction then throw away your bookshelves, chuck out your DVD player and TV. Accuracy has never been the aim of the entertainment industry. Like Hollywood must have been the inventor of that special style of fucking where it can be done without removing any of your clothes. It must be great against unwanted pregnancies. With 4 layers of clothing in between, I doubt that anybody can get pregnant. I remember when our crown prince got married, Hollywood decided to make a movie on the story. I laughed trough out the whole movie. They must have written the story completely without any form of research. Stuff like how these kind of things actually is conducted, court protocols, engagement and wedding ceremonies and the like was completely ignored and replaced with the Hollywood scriptwriters version. Well it was hilarious and the combined Danish press called it “Just another example of American ignorance and complete disregard for anybody else’s traditions. Once you get over your dislike of all things American, you could possibly do your research, sure a lot of movies are fast food, and I'm not really a fan of movies and TV, but I somehow fell into working on a script of a bestseller for the movie adaption, things that work in books don't always work on the screen, cinematic effect, the fact that most movies work under a limited time frame, have a budget, etc. plays a factor... Not to mention that you are having massive amounts of money at stake and a few flops can destroy a studio, so the movie adaptions have to tailored to an audience and actually get that audience to purchase tickets. It's not that I dislike all movies, but it takes a good movie to keep me watching it for 90 minutes or more, I want a good story, good acting, good visual effects, another bang bang heist movie with Tom Cruise dangling from wires isn't going to do it. The BBC adaption of the Tudor series was quite good, Californication, Breaking Bad, Borgias - great stuff, attention to detail, superb casting, great acting, good story lines.... As for the movie of some crown prince getting married, blissfully missed it, I guess so did most people. My attitude to fiction is just fine, spent some time studying literature and dedicated 3 years of my life on a thesis (yeah, I guess I won't ever get that time back), but I can appreciate literature, fiction just doesn't need to be pulp.

MercTech -> RE: I hate when Authors get it wrong (3/12/2014 7:04:17 PM)
It sounds like an outline and proofreader fail. She may need to keep a better notebook on character relationships. I've known a few authors that had series stories. A casual mention of someone's mother's name in book 2 then use a different name in book 4 and the fans WILL catch it and give you flack. If you ever meet me in person; buy me a beverage and ask me to tell the tale of a domme friend talking me into helping to serve (waiter and finish cook duty) when she hosted a "High Tea" for a Regency Romance Writer's Workshop. (I didn't come cheap. She was also my landlord and I got some free rent out of the deal as well as keeping the outfit. I still wear the leather jeans for scenes.) Where did I put that copy of the "world rules" from Robert Asprin's series of braided novels "Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn" which set down certain character relationships etc. Wonderful way to keep multiple authors on the same track for shared writing. One thing I've been impressed with is how Eric Flint has handled his "Ring of Fire" series of books. The "canon" for the "1632" universe is available online and fan fiction submissions are welcome. There is a magazine of fan fiction "The Grantville Gazette" that pays pro rates for publication. And the authors of some really good fan fiction have found themselves collaborating with Eric on a novel fleshing out their original stories. Anyway, continuity problems are endemic with authors writing series fiction. Especially if they have multiple series. The editor should have "readers" that actually know the author's work. Often a reader has no clue about an author's other work. (For those that have never been around the book industry. "Reader" is a low level job for a publishing house. A reader reports to the editor and is assigned to read over manuscripts and check for misspellings, gross continuity problems, and anything else the editor expects. This is before typesetting. A "proofreader" is the person that does a similar job on the galley proofs after a test print run but tends to focus on actual print problems with the run. I guess the proofreader's job isn't there for electronic publication except to check that the embedded cover pages fit.)

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