Short Fiction Break and a Writing Tip

In the busy, back-to-school season

there's nothing like a 

Collection of Short Fiction 

A collection of widely published and, in some cases, award-winning women-oriented short stories from well-respected novelist Joan L. Cannon. All the stories contain rich detail of both language and imagery. They are wide-ranging, with a variety of characters, experiences, and settings and are told in a unique style that is well- seasoned with both wit and insight.

Have been reading more of outside WWI author's work, since I have been under the weather. When I read for pleasure, I try to take off my editor's hat and just relax and enjoy.

But it's hard. The following are easy-to-make mistakes that I found this week from some very famous writers who shall remain nameless.


1. Two lovers are parting forever in the cafe at an airport:

   He stared at her sadly and his eyes dropped into his coffee cup.
an unfortunate case of "wandering eyes." Something I see from time to time...

From a Romance I didn't finish...

   "Sweetheart, are you nauseous?"
nauseous, though often used mistakenly, means something smells bad enough to make YOU sick. The word the author wanted was "nauseated."

and again later in the same book...

   "Darling, be careful. I don't want to loose you."
author meant to say "don't want to lose you." I only listed two here, but there must have been 200 in the part that I read...


2. From a mystery where the police have come with news of the murder:

   The whole Williams's family listened with total attention. 
apostrophe confusion. Plural Possessives get the apostrophe without the S, but in this sentence construction the words Williams Family, are not possessive, so it should be Williamses for regular plural of a family name, not a possessive. This really wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't happened with every plural that ended in S became an apostrophe S instead. Great Story, written by a friend and a professional editor, which again proves that it's almost impossible to proof your own copy. Also this is a viewpoint mistake as nobody can know what All the Williamses were thinking.

3. From a best-selling author, winner of Agatha and RWA awards, who writes mystery and romance under at least 4 different names:

   The boy buried his face in his chest and wept.
pronoun confusion? Or maybe he's a contortionist.