On writing in general

[wiseheart]

Reading a lot of Andromeda fanfic lately, I found myself amused about one thing. We non-native speakers are always told to get ourself a beta reader, as our grasp on the elusive phenomenon that's English spelling and grammar is... well, awkward at best. And we are supposed to use spellchecker and grammar checker and probably magical enchantments, too.

Actually, I'm trying to do that all the time. At least the latter three things, as betas aren't as awailable as people might think. And the ones who are any good, are usually overlasted.

But let me say one thing, without wanting to seem overconfident. What I've read so far in my various fandoms has actually made me feel rather good about my own grammar and spelling. Most native speakers (and I'm not speaking about semi-literary fanbrats here) make almost as many mistakes as I do, and I'm using a third language. Granted, my sentence structures tend towards German at times (or Hungarian, which is even worse), but at least I know how to use a spellchecker.

And I haven't even come to speak about the quality of writing itself. It's surprising how many examples of poor writing I've found in my various fandoms. I read in fifteen different ones at the very least, so I have plenty of opportunity to compare.

It's an interesting phenomenon. Usually, when there is a plot, there's also a certain lack of detail, characterization, etc. Everything is very much plot-driven. In sci-fi fandoms, most of the stories written by men belong to this category. Personal interaction between the characters is cut short, and there's usually a great deal of technical detail or battle stuff.

The other version is usually written by female authors. There's a lot of description, relationship stuff, romance (both slash or het) or pure, undiluted smut, but rarely a consequent plotline. Most of the time, these stories are still a more pleasant read, at least for me, as - a female myself - I'm more interested in that sort of stuff.

I'm guilty of the abundance of descriptions, myself. And that of the incredibly complicated plotlines. Technical details are the death of mine, and I suffer more in battle or fight scenes than my own characters. *g*

Ummm... there actually was a point somewhere, but I seem to have lost it somewhere along the way. I'm also not sure that I haven't posted something similar earlier. Doesn't matter. My journal, my inane babbling, right?

Comments

[kln1671.livejournal.com]

I agree! From what I have read of your unbeta'd writing, you write in English a good deal better than the average native English speaker.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks! *blushes*
I'm really trying. The more annoying is that any time I re-read some of my published stuff, I always find one more typo.
That's what I get for being a perfectionist.

[dawtheminstrel.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting observation about how few stories combine plot and character, especially in sci fi or fantasy, where the details of the fictive world sometimes take over. I like character things better too, but I also wish the characters had something interesting to do.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

What's also been my experience is that male readers generally can't deal with stories that have more than just one genre. Action-adventure for them means no romance, and the other way round. Of course, most of them in the various sci-fi fandoms prefer action-adventure, space battles, cool TECH and that sort of thing.

Wow! My reaction time is amazing. It only took me a week to answer! Go me! *g*