My 200th Post!

Ahem. Drum roll, please.

This marks my 200th post since starting my blog in 2013!

When I started this blog, I didn't have a clue about blogging in general, other than it functioning as anything from an online diary to a teaching or advertising tool. I've learned quite a bit along the way, and have made a number of online friends and friendly acquaintances through the experience. I've seen a lot of those original blogging friends fall off the map, so to speak, and I genuinely miss some of them.

I thought it might be fun to revisit the top posts of each year from then to now. If you're newer to my blog, please do check them out. They're a lot of fun! And if you were around back in the day, do you remember these oldies but goodies?

MyTop Blog Posts

2013

Green Eggs and Ham: A Fresh Look at a Dark Book AND Coffee Chat with S.K. Anthony

There were two top posts that first year, and they just happen to be two of my own favorites! The Green Eggs and Ham post was actually written by my Number Two Son, Jeff, then eighteen (he's now twenty-three and just got married last month). His "I don't know what to write" for a school essay tied with the original, very first, one-that-started-it-all Coffee Chat for the number one spot. This first Coffee Chat was special and fun, and in fact was so much fun that my readers asked for more, and CC became a regular feature for a total of twenty-nine posts full of ridiculousness, suspension of disbelief, and even good advice at times.

2014 

Coffee Chat 8.0 with S.K. Anthony: The Kidnapping of Janie Junebug

The number of blog visitors multiplied during 2014. Some of that was because we organized a huge giveaway, Share the Love, where four authors and I did the Rafflecopter thing. They gave away books, and I gave away an editing package. There was also talk of such dodgy prizes as an empty Thin Mints cookie box, "Pong" (the original video game), and a picture of David Hasselhoff holding an armload of puppies, but at the last minute, the authors involved decided to keep those special extras and only send books to the winners. That was also the year I first participated in the April A to Z Challenge, hopping all over the globe to other people's blogs while posting twenty-six times in April. However, those things aside, the real top spot went to Janie Junebug (who can be found at Righting & Editing). During one of the coldest winters in Erie, S.K. decided to kidnap a guest from Florida to "bring sunshine" to my kitchen. I'm pretty sure Janie has never really recovered.

2015

Well . . . the interesting thing about 2015 is that I didn't blog at all. Not a single word. And it just about killed me. Just as my blog was gaining all kinds of momentum, I had a job switcheroo happen (not quite my choice, and not a bad job, but just super busy on top of homeschooling) and by the end of 2014, I had to acknowledge that there was just no time to write for a while. In October of that year, I announced I was in need of a short break. And truly, it was intended to be only a few months off—just enough time to settle into a better routine and get my bearings—but a few months turned into a few more, and when I finally got to the point where I simply HAD to write, it was almost fifteen months later. But here's the cool thing. My post about taking a break ended up with tons of hits on it because some of you wonderful people kept checking in on me here and there. And I'm so glad you all didn't give up on me.

2016

Editor's Notes #23: Points of View Part 1—How Do I Choose?

Actually, all three parts of the POV series vied for the most-visited of 2016. Part 1 discussed the first-person POV, Part 2 talked about third-person point of view and the role of the narrator & viewpoint person, and Part 3 focused on how many points of view is enough, and when the line of "too many" has been crossed.

2017

Do I Have to Love a Genre to Edit It?

Reading for editing purposes is vastly different from pleasure reading. Whether I enjoy the heck out of a manuscript or not, the job still needs to be done well, because that's what I was hired to do. This post about the balance between enjoyment and duty ended up being the top post for 2017.

2018

Happy New Year!

Funny that a post on January 4 that talked about my previous year and the complete reboot halfway through it would be the most popular post of 2018, but there you go. The numbers don't lie. I think sometimes it's just nice to have a conversation with my readers, rather than trying to teach or inform, and I guess everyone else thought so, too. A close second was the first of my three-part series on Best Books on Writing and Editing, still worth taking a look at for the book recommendations.

2019

Editors: We Are Not the Grammar Police!

We're not very far into 2019, so there weren't many posts to choose from, but this particular one definitely wins for most views in 2019. Editors have such a reputation for negativity and pedantic behavior that every so often, it's important to remind others that we really aren't anything like the stereotype.

So What's Coming Up Next?

The Future of This Blog

It's only fitting that my 200th post will be my last "real" post here on Blogger. I've decided, after much thought, wasted time (I'm a slow thinker), and a hard look at the analytics that it's time to move my blog to another platform. My website is on Squarespace, and given that Google has shut down an avenue (Google+) that was a social media failure overall but that made it easy to follow Blogger blogs, I think it's best that I make the change sooner than later. 

I hope you'll all make the move with me, of course. The commenting on Squarespace is through Disqus, and you don't have to create an account anywhere to comment or use it—you can log in through Facebook, Twitter, Google, Disqus, or simply comment as a guest. I'm hoping this will simplify commenting, as I've heard from a handful of people that they've experienced trouble commenting on this blog more often than not.

So thanks for following along this far! And come to the new blog at https://easyreaderediting.com/blog so I don't miss out on catching up with any of you there. 

Coffee Chat 0.0: S.K. is GONE!

Today is Thursday. 

Thursday is Coffee Chat day.

BUT . . .

My Coffee Chat buddy is not in my kitchen.

No one has snuck in my window.

No one has picked up a guest . . .

. . . or two . . .

No one has shown up stinking drunk at my back door,

or even called me to cancel our weekly date.

Why, you ask?

Somebody whose name I won't mention decided to go on a vacation with her husband. To Jamaica. Since I'm typing this post, I think you can all guess I'm not typing it from a beach chair. So I may as well just say it.

S.K. has deserted me.

Thankfully, this is only temporary, and we'll be back next week with brand-new coffee and a brand-new bunch of rambling conversation—unlike those reruns linked above.

For this week, though? This is S.K.'s happy place:

And this . . . sigh . . . is me:

No worries. I need the recovery time from A to Z anyway. 

Rest up, everyone, and enjoy some down time! See you next week!

Coffee Chat 8.1 with S.K. Anthony: The Kidnapping of Janie Junebug, Part Two

For those of you who missed last week's excitement, you can find it HERE. Janie Junebug came to my house for a . . . visit, shall we say. Yes. A visit. I'm sure she would have come on her own, had she known how much fun it is to be at my house.

As it stands, she's been enjoying herself so much that she's reached out to hundreds of friends to tell them all about it! Well, actually, she's been asking for coats, hats, mittens and blankets, and my house is now filled with donations, but I'll take it. When she returns to Florida, everything will go to the city mission.

Ahh, so where were we? We were just getting ready to discuss how every writer has trouble areas, and S.K. had just given me permission to share hers.

[Fade to scene in my kitchen . . .]

ER: I will admit, S.K. has some trouble areas, but they have nothing to do with her writing. The woman is a coffee fiend . . . although I can't say that upsets me. And I can't work unless her twins are napping. Hmm . . . that seems to be my trouble area. Let's see what I can come up with . . .

Well, she does like commas. But her comma use is not as bad as she makes it out to be. Really, S.K. is the type of writer I really like. And S.K., I'm not just saying this because you're here and I want you to pour me another cuppa. You rewrite and rewrite until you're satisfied, looking at the manuscript for something different each time you go through it. I like that kind of thoroughness, because it makes my job a lot easier.

I think my own pet peeves stem from those writers who either don't take the time to revise, or who won't listen to good advice when it's given. I have no stake in whether you sell one book or five thousand books. I will get paid for my edits. So why would you think I'd waste my time suggesting something that wouldn't improve a book? (Not you, S.K.—you always listen to me.)

Janie, have you ever had someone reject perfectly sound editing you've done? I don't mean when an author wants to keep his/her "voice." I mean, if someone says, "I don't think I need to capitalize anyone's names. I don't care what The Chicago Manual of Style says. I'm not doing it." Would you have your name omitted in the book's editing credits?

JJ: S.K., you had me at "affect" and "effect." Lynda, my efforts have been rejected or ignored a couple of times. I think it happens to all of us. One writer had a terrible title for a book. I came up with a new title, but the writer had to "improve" on it and insisted that the book not be published without the desired title. A reviewer said that the only thing wrong with the book was the title, and, specifically, the author's change. The author then asked the publisher if it was too late to change the title. Yes, it was.

ER: I would be torn between feeling bad and wanting to say, “I told you so.” It’s the twelve year old in me, I know.

JJ: Some authors have to be the know-it-all. One author attacked me, verbally (we never met in person—thank you, God), and accused me of ruining the book because, supposedly, I had inserted a misspelled word. I never knew what the word was, but I pointed out that I had corrected numerous mistakes, that the author had the opportunity to make changes, and the book would be edited again. When it was published, I planned to present it on my blog and did a brief interview with the writer. The person attacked me again while answering the questions. Needless to say, I've had nothing more to do with that book, but I still love it and think it's one of the best books I've edited.

I have never been in a position to remove my name from a book. I don't know if I would. It would have to be a truly horrific situation for me to say, "I don't want to be associated with this book." Most of the authors with whom I work are very nice people who are eager to take advantage of my help. Sometimes I have to be tough with an author and say, "Look, this is the way it's done. Do you want it right or wrong?" But that doesn't happen a lot. I have very friendly relationships with a number of authors who have sent me gifts, or paid me more than I requested.

Lynda, don't you ever ring for the servants? I still want my frozen mocha peppermint coffee.

While I wait, I'd like to know if you've ever had your name removed from a book, Lynda?

ER: Um, yes. I'll ring for those servants again. [Runs out of the room, hisses to one of the kids that he needs to throw a few scoops of snow into the coffee and bring it to Janie while wearing a butler's outfit.]

I enjoy the authors I'm working with and have a great time when we chat, keeping in touch with them in between jobs. I feel we have a good relationship, and honesty is a big part of it, which makes the trust level pretty high on both sides. I've never had my name removed from a book, although Stephen Fender played a trick on me with his most recent book and purposely misspelled my name, nice and big, in the editing credits on the title page—for only my hardcover. He knew it would make me laugh, and now I have a collector’s edition.

On a serious note, however, I did free evals for someone who didn't want me to change things I knew were wrong. I eventually said no to the job, because I didn't want someone to judge my editing abilities on what that book would end up looking like. I've also wondered, because I mainly do copy/line edits, if someone will "blame the editor" for bad writing even if the technicalities of spelling and punctuation are done correctly.

S.K., what do you think about the advice you've been given? Is it easy to sift the good from the bad?

SKA: Of course it’s easy. If I agree with you, then you’re giving me good advice. Obviously. 

Seriously, though, it depends on what it is. If it has to do with storyline, I have to think it through before making a decision. If I want to keep things as they are, then I have to clear some things up. To my way of thinking, when something is questioned, something must be off somewhere. If it’s grammar, punctuation, or sentence structure I will most likely just agree. I’m working with a professional I trust. Otherwise, why bother working with this person? At the same time, I have to be able to feel comfortable enough to ask questions if I don’t understand the changes. 

Besides, nothing stops an author from doing her own research, right? The Internet is there. Merriam-Webster's dictionary is available online. Heck, I own my own Chicago Manual of Style. Answers are always close by, if we want to look hard enough. So advice is always welcomed. 

If you ladies could give one advice to your writers, what would it be? To help make your job easier, I mean.

ER: Ooh, I'm going to let Janie take this one first. And then I can say she stole all my good answers.

JJ: Work with me, not against me. I'm not your opponent. Feel free to ask me questions. Suggesting a change doesn't mean I hate your writing. It means that your writing can be better. I'll do great work for you if you are open to another point of view, and I will encourage the hell out of you. I'm on your side.

ER: Oh my goodness. You really did steal everything I would have said.

SKA: Janie . . . I think she’s serious. How could you come into her home and steal her words? Err . . . ignore the fact that you were kidnapped. That’s neither here nor there.

I do like that advice, though. I think both the author and editor owe each other the courtesy of making sure the other one shines in the best light possible. It's a team effort, no ifs or buts about it. We support each other and we must work together. So kudos, Janie . . . and Lynda for the wise words.

JJ: Good! This has been more fun than I thought it would be, but I would like to return to the land of fresh-squeezed orange juice and people who wear winter coats when it gets down to 60 degrees. I love the coffee. Please ask the butler what he added to give it such a special flavor. What gives it the yellowish tinge?

S.K., if you ever want me to visit again, then please ask me first. It doesn't seem very smart to wear Lilly Pulitzer shorts and a tank top when it's snowing, and The Queen of Grammar does not like to look stupid.

But thanks for the kidnapping and conversation! It's been real.

SKA: Well . . . I, hmm . . . I just thought you could use an adventure, that's all. Please tell your therapist I said, "You're welcome." But I will call and place an order ahead of time for our next dose of The Queen of Grammar. I promise.

Thank you, Janie, for being a great victim!

Now that I'm done with this kidnapping, I have to figure out my next mischievous move. While I do that, Lynda and I are opening up the stand to YOU, our readers. 

We thought it might be fun (to us, anyway) to allow you to ask us any burning questions you might have. Want to know who taught Lynda everything she knows? Probably me.

ER: It's true.

SKA: Want to know why I ramble so much? Because I can.

ER: Also true. I have no way of stopping her.

SKA: Any other questions, please ask in the comment section here or email us at Lynda's address (lyndadietz4@gmail.com) and tune in next Thursday for answers.

Janie can be found at http://dumpedfirstwife.blogspot.com/ where she has the loveliest blog, and on Twitter @JanieJunebug. 

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here.

Coffee Chat 8.0 with S.K. Anthony: The Kidnapping of Janie Junebug

KNOCK KNOCK

SKA: Open the door, Lynda! Hurry up!

ER: I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying . . .  [NOT hurrying to the door. Spilling coffee is bad.]

SKA: Look, I have her!

ER: Who?

SKA: I kidnapped her from Florida—

ER: Who?

SKA: —and . . . all this snow keeps falling and we needed some sunshine.

ER: WHO?

SKA: Plus, I was getting bored, and thought a new toy would do us good. She is one of your kind, Lynda: an editor!

[Pulls hood off "guest" to reveal a very confused person, dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, shivering like crazy.]

ER: Oh. My. Goodness.

Shivering Stranger with Mouth Duct-Taped Shut: Hrmm mmmm nnnnnnn.

ER: Oh, dear. Well, fast is better in these situations. [Rips tape off efficiently, albeit not painlessly, from the look on the stranger's face.] Have some coffee and warm yourself, poor thing. Or would you like an ice pack for your . . . um . . . lip?

[To SKA] What in the world have you done? You brought me a toy? That's a PERSON! This had better be good. You've got some 'splainin' to do, Lucy.

Stranger: [Screams.] Eeeeeeeeeek! NO, I do not want an ice pack, thank you very much. I'm already so cold it's unbearable. What is that white stuff out there on the ground? Where am I and why am I here?
[Glares at SKA.] And you . . . you . . . I am not a toy. Of whom do you think you speak? 

I [pauses dramatically] am the Queen of Grammar.

SKA: Exactly. Lynda, meet Janie Junebug, the Queen of Grammar toy. She's all adorable and makes me feel warm inside. I think she's a cute bug born in June or something, and that's why she can be our sunshine while it snows.

Oh, Janie, I brought you here so I can eat popcorn, or whatever goodies we can find in Lynda's kitchen, while I watch you two discuss correct gra—oh . . . I might not have thought this through. Yikes! I . . . I . . . got myself sandwiched between two grammar police officers, didn't I? Now you two are going to both gang up on me and my grammar. O_O

ER: Janie Junebug! It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you, although I have to admit, I've never entertained the thought of you in my kitchen . . . unwillingly . . .

Oh, well. I'm always one to make the best of a situation. You, dear Janie, just happen to have shown up in my kitchen for Coffee Chat day! And that means coffee. And . . . um . . . chatting. Oooh, and sometimes sticky buns, though I suspect my kiddos eat them while I'm not looking, since there are never as many as I remember setting aside.

[SK gulps and looks around nervously.]

S.K., I think—even though you may have broken a significant number of federal laws—you've done a good thing. We are going to have a great time today!

SKA: Oh . . . I don't know about that now. I think I'm just going to break all the grammar rules I can think of so neither of you can judge when I make a real mistake.

JJ: Break away. We shall judge kindly, but fearlessly.

ER: We should probably say "with kindness" so we're not using too many -ly adverbs.

SKA: I don't verily agree with this. Me thinks kindly that being fiercely knowledgeable in adverbs is . . . errr . . . okayish? I'm trying to say this slowly and gently so as not to be too headachey to yous.

[ER and JJ look at each other in horror, momentarily speechless.]

ER: Oh, dear. This is worse than I thought. We'd best just move right along. Janie, as an editor, do you have any pet peeves when it comes to the way people write?

[A long moment of silence fills the kitchen. JJ has not moved for two solid minutes, nor has she closed her mouth.]

SKA: Janie? Janie? Did I freeze you with my accurately expressed grammar? Your looking into space, and I’z shore your more chattly than this.

JJ: I feel faint. I need coffee. Would you call for a servant, please? I'll take a frozen mocha peppermint with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

[Waits, impatient, tapping toe, and then continues in disgust.] Of course, I dislike the confusion between "your" and "you're." I don't want to lose "lose" through loose usage. I detest the use of "hopefully" to modify a sentence. Disorganization sends my OCD into overdrive. Don't be wordy. Learn to punctuate.

I can't help the way I was raised: I want precision. Everyone must seek the best possible word at all times. And I have to point out that I'm not wearing a Hawaiian shirt and would never wear a Hawaiian shirt. It's Lilly Pulitzer.

But I must walk a fine line between fussiness and people's feelings. I don't want to kill someone's desire to write because his grammar is less than stellar.

S.K., What are some problem areas for you when you're writing? Do you have writing issues?

SKA: Goodness . . . where do I start? I think my major issue is that I’m a comma lover. At this point, I understand comma splices better, but I’m still guilty of them. Commas are just cute and adorable, and cuddly . . . okay, off topic. I’m not a fan of semicolons—ahem, excuse me while I back away from you two.

ER: I love semicolons. [Eyes glaze over.]

SKA: I think I need to get better with descriptions. I prefer to keep it vague so readers can make up their own image, but some readers ask for more. Dialogue tags: I don’t care for them. So I try to address by name, or with action without having too many “he said/she said," but in a group setting I might not have tags as clear as they should be. I would like to blame the readers for not paying attention, but ultimately it’s my job to make it as smooth as possible for them.

ER: I remember you telling me (after we’d watched a Badly Behaving Author meltdown) that if an author has to argue with a reviewer by explaining things the reader didn’t “get,” then the author didn’t write it well enough to begin with.

SKA: I think I know a fair amount of punctuation and grammar rules to get by, but it would never be enough. At the very least I know the difference between "your/you’re," "their/they’re/there," "affect/effect," "could/would/should of" and "could/would/should’ve". So based on that alone, I think you should forgive me for kidnapping you, Janie. :D

[ER nods in agreement, hoping for no police charges.]

SKA: This is just my opinion . . . Lynda can give you the real deal on my trouble areas. [Laughs.] (And Lynda, it’s perfectly fine to share them in public.)

ER: Oh, I'll dish all right. But you'll have to tune in next week to find out the rest, because we're out of coffee, and our . . . ahem . . . butler . . . is off duty now.

Come back next Thursday so we can finally let Janie go home to Florida!

Janie can be found at http://dumpedfirstwife.blogspot.com/ where she has the loveliest blog, and on Twitter @JanieJunebug. But for right now, she can be found right here in my kitchen, mostly because she's not dressed for the outdoors.

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here.