When writing a story even though it's fiction you need to be
accurate. In my short story, All Bets
Are Off, I made a mistake. This is the first time I made a serious mistake and was
caught. It could be I've made others,
and I didn't get caught. I hope
not.
One thing I noticed is that the person who reviewed All Bets
Are Off talks about the story as if she read it in print, but she really
listened to an audio copy.
This review was not horrible, but it was embarrassing. After all I'm seventy years old and I should
know my anatomy, but I failed and was told about it in a public review. The below review is only a partial.
The set up was good, the story OK. Contemporary romance
isn’t my favorite genre, but because of the addiction angle I wanted to give it
a try. Then there is the sex. I enjoy sex scenes in my stories and this book
has 2 such scenes. The first is the better of the two. I was thoroughly getting
into it but then the man stuck his tongue in her uterus. Yep. Uterus. Briefly,
I hoped the story was going to take on some mutant scifi elements, but alas, it
did not. To get to the uterus, you have to travel the entire vaginal canal and
then get past the cervix. The cervix doesn’t let just any old object enter the
uterus, being perhaps 1/8 inch opening nearly all the time (common exception is
when a baby is headed out). So either the man had a very long and narrow
tongue, or the woman had some mutant uterus that sat in the vaginal canal with
the wide open cervix. Anyway, here is the Wikipedia article - and yes, it is safe for work. So I was totally into this sex
scene – there was heat between the characters, great descriptors, etc. and then
he sticks his tongue in her uterus. I giggled, totally taken out of the moment.
At best, this is a big typo. At worst, the author is not well informed on the
female genitals/reproductive organs. But, other than this one typo (I will be
generous in my thoughts), the story flowed smoothly and was fun.
If you would like to read more go to this URL: http://dabofdarkness.com/2014/09/15/all-bets-are-off-by-sandra-k-marshall/
Many authors get ridiculed and torn apart for mistakes they
make in their stories, so most of us work very hard to try to be accurate. This means we do our research. Unfortunately, I didn't this time. The reviewer was honest about All Bets Are
Off not being her usual genre.
You can bet, I will do my research in the future.
Have a great week and I'll see you again next Sunday.
Sandra K. Marshall, Author
@ Eirelander Publishinghttp://www.skaymarshall.com
18 comments:
Those things happen.
Thanks, James. It's the first one, so it's really tough.
We all do it! Will you edit the book and change it then republish it?
I ask my publisher if they would be willing to, Melissa.
Well, at least it wasn't her anus! I'd forget about this review. People just love to troll.
LOL Thank you, D'Ann. That helped a lot.
I apparently have 1 typo in my publisher-published book. I know this because my brother was so kind to point it out. I asked to get it fixed, but no dice. Hope you have better luck. :)
Edit the book - what else can you do? Mistakes happen.
I wonder if many readers would catch that.
Well Sandy, if it's any comfort, my tongue has been in worse places.
Thanks for your comment, Jill. I have already heard from my editor and it's no dice, too. They believe it's still a good story.
I wonder if your brother was the only who noticed the typo. Most people just figure it's publisher's fault when it's one typo. Tell your brother he's being too picky. lol
Marianne, I don't think my publisher will change it. It's an audio. Yes, mistakes happen. I hope most readers don't notice, but I blogged about it because I was so upset about it. Nothing like spreading the word.
LOL Tom, you're bad.
Eh, it's a mistake. In my current Intrigue, a character's name is different in the Cast of Characters from what it is in the book. Three readers pointed it out to me. My mistake since I changed the character's name but didn't change it in the Cast of Characters. These things happen (and your mistake IS a little giggle-worthy, but I don't think the reviewer was too hard on you).
Well, now you know what it is like to be embarrassed....in public....it is not fun but a learning experience. Add it to your other "adventures" :)
Kari
Thanks, Carol! Maybe, I'm being too sensitive. I felt like she was making fun of me, not that I didn't deserve it making that kind of mistake.
Kari, you're right it's a learning experience. Will go on and forget it.
We all make mistakes. I'm sure I've made some doozies. Fortunately, they haven't really been pointed out but I sure wish they were. Was reading a book the other day during a love scene when the geroing was massaging his sacrum when I think scrotum was meant. This also made me laugh
LOL Thanks, Janet. I appreciate your comment.
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