When you're reading a story online, and you consider yourself an avid reader of literature, there are going to be a wealth of mistakes made here and there in the writing. Not that the authors aren't talented, because many of them are. But there are no paid editors or publishing houses here. No professional book of rules and regulations being checked every five minutes, and spell checks can catch a lot, but not everything. Many of us are just amateurs, sharing our view of the world through our words. And that can truly bring a purity and honesty that you might not get in more 'polished' projects.

However, mechanics are important. And it's the duty of every author to have respect for the rules of their craft. (Or so it is written somewhere. Hehehe!) And little things like correct punctuation, using correct tenses, spelling, paragraph breaks, definitely matter. Especially when it comes to having an audience completely submerge themselves in the word that you're creating for them.

the question this week is...how much do technical writing mechanics bother you when they're off? Do misspelled words and sentence fragments make you tear you hair out? Do they make you stumble for a moment, but allow you to get back into the reading? Or are you one of those people who can see a mistake, but remain so locked into the story that you glance right over it? What are your thoughts? Let us know!

My main point is of correct paragraph breaks, especially between lines of dialogue. Without the new line for every new speaker, the entire message of the conversation is lost in the puzzle of figuring out who said which thing. Whenever I first read a story and I see four different sets of quotations marks right next to each in successive sentences without the paragraph break, I stop reading it; I have to do so.

As for punctuation, I don't mind incorrect comma usuage so much, except when they are misplaced and change the meaning of the sentence dramatically. For example: "eats shoots and leaves" can be used in description of a panda while "eats, shoots, and leaves" is used for the character of a poacher hunter the panda. Basic mistakes I overlook, but major ones I find it impossible.

As for me, being an editor we can't catch everything right though it is our 'duty' to make sure there's as little as possible.

and when it comes to reading stories... I need paragraph for diaolgue and separation after description otherwise I'll get lost at some point, when that heppens it's game over shutting program now....

I don't mind seeing typos here and there.. less it's there every 2 words or so.

So it all comes down to this in the end... no separation for dialogue, mispelled words every sentence will not make me finish the story

Jason aka Moowolf

No one is above a few typos. Goodness knows that I'm not. I think that in free online fiction that most people are fairly reasonable in this regard.


There are too many people who are willing to edit orl proof-read manuscripts. There's no excuse for posting a manuscript that's in very bad shape.

Typos, and wrong punctuation, do disturb my "flow" when reading a story. Not to a point that i stop reading (if the plot is interesting to me), but it makes me "stumble". I prefer (probably like most) reading stories with "proper mechanics", visible "breaks" when changes in time or place occur etc. Definitely makes reading more enjoyable - especially if you are not a native English speaker like me. Usually I have a dictionary at hand to look up words i don't know. So if I stumble over a typo i might first think its a word i don't know and try to look it up, and if i finally find out it must be a typo it is especially disturbing for me - but even that doesn't make me stop reading if i like a story.
I am still amazed how many talented writers out there are willing to share their work for free, and I don't expect it all to be perfectly edited. I am sure most writers and editors take great care to make it as good as they can. At least with the stories that are worth reading.