A Good Storyteller is not Necessarily a Good Writer

Today I’m planning the matting of the commissioned photograph. I looked through my stack of mats and realized I did not talk about mat color with the customer. The main subject is a light blue. I have a light blue double mat over a darker blue. The white mats are all double either white on white or white on black.

My personal choice is usually to go with color for the mats to help bring out a particular color in the picture. However, I know a lot of people prefer white mats as being more professional. I will leave the choice up to the customer. I so hope she is pleased.

This is my fourth week of being THE editor of the InterTown Record. For me, THE is all caps. I still can’t believe it; lil ol’ me being somebody important. I thought I was a good writer before, but this is making me better. I’m learning so much and it’s exciting. I still struggle with some of the grammar. Everyone wants to capitalize everything now-a-days and when it comes some political and town government terms, I’m not sure of some of the protocol.

I downloaded and printed sheets on various rules and I do have a couple of books on grammar, but I need to invest in the AP Style Handbook. I can only say that there will always be a need for proofreaders.

That statement brings me to another subject – writing stories, articles, or a book. I’ve read a few self-published books in the past few years and while some have been very good, others were not. It wasn’t that the stories were bad, but the grammar and spelling errors jumped out and took away from the tale. The mistakes make the writings seem less than professional and the next time that author’s name is seen, that is what will be remembered.

A good storyteller is not necessarily a good writer. Even those of us who are writers still need editors and proofreaders to make sure the writing is up to par, the grammar and spelling is correct, and the sentences flow smoothly. I know this can be an added expense, but it’s well worth it if you want your book to be a success!

And, as my publisher and proofreader keep telling me, you should not edit and proofread your own work. After awhile, your eyes skim over the words and it’s easy to miss simple mistakes. Even with spelling and grammar check, mistakes still happen. In my latest book, after I read and re-read dozens of times and finally sent it off to the publisher, got the galley back for a final look and approval, I found some simple errors (and some glaring ones).

So, if you want to be a writer and you’re looking to be published, please take the time to find someone to edit and proofread your work. It will make a difference between being able to say you had a book printed and being able to announce with pride that you are a good writer and your book is selling.