Words are important

[ratherastory]

Dear fanfic writers:

peak: noun. 1. the pointed top of a mountain or ridge.
2. a mountain with a pointed summit.
3. the pointed top of anything.
4. the highest or most important point or level: the peak of her political career.
5. the maximum point, degree, or volume of anything: Oil prices reached their peak last year.

peek: verb. 1. to look or glance quickly or furtively, esp. through a small opening or from a concealed location; peep; peer.
noun. 2. a quick or furtive look or glance; peep.

pique: verb. 1. to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, esp. by some wound to pride: She was greatly piqued when they refused her invitation.
2. to wound (the pride, vanity, etc.).
3. to excite (interest, curiosity, etc.): Her curiosity was piqued by the gossip.
4. to arouse an emotion or provoke to action: to pique someone to answer a challenge.
noun. 5. a feeling of irritation or resentment, as from a wound to pride or self-esteem: to be in a pique.


PLEASE TO BE LEARNING THESE WORDS AND USING THEM CORRECTLY. YOU ARE DRIVING ME NUTS!

Comments

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

I saw peak used instead of peek just yesterday. Probably the same story and it annoyed me to death, because I wasn't expecting to see it in this author's work. What annoys me even more is loose and lose. They are NOT the same thing people! Damn spell check for not being word check.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, Jesus. "Loose" and "lose" make me want to scream and tear out my hair.

I saw "peak" instead of "pique" AND "peek" in no fewer than three fics over the last couple of days, and it made my head explode. Hence this post. ;)

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Okay, the "loose" and "lose" right there will define whether or not I continue reading a story. Some people accidentally hit an extra o, and that's okay. If it's done once. If they continue to use "loose" instead of "lose", I might "loose" my temper. GAH.

I think what bothers me the most is when they misuse punctuation. Or don't use certain words in a certain context. For example, when someone uses bewildered as an emotion of rage as opposed to confusion. (Or, right there, when they do oppossed instead of opposed. ARGH.) Inducive versus conducive (okay, I'll give you that, that one's a little harder) but it's called a dictionary. They even have them online, in case you can't move your ass to the bookshelf. (In a friend's case, that wouldn't help: they don't OWN a dictionary. At all. 0_o Maybe I'm just odd because I have more than six in my house, two in different languages, but seriously? WHY.)

*points at icon* Lookit lookit. They're giving Sam a headache. Poor baby.

*butts out*

~Nebula

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Between my parents and me, we own twelve dictionaries and three encyclopedias (in different languages).

RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT.

[wave-obscura.livejournal.com]

I JUST DID THIS IN A FIC THAT YOU JUST COMMENTED ON. OH GOD :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

You're perfectly welcome to tell me about these mistakes, FYI :)

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Good to know. ;)

I don't mind the occasional mistake when I know it's out of the ordinary for the author to make them. It's just that some writers do it over and over and over. :P

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

I just read your fic an hour ago and the one I saw really was yesterday. Truthfully, I didn't even notice the mix up in your fic or I would have said something, though it's good to know you wouldn't have been offended! I'm really not shy about letting a flisty know about a boo boo and I hope they'll let me know about any in my fics.

[greeneyes-fan.livejournal.com]

You know what I hate? When I get a fic to beta that HASN'T BEEN SPELLCHECKED. Seriously, it's your job to fix the typos that the computer finds for you. I'm here to fix the ones it won't find.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

GAH.

That has never happened to me. I am grateful.