What have I been busy doing? Apparently I've been creating new words. No, not a story, but really new, never before seen or heard words. They're so new, you can't find them in a dictionary. You see, I've been working on copy edits.
So what, you say, are copy edits? That's when an editor or copy editor reads through the work you've so proudly produced and finds all the mistakes that you must fix. Mistakes? Oh, surely not! Pshaw. This time I completely left out a running thread that's been in each of the last five books. However, my editor didn't notice. I did. Of course Vern and Esther must appear! If not, it could be bad luck. Then again, it's possible I'm the only person who would notice it. But nevermind, two short paragraphs were all it took. Vern and Esther live on...unless my editor decides they don't. :(
Then there's that special new word. Crampled. It reminds me of one of those captcha words we have to type in to be able to comment on the blog. Crampled? Really? The hero was sorry the back seat of his sports car was so crampled. Aha! And you thought it was just a typing mistake meaning crumpled. Like a crumpled tissue. No. I'm much more artistic than that. ;)
And why had I created never-before-heard words? Because I was stumbling through revisions at 5 a.m. and didn't notice. Sleep is something many writers find somewhat foreign at times, such as in the throes of a deadline. In other words, at 5 a.m., I'd been up for 22 hours. I'm amazed I knew my own name!
Now that I look at the clock, I realize that I'm inching into that time period known to many as LaLa Land, and it's time to get some sleep. That alarm will be ringing again in less than 7 hours, and I've reached my quota of new words for this week. To be honest, I've reached my quota of words, period.
Have a lovely week!
6 comments:
Hello Miss Roxann,
I'm not sure I've ever invented a new word by accident or on purpose, but I have found a few that were the wrong tense or the wrong word altogether. I hate that. It ususally means I don't know whether I'm coming or going and it takes a lot of effort to keep my brain on track and get it right. I don't know why I have so much trouble with staying in the past or present. Is that common for writers or am I the only one who confuses myself on a regular basis?
ps: I kind of like crampled. It makes me think of cranapple which is my favorite herb tea.
Ah, Becky, we each have our own weaknesses. Obviously mine lately has been creating previously unknown words. Or, like this morning, sending the wrong file to my editor and having to apologize--yet again--for something stupid. (Didn't Frank Sinatra have a song about saying something stupid?)
Yes, I need a vacation. One that's far, far away.
Are you changing your name to Webster?
After 22 hours I couldn't even write my own name so you go right ahead and make up all the words you want too!
Reese, I have a name? Wow!
It never fails. As soon as I think I have some free time, something or someone gobbles it up. My body is so accustomed to less than 8 hours of sleep, I wake up automatically after 5 or so and think I'm refreshed! WRONG It's a real pain on weekends when I actually could sleep in a little longer!
Rox,
The more I work on edits the less I see or so it seems to me. I always have to put it aside to be able to catch typos etc. I'm not sure what shape I'd be in after 22 hours! Inguism was my word verification--sort of like inquire.
I totally understand this unique quality us very tired writers have at times for creating completely new words. Is that really a problem? Everyone else seems to create new words every day. Okay, it is a problem. At least to our editors. (insert heavy sigh here). Personally, I like "crampled."
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