Friday, December 28, 2007
Proper Title
I want to title one of my essays 'rat Houses, with the "'rat" a shortened term for muskrat. Is it okay to use the apostrophe and small letters for the first word in the title? A capital "R" just doesn't convey the same thought nor does "Muskrat." I suppose I can write ir the way I want, and let the editor decide.
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4 comments:
Larry,
I'm not a great one to ask about proper grammar, but I'm thinking you're right—title it what you want and see what the editor says. 'Rat Houses or 'rat Houses. Hmmm. Maybe if you use the capital people will miss the apostrophe and think the article is about rats instead of muskrats.
As for me, I'm celebrating! I revised Black Dragon and cut it down to 223 pages. I created a cover letter and a brief (2 pages) plot summary, and then printed it all off. I'll mail it out tomorrow to the Delacorte Press first YA novel Contest. I'm sooooooo excited to be done! And I think it's really good. In fact, I think it is so good it should win the contest!
Now I'll have time to do a longer post. Glad you covered this one for me!
So I will then. And I think you should win too.
As a side thought, if you cut several pages to reach the contest limit, could they also be cut from the "publisher's" copy? Do you think there was that much non-essential stuff to cut? I'm not trying to be critical, just wondering.
There's something reassuring about seeing those snow-covered 'rat houses--they remind me of white Hostess snowballs--that tells me everything in the marsh is okay.
Well, considering that the very first draft of this novel was 118,000 words and now it is 84,500--yeah, there probably was non-essential stuff to cut. Probably still is some.
However, it was much harder this time (even though I only cut 8 pages--and not as many words as you'd think. In fact, not many words at all.)Mostly I just tightened things up. I didn't change plot at all. That is why I had to read/revise all 230 some pages in order to cut the eight or nine that I did.
The worst part is that I could keep combing through and pulling out a word or two here, adding a couple over there--endlessly tweaking. Good thing for deadlines.
And wouldn't it be nice if winning was as easy as thinking I should win!
Enjoy those walks in the snow. We sure got a dump of it today.
Ah, tweaking. If it wasn't for deadlines, we'd never get anything completed. I really enjoy the editing/revising: trying to find a new way to say something, use a new word, or keep trying to write tighter. I'm not a fan of the Hemmingway school of writing--it's a bit too severe for me. I think eloquence and imagery is important. When I read something I want a sense of "being there" with the author.
Good luck in the contest.
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