I’ve recently been correcting the many editorial errors of ‘The Dive’ and hopefully streamlining it with some other minor changes as well. Having self published the novel, that’s always an option, but unnecessary text revisions are unfortunate and expensive. Last June I believed that I’d gone through the book enough times and that it was ready for publication. The problem is that with each reread one becomes increasingly blind to errors that will be obvious to others and sooner or later one decides it’s time to sign off on it. I may have either some form of dyslexia or - like lots of others - merely read things the way I want to see them. Spellcheckers won’t correct everything and it’s difficult to find the errors they miss sometimes. Fortunately, it’s print-on-demand, so there aren't countless flawed copies out there and fortunately I have Mona who has a much more discriminating eye than I. She can spot the missing or extraneous words even when reading on busy buses and subways.
But correcting reminds me of correctness and that reminds me of political correctness - that mange on the ‘lower torso’ of modern society. I thought about calling the improved text ‘The Politically Corrected Version’ with a strike through politically to make a point, but that can be done right here more easily.
Example: A grossly overweight teenager asks you if you think he or she is fat. Do you say no to spare their feelings and consequently let them risk falling victim to any number of resulting health problems later in life - for instance becoming a diabetic cripple with stumps for legs in a wheel chair - or do you yell yes, hurt their feelings, warn them of such dangers and possibly scare them into a death by diet pills, eating disorders and\or speed instead? Truth or Bullshit?
Most people these days will readily and pleasantly spread the applicable bullshit around and smooth it all over as required; it’s the easiest thing to do and it’s politically correct too. What would you do? I could guess, but I’m not finished on the subject of political correctness and its connected crap yet. More on that another time.
But correcting reminds me of correctness and that reminds me of political correctness - that mange on the ‘lower torso’ of modern society. I thought about calling the improved text ‘The Politically Corrected Version’ with a strike through politically to make a point, but that can be done right here more easily.
Example: A grossly overweight teenager asks you if you think he or she is fat. Do you say no to spare their feelings and consequently let them risk falling victim to any number of resulting health problems later in life - for instance becoming a diabetic cripple with stumps for legs in a wheel chair - or do you yell yes, hurt their feelings, warn them of such dangers and possibly scare them into a death by diet pills, eating disorders and\or speed instead? Truth or Bullshit?
Most people these days will readily and pleasantly spread the applicable bullshit around and smooth it all over as required; it’s the easiest thing to do and it’s politically correct too. What would you do? I could guess, but I’m not finished on the subject of political correctness and its connected crap yet. More on that another time.
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