Happy Binary Day!

[blamebrampton]

Apparently today was full of Chinese weddings, or so the news tells me. I rather wish I had been down at the Botanical Gardens to smile and wave at all the brides having their photos taken, but I was busy running around buying knitting needles and then watching tyres fall off in the Grand Prix telecast. I know -- first beans, now this, it's hard to believe the levels of glamour.

One thing I did do is look at my home page, THANK YOU nenne  and bryoneybrynn  for the lovely LJ-gifts! Sorry about the tardy gratitude, er, Bry, really tardy in your case. Look, it's nothing compared to some of my unanswered comments.

I have also decided that today is the day I am going to start describing myself as a writer who edits for money, rather than as an editor who also writes. Mostly in hopes of changing the balance of both in my life and dropping the editing in the next year or two (before committing an act of thoroughly justified homicide).

Amusing side note to the above: we bought in an extract to run in Evil Mag of Exhaustion -- in this case it was from a book that is about to be published in its author's home country and shortly thereafter in the UK, US and Australia. Mass market, charming and warm, with some lovely passages of writing. It had been edited and was being prepared for print. I read through the chapter I'd decided to reprint, and it was perfect – except I had a nagging sense of something being wrong.

I looked at it again: the extract was the right length, it stood independently of the rest of the book, it was not going to offend any sane reader, it was a good read … but …

And then I spotted it. The author talked about the 12 people coming for Christmas dinner and listed them all. All eleven names. I counted three times. I emailed the publisher. The author sent her thanks and swore she had counted them three times herself -- I wrote back assuring her that it was not her: characters move around while you are counting them! 

Don't you all feel a little better about the last stupid mistake you made in writing, now?

Comments

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

I have also decided that today is the day I am going to start describing myself as a writer who edits for money, rather than as an editor who also writes.

This. It's so important what we call ourselves, isn't it? Because we grow into a definition, or it can limit us to no end.

&hearts

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It will be my reminder on every customs form! XXX

[rainien.livejournal.com]

LOL Perhaps the author was counting herself as the 12th person.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Heh! I have to say that I have days when I cannot make sense of things and have to put sticky labels with numbers on each object I am counting to finally get it right, I assume she was having one of these ;-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

You of course know that one has to put the intent before the cart, so it's a big and right step to start calling yourself a righter, uh, writer.


My main protagonist just changed from a boy to an old lady. I can't switch back, nor can I nail either of the possibilities, and I think I haven't actually written down my rough outline though I thought I kept doing it. Moving around is fine, but this disappearing habit is BAD. I can't find a single second or third or forth character, and now the main morphs. "If I had a hammer"! :

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have a spare hammer I can send to you!

And I thing being a righter is a good description of an editor :-)

[winterthunder.livejournal.com]

I have also decided that today is the day I am going to start describing myself as a writer who edits for money, rather than as an editor who also writes.

Given that I no longer have a job, changing my definition sounds like an excellent idea. As of today I am a businesswoman, and writing is part of my empire.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Empire or Conglomerate? And I like the sounds of that!

[winterthunder.livejournal.com]

It's probably technically a conglomerate, but I like empire better. And it's mine, so I can call it what I like. :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I'm reading that :D as pronounced BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You're GOOD at this!

[winterthunder.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. :D :D :D

[teganscrush.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad for the author that you caught it before it went to print - there's nothing like reading your posted writing or published writing and then spotting a mistake - and another, whether its a typo, or a spacing issue or something that just isn't right.

[lokifan]

:D Sounds good! I hope you yell I AM WRITER, HEAR ME ROAR! at the sky to start yourself off on a properly world-conquering note.

Also I do feel better about my writing mistakes now. Because I am petty.

[lilian-cho.livejournal.com]

You are clearly v. good at your job =D

Happy 101010 too!

Celebrating Binary Feast Days

[(Anonymous)]

It had not occurred to me to celebrate ‘binary day’ before reading this post, but I must say on reflection that it may have been worth doing so. A moment’s deep thought made it clear to me that the binary number 101010 is no less than the answer to life, the universe and everything. An auspicious date indeed.

Getting into the spirit of things, I considered the significance of the next symmetrical binary date, so that I should be well prepared for its advent. I share my findings below for the edification of any other likewise interested parties.

The binary number ‘011110’ can also be expressed as ‘a score and ten’, which is suggestive of the equal suitability of a base 20 notation. ‘Duodecimal’ refers to base 12, so we might whimsically refer to base 20 as being ‘Dewey Decimal’.

If we wish to use the Dewey Decimal system, we will need to have an accessibly defined schedule. It is intuitive to let ten=t.

This makes the 011110 (in binary) equivalent to 1t in Dewey Decimal. In light of this, I suggest that it would be fitting and right to observe the day with books and a cup of tea.

Sorrel

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Yay one of my favourite writers (who also edits) now uses that word to describe herself. Perhaps this means that I'll soon have a book written by her, instead of only a nice-sized pile of fic...

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

What it does is make me wish I had you for an editor. And that I could write. >.>

:D

[winnett.livejournal.com]

Don't you all feel a little better about the last stupid mistake you made in writing, now?

Not necessarily better, but relieved. We all make mistakes!

[nenne.livejournal.com]

You are very welcome. :)

I'm happy you now consider yourself a writer who edits for money. Good for you! And clever of you to find the mistake everyone else had overlooked.