We all have pet peeves (something that a particular person finds especially annoying.) As a writer, I have a gaggle of them, all related to writers and writing.
I have seen every single one of the following in either a book – or several!- magazine articles, and on-line. In no particular annoyance level order, here are the ones I feel are the most egregious:
- IRREGARDLESS is not a word. You mean, REGARDLESS, when you write: without paying attention to the present situation; despite the prevailing circumstances. Ex: Regardless of what you have done, I will always love you.
- LITERALLY means it actually happened. Not that it FIGURATIVELY happened: FIGURATIVELY means: departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical: EX: gold, in the figurative language of the people, was “the tears wept by the sun.”
- IRONY does not mean something that is unexpected. IRONY means: a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result: EX: the irony is that I thought he could help me.
- It’s I COULDN’T CARE LESS not, I could care less, which means you actually DO care!
- YOU’RE means you are. YOUR means: with the person or people that the speaker is addressing: EX: what is your name?
- A LOT is ALWAYS 2 words, not one. ALWAYS!!
- You BEAR weight with your BARE hands
- you give TWO things TO someone else. In addition, you give it to me, TOO. Got it??
- You LOSE your keys if your pants are LOOSE.
- THEY’RE means they are. THERE is a direction or a place ( THERE it is!!!) THEIR denotes one or more people ( THEIR noses were red from the cold weather)
- If you try to form a contraction of COULD HAVE it is not could of. That is because there is no contraction of COULD HAVE. It is, simply stated, COULD HAVE.
So, those are actually most of my writing pet peeves. Tell me yours. Let’s discuss……
In my most recent book, THE VOICES OF ANGELS, not one of the above pet peeves is present! Promise!
Blurb:
Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.
Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.
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Peggy Jaeger, Author 