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I have pucked many a chicken and I have never singed one BEFORE I plucked. What did they do? Set the chicken on fire?? When "dressing" a chicken first pull the big feathers out and then light a paper bag or newspaper and singe or burn the pen feathers off.
It took me at least twenty pages to get past this. I guess that is why you should research what you write if you're not writing what you know.
This book was pretty good. Set in Southern Georgia and spanned a few generations. They no longer had slaves but they had paid servants.
This was my second aggravation. One of the servants said, "I get ta t'at trekkly." About three chapters later, she said trekkly again. Okay, the use of this word implied "dreckly" should have been used as in "I will get that done directly (right away)". Not to mention that after being a house servant for years you might learn to speak correctly.
Now, I understand my hubby's frustration when a six-shooter on a western fires nine times.
Sadly, I will remember the mistakes far longer than I will remember the story.
Moral of this long windy story: Write what you know!
16 comments:
OMG ! Iam the same . It puts me off for weeks lol I have had a few boks like that either the author was on drugs at the time or the printers were lol. Love the photos. Hot and humid here . Have a great day ny friend
I agree 100% - I remember an error in a book before I remember the story. I do not know who is checking the final print on some that I have read, but I always seem to find mis-spellings and words not used correctly. Bummer
Have a great day and weekend.
We always say, "it's a movie" when we see illogical occurrences...perhaps you can overlook things in your books as well!...:)JP
Uncanny you would bring this to ATTENTION . . . I have noticed several errors in a book I just read . . . Where are the proof readers . . . Laid off?
Seems like that is a pet peeve for many!
Just the other day a blogger shared a poster about horse care. It said to use the curry brush every day. Argghhh!!
You are so right about writing what you know or at least digging deeper through research. I found a nifty sounding book:
"Writing Horses, The Fine Art of Getting It Right" by Judith Tarr. I was excited to see that there was something like that. Sadly, I 'borrowed' the electronic version and I could only read one page for some reason. Yeah... techNOlogy can be as frustrating as what folks put in books!
Gail,
I agree 100% too. I hate mistakes and books and I appreciate anyone contacting me when I have a mistake. I'll try to correct it.
I am getting ready to proof my paperback and I worry that I'll miss something. You are right. The mistakes stay with you.
Love the pictures of the chickens.
Remind me of my mother's. Also, my mother also killed the chickens she cooked and your way sounds familiar. Blessings. Barb
There are no proofreaders anymore that I know of. It's the author's chore.
I agree. I cannot watch medical shows on TV for the same reason. The mistakes make me go crazy!
I get really pi**ed off when an American writer tries to put some Dutch dialogue in a book and he writes it in German. No matter how successful the book is, for me he has blown it. There's no excuse for a mistake like that.
Well, I just can't get the image of chicken flambe' outta my mind!!!
Yep, I've plucked a many chicken myself. After the kill the silly things would flop 'round the yard then when the floppin' was over we'd grab those headless bad babies by the feet and dip 'em in very hot water to loosen the feathers. Pluck, singe and cut up.
I can't even tell ya what's goin' on in my head! Heeehehehe!!!
Have a blessed and beautiful day sweetie and pray I can get this image outta my head! :o)
Here's the dope on singeing...I have picked way too many chickens on the farm. and ducks...and geese...etc. I still have bad thoughts about sitting out in the field in the sun, having to pick fowl. But I digress. My Dad would hold the poor little plucked chicken over an open flame, every so briefly, AFTER I had picked it. The singeing removed those tiny little "hairs" on the skin that you cant pull out. But it is rather barbaric...And I have never "gutted" anything...creeps me out! but my Mom could...part of being a farm wife, girlfriend!!! LOL!!!! Laurel
Just adding my 2 cents of agreement, too, Gail. :o)
I don't think they use editors any more, either...
Have a wonderful weekend. Hope you make a bushel of money! ♥
I often wonder where the editors are. The book I'm reading now had a descriptive sentence that was grammatically incorrect. that just bugs me no end.
Yes..write what you know and you will stay out of trouble. I am certain that all the proof readers are dead. Singe before plucking.. hysterical I can see a chicken on fire and oh the smell:(
It drives me nuts too and I can't get past the typos sometimes or when they change say from a blue car to a red truck.
Yes, I think the singe part would have made me mad too. I hated that part so much and I still can remember the smell after my grand mother and mother did the chickens. After the plucking.
Yep, always write about what you know. Very good advice.
You're right. Writers should stick to things they have experienced directly or indirectly. Either that, or be VERY good researchers!
=)
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