FILL: Dotting the i's in Fantasy?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Argh.

It's this fantasy, you see. I'm reading it at night, just a few pages before I nod off, but . . .

First there was a scene where they are riding through the countryside. And the little bit of color commentary was about the peasants harvesting corn (okay) and the line of peasants behind who were binding the straw. Huh? Corn stalks aren't . . . you tie them into bundles, but it's not straw? Maybe the writer meant wheat? But . . . Small thing, right. But if the writer is going to add color like this, shouldn't she get it right?

Now we've got another scene, where the heroine walks in on someone who is working on papers. And he tosses his quill into the inkwell as he rises to talk to her. But - I've used both the old dip pens and a quill, and there is no way I'd toss it into the ink. Ruin the thing, probably flip up and dump ink everywhere, what the heck . . . Since he's going to talk for a few minutes, he'd be more likely to dip it in water and clean it, or maybe just wipe it dry on the side, but tossing it into the inkwell? No, no, no.

I know it is small stuff, but darn it, it is irritating to see these small blots.

So dot your eyes and check that research. Get someone to read it who knows something about country life.

tink
(grump, grump, grump - sometimes when we write, we make mistakes!)