Assignment Results

I've received gradings on my first two assignments for semester 2. An A and a B+, an excellent start with some extremely encouraging comments.

Before the semester began, I contacted administration to find out the names of the lecturers I was submitting to this time round so I didn't make the same mistakes as last time. Somehow I got it wrong again. Very annoying. I addressed the assignments to the lecturer I was told to and they still come back with the name crossed out and a new name penned in, in red ink. Very hard to look like a professional when you're given incorrect information :(

My review books also arrived today. I've already done read one as it came on a CD rather than in print. It was a very different way to read some excellent stories. You'll have to buy the next issue of Black magazine to see my thoughts on it any time soon though.

I have one other book to read and review before next week. I also have four other books to review for HorrorScope. Plenty of reading ahead.

My wife checked over Too Late the Rain and found two typos. I was mortified. I've sent this out and now I know it has two mistakes in it. Not very professional. One should have been picked up by the spell checker but wasn't because the first few words it recognises are misspelled on purpose, part of dialogue. I'm used to this so I just skipped through it, only half paying attention. The second wasn't picked up because it wasn't spelled incorrectly, it was the wrong word. Because I've read this story so many times, my brain automatically inserted what should have been there.

These are two common mistakes, very amateur mistakes, that I won't be making again. Everything now needs to go through a beta reader or crit group. Everything needs to sit for a day or two before being sent anywhere.

Looking at things with a fresh POV, or having others look at your work is invaluable. Skip this step at your peril.

Good luck with your your writing.

BT