There! A flash of white
Not winter snow – autumnal delight
The white squirrel thrives, the albino’s luck holding
I watch in awe, joyed by its bounding flight
Interestingly, the title was a re-release from something published in 2008. Not knowing if this could possibly have anything to do with the problem (which seems unlikely), I can’t help commenting that it felt at times like the writer’s first language is something other than English. There were wrong tenses, misused words, missing words, extra words – you name it.
The story itself was very enjoyable, by an author whose writing I greatly enjoy and admire. And yet, sadly, I am likely never to read the tale again for all the annoyances. Too bad I can’t go into my Kindle Fire and fix the issues. Wouldn’t that be nice?
As for the names of story and author, I’ll keep those to myself. Additionally, I’ll cross my fingers to never find something so botched again. Now I’m going to read this several times before posting and try to make sure I don’t make any of the same mistakes!
Today I’m over at LGBT Fantasy Fans and Writers, sharing my post “Chicago Ghosts.” Join me!
Cobalt blue shimmers
A sharp beak pecks small white blooms
The peacock dines well
That led me to ponder what we should call those that we have met in the flesh.
Brick and mortar friends?
There are, however, times when I haven’t been able to help myself. For example, I once wrote a short story with food items as chapter titles. Within each chapter I worked that word into the storytelling. They ultimately tied together as ingredients in a recipe.
The reason I chose to expound on the issue here, however, is because of an e-book I recently downloaded. This particular author, who composed a decent tale, took an odd stance on titling. She actually used the location, month, and year in which the ensuing interval occurs.
Because the storyline sometimes visited the distant past, that might not have seemed a bad choice. However, I found that her habit merely pulled me out of the story without purpose. After all, the flashbacks were just that – flashes – and always appeared in italics. I can’t think of one instance where the title came from the past, either, while the timeline progressed naturally from the end of the previous chapter.
I’ll definitely consider this experience for my future writings. What is your opinion? Do you like chapter titles? Do you use them? Or perhaps I’m odd for even considering the point. Please let me know what you think!