Authors Come in All Shapes and Sizes.

[persephone33]

I have a question for the flist.  Have I punctuated this correctly?

The flat was what he imagined people called ‘cosy,’ but what his mother would have disparaged as ‘untidy’ or ‘cluttered,’ which in Narcissa-speak was on par with ‘war zone,’ ‘ebolic,’ and ‘third world-esque.’  

Do the commas go in the quotation marks or on the outside?  My brain's fried and I can barely form a coherent sentence.  I did finish putting the beta corrections in my contest story, but I think I need to read through it one more time before sending it off, and that, unfortunately, won't be today.  I have a monster headache.  

My son, aged almost seven, who has been put off several times in the past few weeks in favor typing furiously at the computer, came to me today with a question.

Ethan.  How many books have you written, mommy?

Me.  I'm working on my first one.  I'm about halfway through.

Ethan.  (pulls out stapled stacks of notebook paper from behind his back)  I've written three.

*mommy's mouth drops open unbecomingly*

And so he has.  They are entitled Rescue Heroes Find Their First Volcano, A Hard Day in the Jungle, and Cowboys doomed and a Gorilla (my personal favorite).  And they're illustrated.  In color.  He rocks.  I suck.  I see his point, though.  So this afternoon I'm taking a break from all things computer and taking my kids to the park.

Comments

[rainpuddle13.livejournal.com]

Commas go on the outside of single quotes (unless you're in England where single quotes denote dialog quotes as well).

Grammar. My arch nemesis.

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Thanks. How about another quick question?

If you are talking about a family, and a party that they're having at their home, would you say:

The Longbottoms' ball
or
The Longbottom's ball?

I wrote the first one, but it just LOOKS weird, you know?

Re: Grammar. My arch nemesis.

[rainpuddle13.livejournal.com]

I know it looks weird, but the first one is correct because you're referring to the collective Longbottom family meaning more than one thusly it would be the plural possessive Longbottoms'. The second one would be singular as in Draco stole Longbottom's Remembrall.

Re: Grammar. My arch nemesis.

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I thought, but the longer I looked at it, the more I thought, "That can't be right..."

I did the same thing with the word 'their' earlier. That's on the second grade spelling list and I looked at it for five minutes thinking, 'their'?

[orpheus-samhain.livejournal.com]

The commas go on the outside.
From PS"
[...] When it finally shouted 'GRYFFINDOR', Nevil ran off still wearing it [...]

Your son proved his point *LOL*

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Yeah, he did make his point, quite succinctly, in fact.

[peki.livejournal.com]

Cowboys doomed and a Gorilla! That sounds awesome! :-D I wish I could read it.

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

It is pretty awesome. The cowboys are minding their own business when *BAM* a gorilla.

They end up being friends, though. *g*

[(Anonymous)]

I think I was there when he started writing 'Cowboys Doomed and a Gorilla'; w00t! I got to see the creative process in the...er... process!

Also, I had to write a paper about Cyranose de Bergerac for my English class, so I wrote a narrative. When Mr. Batman...er...Roberts gave it back to me there was a note on it telling me I'd make a good playwright. Bask in your teaching abilities!

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

I got that it was you... context clues and all.

What do you mean you'd MAKE a good playwright? You ARE a good playwright!

The icon love is for you...

[dragonsangel68.livejournal.com]

Like Pud said ;)

How adorable! You're going to have to get those fingers working harder if you're going to catch up to him ;)

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

I have no hope. I'm too slow, and his work ethic is much better than mine. *g*

[(Anonymous)]

Also I should have signed in... that one above, as well as this one, are by me, Cydneylicious.

[lyndsiefenele.livejournal.com]

I thought about your comma question, realized that I don't know the answer because the British v American rules are soup in my head, and then decided to concur with the previous posters.

But really, I just wanted to use this icon! (Because I don't actually remember.)

: )

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you did! I like that icon!

[13oct.livejournal.com]

*grins* If this is what they are like at 'almost seven' - I am so in for it!

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Buckle down and get ready.... it's coming!

[13oct.livejournal.com]

*sobs* and 'they' are only going to be 21 months apart! How, o how did u survive the early babyhood stage?

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

It gets so much better after the first six months! I couldn't even leave mine in the same room for fear the oldest (22 months)would shove something up the baby's nose or drag him around by the arm. Maybe with your sweet little girl, she'll want to be sweet to the baby. I also said "gently" about four million times.=P And Mother's Day Out. Let us not forget about that. Kept me sane. And I started drinking at noon. (No, I didn't. But I thought about it!)

It seems insurmountable now, but they'll be so close when they're older. Aaron gets sad when Ethan's at school and constantly asks, "When can we go get him?" They do everything together. Ethan finally decided Aaron wasn't useless when he started playing pretend with him. The would tie receiving blankets around their necks and pretend to be superheroes (pre-costume days).

Is Taara excited about the baby?

[13oct.livejournal.com]

So far I don't think the 'you have a sibling coming' concept has actually got thru to Taara. Not that I expect it to register at 15 months!

She pats my stomach and goes baba (she can't quite get baby yet) but also does that to every one she knows! LOL - it gets particularly funny when she asks her Dad 'baba?' while patting his tum!

Thankfully she is an easy child and is a girlish as one can get... and isn't too violent. Hope to hell that continues after the baby comes along.

I can't tell you how much this helps me. I am dreading the baby's arrival... it's not the best attitude to have I know, but I can't seem to help myself. Yes, I am excited; but that is tempered with a healthy dose of reality - coz I DO know what I am in for, unlike last time!

[seegrim.livejournal.com]

The flat was what he imagined people called ‘cosy’, but what his mother would have disparaged as ‘untidy’ or ‘cluttered’, which in Narcissa-speak was on par with ‘war zone’, ‘ebolic’, and ‘third world-esque'.

And since you are indirectly quoting Narcissa, you could probably say:

The flat was what he imagined people called ‘cosy’, but what his mother would have disparaged as untidy or cluttered, which in Narcissa-speak was on par with ‘war zone, ebolic, and third world-esque'.

Cowboys doomed and a Gorilla? now that's a story!

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That helps a lot!

Cowboys Doomed and a Gorilla. He already has a better title than I do...

[seegrim.livejournal.com]

Anytime! :)

Make sure you save his 'books'!

[dieloreley.livejournal.com]

Eee! Ethan is soooo oute! I so want to read his books! Is your husband like my daddy who proudly proclaimed to my brother's then soon-to-be principal that his son was very advanced? ...To which the principal scoffed and informed daddy that most kindergarteners could read that well. To which daddy was quite peeved. Lol.

How was the park visit? I think what everyone else said about commas is right. I'm not gonna try because I'll probably lead you down the wrong path. I haven't picked up on any problems in your fics... and your titles are my favouritest ever!