Editing tip of the day #8

He was six-four and gorgeous.

Really? Wow. That heroine would make an excellent witness. Knowing just exactly how tall he was. Impressive.

Um, yeah. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t look at someone and tell you their exact height. Not my husband, not my daughter and certainly some random stranger I’ve just met. Chances are, your heroine can’t either. Sure, she can know approximately how tall he is, but exactly? Nuh-uh.

Oh, and along the same line, she wouldn’t be able to give the exact length of his naughty parts either. Just saying.

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14 People have left comments on this post



1
» Sonya said: { Dec 3, 2007 - 01:12:19 }

Thank you. I needed a bit of a giggle today. :)

Can’t imagine even trying to guess the exact length of the naughty parts. Who’s thinking in inches at a time like that? :muahaha:

2
» Karen Erickson said: { Dec 3, 2007 - 01:12:58 }

LMAO so true! I’ve been guilty of this I can admit it…

:oops:

3
» Shelli Stevens said: { Dec 3, 2007 - 04:12:48 }

Ha! That’s too funny! I’m sure I’ve read that in so many books, too!!!

4
» Lesley said: { Dec 3, 2007 - 04:12:30 }

:muahaha: His naughty parts! Oh, you’re too much!

5
» Megan said: { Dec 3, 2007 - 07:12:59 }

And that’s what makes you a good editor, that you can spot that kind of stuff.

I’ve only said things like “He was tall, taller than X, who was the tallest guy she’d ever seen” My heroines, like me, are estimate-impaired. Explains my last boyfriend, actually.

6
» Elle said: { Dec 3, 2007 - 09:12:08 }

That describes my husband ;)

7
» Karen Scott said: { Dec 4, 2007 - 07:12:54 }

Oh, and along the same line, she wouldn’t be able to give the exact length of his naughty parts either. Just saying.

And yet so many authors (especially of the erotic romance variety) do just that.

8
» Grace said: { Dec 4, 2007 - 11:12:11 }

Thank you! I see this a lot in romance novels and could never figure out how the heroine would know this. I always thought that was strange and why, when I described my hero’s height, I kept it very general.

9
» Alyssa said: { Dec 4, 2007 - 04:12:28 }

I tend to avoid naughty-bit lengths, but I’m pretty sure I have a line in my latest NaNo about the hero being six-three–and yep, it’s from the heroine’s perspective. Must do something about that.

10
» Chris Redding said: { Dec 4, 2007 - 06:12:56 }

Maybe she met him in a Domino’s Pizza where they have part of a yard stick on the wall by the door. It’s there so that if you get robbed you can tell the police how tall he was.

And yes, because I dated all men over six foot, I actually have an uncanny ability to tell how tall they are when I stand next to them. But I realize I’m in the minority.
cmr

11
» Candice Gilmer said: { Dec 5, 2007 - 02:12:10 }

Giggle, giggle snort… Yeah, I’m thinking I agree with you on both points. :)

12
» BT Keeney said: { Dec 7, 2007 - 09:12:03 }

I dunno, I’m not sure I agree with y’all on this one. I’m five-ten and I definitely notice a man’s height and I can certainly estimate it pretty closely on first meeting or at a distance. Maybe for women of average height, it’s not big deal and they really can’t tell. If you have to crane your neck up to everyone then five-eleven isn’t that much different than six-three.

But to some of us, yeah, we notice:).

13
» kate r said: { Dec 13, 2007 - 03:12:19 }

well ya know she MIGHT work closing shift at a Burger King that’s been robbed enough times. Of course she’s going to automatically check every person as they walk in, past that tape measure in the door. Huh? well? How about that sort of heroine?

14
» kate r said: { Dec 13, 2007 - 03:12:16 }

oh, damn you Chris Redding. You said that days ago.



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