We are, hopefully on the last edit before submitting. With each change of grammar and punctuation (which I have owned up to many times, is not one of my strengths) Word is now finding new things to underline. This time it asking me to remove phrases and replace with a single word, which to be honest reads fine, but, yep the big but (not the American terminology for bum, the proper meaning) will it detract from my "voice". I spoke with an editor some months ago, (an old colleague) who said now you have to remove about fifty percent of your words! A lot if I do, it wouldn't even be a novela. anyway here is as an example of the changes Word wants me to make...
"It would seem that the much mentioned “shock” was the only thing that knew exactly what it was doing."
To... The shock was the only thing that new what it was doing.
Do I listen to technology or the way I want to write it, in my head my way says much more you see.
Any comments will be listened to and thought hard over before I change things.
As ever Paul.
Note word changing spelling of knew to new. Clearly it doesn't know or now or even no what it is doing. Congratulations on having got this far. As Lorraine says if you and your editor are happy, let it go. Oh and have a big drink or whatever to celebrate. Daphne
Thank you both, Oh by the way Lorraine, you can stop running now I'm out of puff!
Isn't it odd how easy it is to have too much confidence in Word, unless of course it is... "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Now if the correction came from that office I would take heed!
I mustn't have been clear when I used the term "Novela" I meant if I were to lose 50% it wouldn't make a novela. I think the count is 121,000 words, most make sense as well. Now there's a novelty for me.
Again thank you both. It really does make a difference when people who "know" say ignore something, because even though I wanted to my days at the boys school were always there, do as you are told.
I add my vote and voice to Lorraine's. Word's correction function has its place, but certainly isn't foolproof. I take note of it when it corrects spelling (unless I'm using a computer that only has US English installed and then I take suggestions with a pinch of salt), but the grammar correction is rubbish! As Lorraine pointed out, partial sentences are tabu! Not a lot of sense in that. (That last "sentence" would have been underlined.)
"One of the large group of men was tying his shoelaces." THAT would be underlined with the suggested "correction": "One of the large group of men WERE tying his shoelaces."!!! Or maybe "One of the large group of men WERE tying THEIR shoelaces." Word doesn't recognise the right of a subject to be separated from its verb by other nouns. if you click on "omit rule", it DOESN'T omit rule, keeps telling you that YOUR sentences are wrong.
And yes, Lorraine: congratulations!