Tagged--again! Then a rant!

This time I was tagged by my pal Jared Case.  Here's the deal:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Go to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence. (A virtually useless step as the action comes next...)
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people and acknowledge who tagged you.

The book closest to me just happened to be one I picked up at Malice Domestic.  It's hot off the press, too.  STALKING DEATH by none other than my Writers Plot pal Kate Flora.  (It's the 7th book in her Thea Kozak mystery series.)

All around her, phones were ringing and a confetti of pink message slips littered the desktop.  She looked miserable and confused, which, under the circumstances was understandable.  No one was giving her direction or support.

Oh boy can I identify with the first part of that last sentence.  Apparently, my editor(s) are pretty happy with my work, because I haven't been asked to do much (any) in the way of revision for any of the four books I've sold.  I like to think that's because they like my work...but then I've had a couple of nasty reviews where people say I don't know grammar or the use of commas.  I have to admit I see no point in fighting with my copy editors--and I've blogged about how one publisher's CE wants it this way while another publisher's CE wants the exact same thing another way.  it all depends on the style book or dictionary they're working with--and it's important to pick your battles carefully.  Truth be told, even though I was a copy editor myself (for eight years), who but the really anal give a flying fig for commas?  I either use them too much, or not enough.  Apparently, these days it's all subjective.

Am I going to impale myself on a cedar (or any other kind of) stake because of a few misplaced commas or questionable grammar--especially in dialog (where I'm pretty sure these purists are so anal)?  Hell, no!  For me, and for 99% of the readers I'm likely to encounter, STORYTELLING is what counts.  In my opinion, Stephen King could use a stiff edit.  J.K. Rowling the same.  But is there any doubt that these two humans (as well as Nora Roberts and a host of other bestsellers) are probably the best storytellers on the face of the planet?

No.

I could torture myself for the typos that I (my spell check, my husband, my critique partner(s), and my copy editor) missed in the final version of my books, and I don't consider myself as particularly sloppy--but really, if you're that hung up on one or two errors per 80,000 words--you really need to get a life.  If you can't lose yourself in the story--if a misplaced modifier, a split infinitive, or a misused comma here and there take you out of the story--go read some dry-as-dust English Lit manual.  Me, I'll take that second print run thanks to enthusiastic readers and stick my tongue at you as I collect my next royalty check.

If you want good storytelling...read genre fiction.  (Something Oprah could stand to think about.)  Romance, Mystery, Horror, YA...whatever.  Because more than anything, good storytelling is far better than technical precision.  Trust me.  As a reader, and as a published author, I know this.

Now...to tag five more people for this meme.  This may be extremely difficult.  I'm associated with more people who do group rather than personal blogs. 

Still...

Lee Rowan, are you game?  April Henry?  Anne Malcom-Willey?  Dwight Wannabe?  Julia Buckley--are you game, too?