Editorial Blunders or the New Acceptable

Way back when, I learned what was acceptable in non-fiction wasn't always acceptable in fiction as far as how you write and format many things. Makes sense. It would be strange to see bullets and tables in fiction wouldn't it?

Well, I'm finding it awkward, distracting and sloppy to read fiction with things in parenthesis. What's up with this? Months ago, I came across a new author doing this and just when I wanted to explain to him that you don't do this and to use italics instead, I found a New York Bestseller doing this very thing in her recent work. I was horrified. It left me with a dilema. In critiquing, we teach others how to properly write as far as grammar, punctuation and structure, now I don't know what to tell them.

The other day, I picked up a book from my to-be-read stack and not only did this author use the parenthesis, but he also wrote the story in second person. Ok, now I have another issue to deal with, because I've read on many epub sites as well as agent sites where they only want first person or third person - some even say they don't take second person. Now, not all second person writings are as bad as this book I attempted to read. I have recently read a well written story in second person by an unpubbed and told her not to change it without trying to sell it first even though the road may be tough.

I'm currently reading a book where the first ten chapters is all back story and very choppy as well as full of unfinished scenes. I forced myself to continue and finally the real story began just under half way through the book. A major, major snafu for this NY Bestseller. If I wasn't used to her unconventional methods and hoping she didn't let me down completely, I would have not made it past the first few pages.

In the mean time, I'm learning that most of what I'd been taught in the last five years was nothing but a waste of time.

So, what do I tell these young fledglings who are looking to learn from someone who crossed over from writer to author?

All writers are encouraged to read, read, read the genres they wish to write, but gosh darn it, what if reading them are teaching them bad habits? Guess it really doesn't matter or so it seems by the books passing through editors and onto the shelves. It's really hard to guide these young writers when they are seeing book after book published with all the things I'm telling them not to do.

Any thoughts on this?

How do you handle things you come across which you've been told are no-nos? Do you overlook them? Do they distract you, making you wonder why they did it and why the editor didn't correct it?

Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net/