Answers to questions from last week

On Tuesday I wrote about getting salutations right in your query.

 

EM Goldsmith

Where does "Snookums" or "Your Toothy Majesty" fall in this list? Asking for a friend?

 

I LOVE both of course.

 

 

Laura

I had an editor advise that I address agent queries as "Dear Full Name" so as not to be too familiar (eg Dear First Name) or presumptuous about gender (Dear Ms./Mr.). What are your feelings on this approach?

 

Given that five year old children at church call me Janet (my sainted mother is rolling in her grave, let me assure you) "too familiar" is something of a lost cause.

 

Presumptuous about gender is a whole 'nother kettle of sushi.

Unless you know if an agent uses Ms. or Mr. Dear Felix Buttonweezer is an excellent, safe choice.

 

 

frenchsojourn

Dear Occupant.

 

Hank, you can call me occupant any time you like. Of course it means I'm moving in to your guest cottage there in France.

 

 

 

Miles O'Neal

 

How do you feel about "Ms"?

 

I'm totally fine with Ms.

I'm old enough to remember the brouhaha over using Ms instead of Miss or Mrs.

 

The stodgy, style guide worshipping NYTimes refused to use Ms.

Then came the 1984 Presidential campaign with Geraldine Ferraro on the ticket.

 

The NYT asked what she would like to be called.
Ms Ferraro, please.

 

Well, no, we don't do that. Miss or Mrs?

 

Well, of course Geraldine Ferraro was married to a man who was not her father and who had a different surname. So she was married, thus not Miss Ferraro, but Mrs. Zaccaro.  However, Mrs. Zaccaro was not the name on all those festive campaign signs, or on the ballot.

 

And Geraldine Ferraro was more than a little annoyed at these old stodgy dudes who couldn't seem to move with the times. Or move the Times.

 

So she said (and god I would have loved to have seen the look on her face!) sure, whatevs, call me Mrs. Ferrarro.

 

And they did.

For the entire f/ing campaign.

 

I was laughing at the Times for MONTHS.  I was not alone.

But as the Nixon White House discovered, don't fuck with the Times. They'll double down just to make a point.

 

 

It would take almost two more years for the Times to get with the times.

 

Eric Siletzky

 Reminds me a lot of dating rich girls. We're all people here. We shouldn't be encouraging obsequiousness unless we want monarchies again.

 

Who says we don't?

I should be Queen of the Known Universe.

 

 

On Thursday I wrote about "double-writing"

Kitty

Does it apply to dialogue?

 

Not so much. Dialogue needs to sound right. Sometimes people talk funny (with their mouths)

 

 

John Davis Frain

Okay, legit question. You say:

 

"And sometimes, yes, you need the extra word.

 

She crouched down to give Felix CPR."

 

So, I assume the extra word here is "down" and I don't understand why you need it. Where else would you crouch? Seems to me it's like writing "He stood up" when you can just say "He stood."

 

 

Sometimes you need the extra word for rhythm. Writing is not an exact science. I think she crouched down sounds better.

 

 

 

And I kinda love that JDF feels the need to say his is a legit question.

How well he knows his audience here.

 

(and if you're not following @Frainstorm on Twitter for his #VSS posts, you are really missing out.)