the joys of an editorial mind

[rivendellrose]

If being an English major doesn't already spoil a person for reading without constant nitpicks, all they have to do is also be a writer, and edit their friends' pieces. After that, either I'm a total freak (well, obviously, but still), or it is well-nigh impossible to read anything without wanting to dig out a red pen.

Whoever once said that English majors and editors lose the joy of reading for fun was wrong, though.

And no, zinjadu, this isn't your story I'm talking about. Something totally different. ;)

If I see one more person claim that the eye color of a given character changes with their emotions, though, I swear I'll write up a whole dissertation on how that's impossible. The only things that change the apparent color of the eyes are quality and amount of light, surrounding color, and whether or not the pupils are dilated (physiological arousal is a lovely thing).

Comments

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

whether or not the pupils are dilated (physiological arousal is a lovely thing)

It certainly is. People don't mention that enough in fics!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

No, they don't!

[scearley.livejournal.com]

I have never that I remember read something where a person's eyes changed color - except with reference to being bloodshot.

Maybe it's because I don't read fanfiction?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Most likely - it seems to be an error primarily endemic in fan fiction. I'll have to keep my eyes open the next time I read an actual fiction novel.

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

"it seems to be an error primarily endemic in fan fiction" Well, there AND those sleazy Harlequin romance type books. :P

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

But, depending on the perspective of the writing, that can change the apparent eye colour, no? Just using mine as an example, they do look darker when I'm in a certain mood, mostly because they're not open as wide, and thus, less light.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yes, but that's not quite the impression one usually gets from the examples I've seen.

You know the characters, so I'll be specific. It seems to be some sort of crazy fandom convention that Methos' eyes change color depending on his mood - I saw one writer make a consistent pattern (commented on by Joe) that when her Methos was Adam Pierson, his eyes were green, whereas they turned gold when he was thinking as Methos. The current one I'm reading seems to switch from hazel to black. Yes, they can appear to do so, but the way it's being written implies that this is really happening.

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

*dies* okay, that is patently ridiculous. I've only seen the conventional "Eyes were shadowed" or "darkening eyes" cliches, which may be painful, but aren't outright wrong.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

No, no - nothing that reasonable, I'm afraid. Aren't those fun?

They were both in otherwise good stories, too, which just makes it worse. It always makes me sad when I find a good writer who's picked up a few of those annoying little fandom habits that make it hard to take their stories as seriously as they otherwise would be.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

That's good to know. I try to avoid that whole eye color changing thing, unless it's the "darkening" thing becuase the pupil ditlation does make the iris appear darker. ... I think. ^^;;;

The eye! The new mood ring! It will be the biggest thing ever! XD