This Is Driving Me Nuts!

DonnaDuck · Jul 3, 2009

I don't know if it's grammatically correct, none of my betas have said anything about it and it's the very first sentence in my manuscript. I can't have a grammar error in my first sentence!

So it's -

Seven a.m.'s suck.

Should it stay that or go to without the apostrophe -

Seven a.m.s suck.

Or should it be -

Seven a.m. sucks.

For the voice of the MC, he'd say multiple sevens in the morning but I need to get this straightened out before my head explodes.

alleycat · Jul 3, 2009

You've got to change that. Really.

My suggestion is to completely rewrite the sentence.

scarletpeaches · Jul 3, 2009

What's wrong with "Early mornings suck." ?

Ken · Jul 3, 2009

... have never heard anyone use the term "a.m." in speech, except for newscasters on tv. So maybe go for SP's version.

girlyswot · Jul 3, 2009

It shouldn't be pluralised.

Seven a.m. sucks.

That's a general truth, applicable to every seven a.m. on every day. The abbreviation isn't great, though, and I wouldn't have it in the very first line of the manuscript. If your MC would say seven in the morning, use that.

Seven in the morning sucks.

Or even:

Seven o'clock in the morning sucks.

pdr · Jul 3, 2009

Just a polite note...

to disagree.

Seven a.m. sucks.

If your character speaks like that, it's fine. If that's the tone and mood of your novel and it's in genre then stick with it. It's got more rhythm and punch than the suggested alterations.

DonnaDuck · Jul 3, 2009

alleycat said:
You've got to change that. Really.

My suggestion is to completely rewrite the sentence.

Care to elaborate on that?

scarletpeaches said:
What's wrong with "Early mornings suck." ?

My character would never say that. It's too proper.

Ken said:
... have never heard anyone use the term "a.m." in speech, except for newscasters on tv. So maybe go for SP's version.

I use it all the time and have heard others use it as well.

"in the morning" is a possible alternative but it's awkward in context. Another potential is, "Mornings suck." The MC is a 15 year old boy so they sleep until 2. Anything before noon would suck. I also have to keep it in that voice to anything more . . . loquacious than that might not ring true to the character.

But thanks for the quick responses, everyone! I appreciate it!

Oberon · Jul 3, 2009

"Mornings suck" sounds better to me. I think it hits the reader more directly and from what you say about sleeping late is more consistent with the character. "Seven a.m. sucks" lacks the punch.

C.bronco · Jul 3, 2009

girlyswot said:
It shouldn't be pluralised.

Seven a.m. sucks.

That's a general truth, applicable to every seven a.m. on every day. The abbreviation isn't great, though, and I wouldn't have it in the very first line of the manuscript. If your MC would say seven in the morning, use that.

Seven in the morning sucks.

Or even:

Seven o'clock in the morning sucks.

I like that one.
Seven AM sucks.
Hi Donna! Haven't run across you in awhile!

alleycat · Jul 3, 2009

DonnaDuck said:
Care to elaborate on that?

Trying to make a plural out of "a.m." is going to be awkward no matter how you format it.

There are any number of other ways to rewrite it, based on your writing style and voice.

Seven o'clock sucks. It does for me every single day of the week.

Seven o'clock in the morning sucks. Every morning when the alarm clock goes off, I have to somehow manage to get both eyes open, leave the comfortable of my warm bed . . .

Seven in the morning sucks. It always does.

Early mornings suck.

Seven o'clock in the morning. What a stupid time to start the day.

etc., etc.

Just examples, not necessarily suggestions on how you should actually write it.

scarletpeaches · Jul 3, 2009

The correct plural would be "Seven a.ms. suck," because you're pluralising meridien.

That is all.

Prawn · Jul 4, 2009

I don't like the word suck because of the obvious, if absent, direct object.

How about something like

He hated mornings; the rising sun and his wife's fascist chipperness made his hands curl into fists.

Mad Queen · Jul 4, 2009

Seven a.m. sucks.

I like this a lot. I think it's much better than any of the proposed alternatives.

Dawnstorm · Jul 4, 2009

Mad Queen said:
Seven a.m. sucks.

I like this a lot. I think it's much better than any of the proposed alternatives.

Me, too.

Eldritch · Jul 12, 2009

Dawnstorm said:
Me, too.

Me three.

CatSlave · Jul 12, 2009

This is driving me nuts

What did the pirate say when questioned about the ship's wheel shoved down the front of his pants?

(sorry, opportunity knocked)

CommonReactor · Jul 19, 2009

DonnaDuck said:
Or should it be -

Seven a.m. sucks.

Not sure if you got the answer you were looking for yet, but is your MC upset about 7 a.m. in general or something that occurs at 7 a.m? I ask, because you were making a.m. plural, and I only ever used to do that in college when I was actually speaking of classes that started early. In that case, I would say, "7 a.m. classes suck," or "waking up at 7 a.m. sucks."

But, if it's just that time of morning in particular, I'd go with "7 a.m. sucks" as others have said.

Oh, and I still speak that way (I'm 28), so I think the lack of words and the use of "sucks" is good for a 15 year-old-boy.

Imbroglio · Jul 19, 2009

I like 'seven a.m. sucks.'

But if it were me, I would say, 'seven a.m. sucks, man.'

DonnaDuck · Jul 19, 2009

Michael really isn't a "man" type of kid. Dude, yes. Man, no. At the end of the day, though, I think I'm going to go with "mornings suck." Simple, yet concise. Thanks, everyone!

Imbroglio · Jul 19, 2009

NO!

Haha, just kidding.

I go through phases. Like, I used to say dude, then I started to say Bro a lot, and now I'm at man, but fading back into dude.

Weiirrd.

This Is Driving Me Nuts!

DonnaDuck

My Worlds Are Building

alleycat

Still around

scarletpeaches

Ken

girlyswot

pdr

DonnaDuck

My Worlds Are Building

Oberon

C.bronco

I have plans...

alleycat

Still around

scarletpeaches

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

Mad Queen

California Mountain Snake

Dawnstorm

punny user title, here

Eldritch

CatSlave

Mah tale iz draggin.

CommonReactor

Rediscovering my creativity

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM

DonnaDuck

My Worlds Are Building

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM