Fuck you, Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word fucking hates me.
I’ve long suspected this; today, I have proof.
I noticed a couple of places in a short story I was about to submit where, for no apparent reason, there were smart quotes instead of boring ass quotes. (Well, I think I know the reason for some: I forgot to turn them off before making some edits. But that doesn’t explain why several opening quotes were smart when the closing quote in the same sentence wasn’t.) I tried to fix this. I checked. They changed, or at least the one right in front of me did.
So I submitted the story. To the highest paying market that might accept it.
And then I noticed that EVERY SINGLE QUOTATION MARK IN THE STORY WAS MISSING.
I’m torn between crying and just laughing and taking this as a sign that I should give up on trying to sell short stories.
(And then about five seconds later I ripped a nail. Because that’s just the kind of day today is, apparently.)