Gratifying vs Grating Grammar = G: Blogging from A to Z
I'm a self-confessed grammar geek, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to highlight proper grammar as a literary device.
SourceEven great story cannot overcome obvious grammar sins, at least for me. Matter of fact, I'm even more disgusted when a great story is ruined by lack of editing and bad grammar than a bad story. A bad story was going to be a bad story regardless. A great story is wasted when poor grammar is rampant.
Authors can break rules for the sake of style occasionally, think fragments or ending a sentence with a preposition, but it should be consistent and not cause undue stress on the reader.
Stress on the reader? Yes, anything that pulls the reader out of the story causes stress. Too much reading stress and the reader disconnects. Or at least this reader does.
But, even writers who fancy themselves grammar geeks need editors. It's easy to get in the zone, fingers flying across the keyboard, and accidentally put its instead of it's. Spell checkers can't help you, because both words are spelled correctly.
In past posts, I've not only pointed out my Top 10 Writing Pet Peeves (e.g., irregardless, lose/loose, they're/their/there) but also 5 Writing "Mistakes" I Like (e.g., sentence fragments, occasional adverbs).
“Ill-fitting grammar are like ill-fitting shoes. You can get used to it for a bit, but then one day your toes fall off and you can't walk to the bathroom.”
― Jasper Fforde, One of Our Thursdays Is Missing
What's your grammar pet peeve? Will it kill a great story for you?
Grammar should be gratifying, never grating. (Again, alliteration abounds in A to Z.) Note: I read and re-read this post more than any other for this month. Can't have mistakes in a post about grammar mistakes. Eek!
Don't forget to check out other A to Z participants here .
SourceEven great story cannot overcome obvious grammar sins, at least for me. Matter of fact, I'm even more disgusted when a great story is ruined by lack of editing and bad grammar than a bad story. A bad story was going to be a bad story regardless. A great story is wasted when poor grammar is rampant.Authors can break rules for the sake of style occasionally, think fragments or ending a sentence with a preposition, but it should be consistent and not cause undue stress on the reader.
Stress on the reader? Yes, anything that pulls the reader out of the story causes stress. Too much reading stress and the reader disconnects. Or at least this reader does.
But, even writers who fancy themselves grammar geeks need editors. It's easy to get in the zone, fingers flying across the keyboard, and accidentally put its instead of it's. Spell checkers can't help you, because both words are spelled correctly.
In past posts, I've not only pointed out my Top 10 Writing Pet Peeves (e.g., irregardless, lose/loose, they're/their/there) but also 5 Writing "Mistakes" I Like (e.g., sentence fragments, occasional adverbs).
“Ill-fitting grammar are like ill-fitting shoes. You can get used to it for a bit, but then one day your toes fall off and you can't walk to the bathroom.”
― Jasper Fforde, One of Our Thursdays Is Missing
What's your grammar pet peeve? Will it kill a great story for you?
Grammar should be gratifying, never grating. (Again, alliteration abounds in A to Z.) Note: I read and re-read this post more than any other for this month. Can't have mistakes in a post about grammar mistakes. Eek!
Don't forget to check out other A to Z participants here .
No comments have been added yet.
