What's So Important About Grammar?

Did you know grammar is vitally important to your writing? Good grammar is essential to good writing. If you never want to have your work published, then good grammar won't matter. But, if you're looking to get published or sell books via self-publishing, good grammar is a must.

Grammar Girl can help you out with this. Follow her famous blag to get the best tips and the latest grammar information so your writing can be the best it can be!

If you plan to self-publish, or e-publish, hiring a viable editor is essential.

Remember, when writing for publication, you are not writing for yourself; you are writing for the reader. Keeping the reader in mind through using proper grammar goes far in helping sell your work. I've compiled a list of some things good grammar accomplishes for your writing:

Good grammar:

Keeps your writing fluid
Prevents the reader from backtracking
Keeps your thoughts organized for the reader
Frees the reader to concentrate on your plot
Gives you credibility as a writer

In closing, good grammar can't be replaced with clever antics. But, keep in mind that good grammar is always trumped by dialog, so opening lines such as you find in "The Color Purple" ("You better not never tell nobody but God") are fine to use, as long as the story, itself, is written in proper grammar.

Get to know Grammar Girl; she's a great help, or get a copy of a high school English book to remind you of the grammar and punctuation rules so your writing will be at its best!

~Tricia

Comments

My Top Five Editing Tips

In my e-book, Writing for Publication , I list my top five editing tips. If you have not read the book and you want to earn money writing, read the book today. It's available on Amazon, here , and on Fiverr, here . Editing is vital to writing success, but I do understand that not everyone can afford to hire an editor; some have to edit their own work. I never recommend this, but I know finances require it at times. Here are my top five editing tips: Get rid of "that" whenever you can Use both "very" and "really" in a very limited way. Really. Be careful of repetition. Don't repeat yourself repeatedly. Keep your tense consistent. Don't start a sentence or paragraph in past tense, then time travel to the present tense by the end. Do not write the same way you talk. These tips will help you a great deal. Memorize them and learn to mentally use them as you write or as you review your writing. I tend to e...

Top Ten Most Common Edits - 2

My #2 most common edit is "toward." The vast majority of my clients use "towards" instead of "toward," as in, "Walking towards the entrance..." I correct this every time because in the US, where we use what is commonly called American English, the preferred choice is "toward," as in single. "Towards" is more commonly used in UK English and Australian English, as noted on Grammarly . In the USA, it's best to say, "Walking toward the entrance...." So, while "towards" is acceptable in other countries, for the US and Canada, "toward" is a much better choice. Keep moving toward good grammar! Write well. Write often. Just write. ~Tricia

Editing Hurts

Editing hurts. Yes. It hurts when someone cuts your words, rearranges your sentences, deletes your creative use of language, etc. It hurts. The first thing a writer has to do is leave their ego at the door. Most writers write with passion and passion doesn't always reflect good grammar or proper use of punctuation. I recently edited for the CEO of a large corporation. She was taken aback by my edits and questioned if she wanted someone cutting her writing up like I did. But, while she might be a great CEO, her grammar, word choices and sentence structure were lacking. Most people, when writing with passion, give little thought to how their words are put together. The words spill out with feeling while grammar is laid aside. And that's ok. That's actually how it should be. We should write with passion.....then hire a good editor to make our points flow well and be cohesive. We editors make your passion shine by clothing your writing in easy-to-read prose with good ...

Search This Blog