Thanks for the Grammary!

[kentauros]

I just wanted to thank y'all for the help I have gotten from this group, mostly by osmosis ;)

I notice bad or sloppy writing more often now. In fact, I was reading the cover story of the Houston Press and, though I usually love the writer's work, I had to stop on one sentence just a few paragraphs into the story. He used the word "other" twice in the sentence and the next thing I know, I've stopped reading, to try and come up with a different word for the second 'other'. That seems to be happening with me more often and I attribute that sense to reading the tips and other writing criticisms here.

I will say though, that I think of communication as having three individual 'voices' for each of us. We have our "live" in-person voice, or how we talk with people in person. Then there's our "online voice" and how we present ourselves on boards and whatnot. Finally, for those of us that like to communicate professionally, there's our writer's voice. That's where we clean things up, polish it and generally give a professional edge to our deeds and experiences. Who knows? Maybe there are other voices, but would suspect they are rare cases, like say, an actor's or singer's "voice" when performing.

My online and in-person voices are pretty much the same. I don't take as much care to clean up what I'm about to say, even in this post. However, I have become far more aware of making those mistakes when I write my stories and whenever I eventually publish. I'll argue with the editor, too, when the time arises ;)

I can't say my grammar skills are top-notch; I was never an English major, though I did love it in grade school. Just don't expect me to remember things like "split infinitives" or what the hell they are and why it's important to remember not to do that ;) Some of finer nuances can likely be ignored and addressed later if ever. So, even as my writing voice will be cleaned up and proper, I'm still going to write in the way I think and the way I think my characters would speak.

Anyway, I still read y'all's posts even as I don't post much. It is making a difference, no matter what :D


Oh, by the way:

"Grammary" (or "gramarye") is an obsolete word meaning either general knowledge or magic.

[sybylla]

1. Seconded.

Not just the grammary but the thought-provoking questions that get me thinking more deeply about the writing process.

BTW, love the Eddie Izzard quote. I love that man and that show is one of my faves.