In the past few weeks, I’ve stumbled upon articles that suggest a person forget the basic rules of writing, grammar, and punctuation. The authors suggest that a person should focus on voice at the expense of those rules. I can’t argue against the necessity of voice – it is important – but I can argue against forgetting the basic rules.
Should I Soften the Blow?
I know that most people don’t care about the difference between “hopefully” and “I hope” or “nauseous” and “nauseated.” Such nit-picky things are the realm of grammar snobs and word nerds and perhaps the few people who find my Write Right slant on grammar amusing. They are not the sort of things that draw immediate or plentiful attention.
Write Right: Misplaced Modifiers
Misplaced modifiers, better known as dangling modifiers, have caught many a writer unaware. I’ve found the things in my own writing. Although my mistake did not turn one of my brothers into a zombie (Just click on the link and look at the last rule listed. It’s funny, I promise.), it was noted by a dutiful professor and his or her red pen. I still am prone to misplacing modifiers; it happens when I’m in the middle of writing and not paying attention to what I’m doing. I’m trying to get the words on the page. It is my role as an editor that pays attention to such things and notes when I have inadvertently disconnected a modifier from its true subject.
You Can’t Rush a Story
Today’s world hurtles at breakneck speed. I’m almost certain that other people thought the same thing in previous decades and centuries, but today’s world is different. Information is at one’s fingertips. People expect to gather information within seconds, not days.
You Will Never Know Enough
“I want to move forward, but I don’t know enough yet.”
I read that line in an e-letter I received the other day. The author of the e-letter stated that the line is a common one among people considering new businesses or new directions with their existing businesses. I don’t know if the line is a common one – I suppose it is based on my experience with trying new things – but I still had a knee-jerk reaction to it.
You Have to Have the Right Tools
The other day, I attended a jewelry-making class. I wanted to attend because the jewelry being made will be given as gifts to women who are trying to leave abusive relationships. I also thought it would be fun to learn a new craft.*