Grammar can not be understated in the career of the professional writer. Grammar and punctuation are the resources that help you to communicate effectively. You use them regularly, when you talk and when you write. So, it makes good sense that grasping the basic principles helps you to communicate more naturally.
How often do you read something, especially now days on Facebook or Twitter, or anything that’s written online, and it doesn’t work due to minor grammatical mistakes? These apparently minor errors can entirely change the meaning of what you are trying to say. The authors don’t pay attention to grammar or punctuation, but rather on the nouns and adjectives of what they are writing. It can often leave them looking not only silly, but misunderstood.
Whenever speaking and writing, you create phrases and paragraphs that contain several common factors. The component of speech and the grammatical elements that make up a sentence are essential to creating a good story. You want to bring readers into your world, so meaning should be conveyed clearly, while also keeping it in proportion.
When suggesting you keep it in perspective, I’m talking about the way writing has changed over the years, and many things that are considered not ‘grammatically correct’, are in fact perfectly acceptable. The emphasis on grammar has shifted. Often the correct version can sound old fashioned or maltreated, and this will turn the reader off as readily as inaccurate grammar can. Scanning this text, a traditional grammar enthusiast could pick up on several things that are not entirely ‘grammatically correct’, however to convey meaning to you, my audience, I need to communicate in a way that you not only understand, but also wish to continue reviewing.
Punctuation is vital to communicating clearly, not only in terms of conveying meaning, but also to impart rhythm and tone. Misplaced punctuation invites ambiguity so it is very important that it makes the meaning obvious by showing the relationship between the different aspects in written work.
Does it take time to concentrate on grammar and punctuation if we do this from the start? No. Make it a habit to quickly search the correct word, spelling, or punctuation as you write. There are numerous tools at our fingertips nowadays, we have inbuilt thesauri in our Word Processors, we have dictionaries we can access instantly. Create a habit of utilize these simple tools as you write and it will separate your story as polished and professional. Your agent, editor or reader will focus more on your story, if you initially take the time to focus on good grammar!
For more Writing Tips or if you’d like to read about How to Write a Novel visit www.howtowriteabookadvice.net. This article, Get Good At Grammar has free reprint rights.
