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Let's talk about Grammar, baby

Let's talk about a topic in which everyone has an issue with the writing. I'm talking about grammar. Now I will preface and say grammar is not my strong suit. It used to be when I was in school, but that was many moons ago.

Most people will comment on grammar, yet they riddle their comments with grammar mistakes—irony at its best. Trust me. I noticed when I read the comments.

As writers, we write the story and rely on grammar programs or editors. I will tell you neither is 100 percent accurate. I've seen errors in many traditionally published books.

Grammar doesn't only include punctuation and proper word usage. It includes vague words, dictation, sticky sentences, adverbs, and readability. Writing should have clarity when reading, which means the reader understands what you're saying.

People tend to riddle their writing with adverbs and wordy paragraphs. I have a few questions. Why?  Will it enhance the story? Does it make you a better writer? Do people quit reading?  These are questions every writer needs to ask themselves.

Three programs I use are the Hemingway app, Grammarly, and Prowritingaid. All three programs are helpful, but some suggestions are incorrect. I discard what is erroneous. They help catch errors I had missed when I'm proofing a book. Yes, I still notice my errors. I will throw a book through several edits until I'm satisfied with it. (I'm never satisfied.) These programs offer free basic services, but I have a subscription to Prowritingaid and Grammarly. I purchased the Hemingway app. You pay an editor, who is a person.

When I edit, I spend hours reading through a story twice. I will still catch errors. Do not edit or write when you're tired. You never know what you will write or miss. Trust me.

Now a few words people will screw up when they write.

Your and you're. Your means belongs to you. You're is you are.

There, their, and they're. There is a place. Their is possessive. They're is they are.

Hear, hair, and here. Hear is what someone does with their ears. Hair is on our heads. Here is a place.

Principal and principle. A principal is a person in a job. The principle is a fundamental truth.

These words are homonyms. They sound the same but have different spelling and meaning.

Punctuation is another issue. People misuse punctuation often. They forget commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and hyphens. Some grammar programs will remove them if needed or remove them when they should be there. The struggle is real.

Can we talk about paragraph length? Yes, we can. When writing a paragraph, don't make it one long paragraph, including everyone's dialogue. You have to put dialogue into separate paragraphs. Writing one paragraph in a story is not correct. If you don't believe me, pick up a paperback. I will stop reading if I see this in a person's story. It drives me nuts because of my comprehension problem.

Formatting is crucial with writing. It includes font, point size, and spacing. Writing on Wattpad differs from writing an actual book. Yes, I'm a published writer and produce paperbacks. I had to learn a lot on my own while researching without help. I also banged my head against my desk because it was a freaking nightmare when I started. My family thought I would give myself a concussion. It wasn't pretty.

My suggestion is if you're going to write, learn how to edit. Even if you think your book is perfect, it isn't. No book is perfect, which makes it perfectly imperfect and the beauty of writing. You can't edit a blank page.