SomewhatDistracted Critiques

Grammar

Is grammar important? 

One of the first things I'll comment on when I look at a story is how well you've done with grammar. 

Why is grammar the first thing you comment on when you critique?

There are actually a number of reasons for that. First, it's something that is fairly universal. You start learning it the moment you set foot in your kindergarten class and you continue to learn it until you receive your diploma. It's basic. If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, you must learn to write correctly. 

Another reason I comment on the grammar is that it's one of the first things I see. It's how my brain is programmed. I can't help it. I've been told by someone that she is convinced that the errors make themselves appear before me. That may be true. They leap out at me and scream, "Fix me, SomewhatDistracted! Fix me, I say!" Really.

For those who think that grammar isn't important, I'd like for you to think of your story as a house that's up for sale. I think it's a great analogy because you want your story to be read, right? It's up for sale then.

But how does that relate, Somewhat?

Grammar is the outside of the house. It's the first thing that many readers are going to notice. If you have a really shabby outside that is missing shingles and has gaping holes in the wall, how many buyers are going to tour the house? Yes, you may have the occasional person in search of a cheap fixer-upper, but most are going to pass. 

But I have a great story!

It doesn't matter that the inside of the house is absolutely beautiful; the reader made up his/her mind to move ahead to the next house on the list. If you want that reader to check out the inside, you'll need to repair the outside.

But So-and-such has Twenty gazillion reads/votes and has five million errors in her story!

 Sometimes So-and-such is getting those reads because her story is so awful. I've seen it. If So-and-such tries to submit her story to agents, they're going to laugh at her. If she makes an attempt at self-publication, she won't sell a single one.

True story: I saw a story on Amazon. Awful. Awful. Awful. It gave me a lot of hope for Seriously, Horrible. It was that bad. The author wondered why her sales were ZERO. Zilch. Do you know what that means? 

This person's family, friends, etc.....not one of them bought her book. 

As I scrolled through her free sample, I couldn't help but think, Wow. She actually expects me to pay money for this. The grammar sucks. She needs an editor pronto, and if she had an editor, she needs to ask for her money back because she got ripped off. 

I know that sounds harsh, but if you ever to expect someone to purchase your story, you must have good grammar.

What can you do to learn more about grammar?

1. Pay attention in English class. Passing notes is not paying attention. Dreaming about Harry Beaver (Justin Styles or whomever) is NOT paying attention.

2. Read. A lot.....

3. Keep a grammar book of some sort on hand and refer to it when you have a question. 

4. Ask someone. I've answered a number of grammar-related questions on here. If I don't know the answer, I'll find it out for you.

But grammar's boring, Somewhat! 

It is what you make of it. If you choose for it to be a drag, it will. If you choose to make it a little more exciting, umm....it'll still probably be boring. But if you want to call yourself a writer, you must learn the basic rules.