When I posted to start this thread, I was not referring to simple typing errors. Goodness, I am guilty as much as anyone for not proof reading my own writing when posting on a forum and my time is limited. I do however, try at all times to display the highest level of grammatical knowledge that I have. My thread was referring to those who indicate that they are trying to have their completed work published, or are working on a writing project that they hope will be published. When I read these posts and notice that the poster’s grammatical skills are badly lacking, it is plain that a publisher would not remotely consider putting that particular poster’s work to print. I like Mr. Pruitt’s comment “if you want to be taken seriously as being an author, always write to the best of your ability at all times.”
I find that portion of @matwoolf 's post to be very interesting. Mass writing. I like the term, and it does seem to be what's happening. Technology has given voice to the masses, and most of them want to write a book! Perhaps the sheer volume of published/self-published noise will get so overwhelming that people lose interest in the written word altogether? Like TV channels—the more there are, the less likely I am to watch TV. Will each of us end up writing for ourselves alone? If we bother to write at all....
Meant only in fun. A typo in a tweet generated an email. The reception of the email caused a memo to be written. The memo called for a meeting to discuss the issue. The result of the meeting was a change in policy. The change in policy caused a loss of customers. The loss of customers caused the business to fail. The failure of the business closed the twitter account. Seriously however I find it interesting that grammar is more important than typos, which could significantly change the meaning of something; grammar usually is not as damaging, in my opinion.
Here's an exception: remember the BP's spill in the Gulf of Mexico? They had to pay out, big, and something to do with a missing comma in their insurance contract with Transocean Ltd. is giving them an appeal have access to some of Transocean's insurance funds. Most contract stuff reads like hieroglyphs to me, so forgive any misunderstandings— From Financial Post: It could be a 750 million dollar comma.
Although I am laughing at your post, I really hate short texting! When my kids text me with spelling errors or short text messages, I text them back with corrections
I want to, one day, be published. That day is not today I fear. It may not be this year. It may not be for another ten years, but one day I want to see one of my books in a bookstore. That's my goal. But it's also about the journey. Publishing, as great an accomplishment as it is, is not enough. I write for the journey.
Sometimes reading a text message is analogous to deciphering vanity license plates during my commute. A puzzle, a challenge, and kind of fun, and often you'll never know if you guessed correctly.
i don't know. most people old enough to be on this board can tell the difference between posting on a message board and writing a novel which has many rewrites and editing
I would say that there is no difference. The idea is to communicate effectively in both cases. I don't know how many threads on various boards I've simply skipped because the title or opening sentences made absolutely no sense - and simply because of grammar. And then, of course, people missed out on more of my immense wisdom...
I don't think it's a matter of age as much as patience and the willingness to learn to get it right. I believe there are more would-be writers than you would expect who honestly think a quality piece of writing can be produced in a single unedited pass.
It was the general feeling I was getting from reading the posts. However after going back and reading all the posts it was a wrong conclusion on my part.
Will I ever be published? I'd like to hear the opinion of other unpublished, amateur authors that are in the same boat as I am. Actually telling someone on this forum that they will never be published is meaningless. An author who will be published in the future is likely to here these words from many people. The act of improving ones writing to publishable quality takes years, even decades. I want to be published, yes, but with my writing in its current state I don't see it happening for another 10-15 years (if I'm one of the few who 'make' it). That's why we're all here, isn't it? To improve our writing? Furthermore, I agree we should all strive to improve our grammar and utilize this knowledge in all written communication throughout the day. However, going "grammar Nazi" on casual posts (IE anything not in the critique section) is not only presumptuous but also useless to both parties (unless that party doesn't know the grammar rules you're preaching, but they usually do).
I prefer to have mistakes in my posts (here and elsewhere) pointed out. When that has happened, it's typically something I thought was correct - and I had been doing the same thing in my stories. I think it's a shame that it's not considered 'polite' to point these things out.
Ah, CF! I feel your pain. For me, personally, I have never been able to figure out one thing, though. I have, more than once and on more than one forum, been thoroughly and soundly castigated for daring to suggest that writers should care about their writing! (And what a presumptuous thought!) So often I have heard, "It's just a forum," suggesting that proper grammar does not matter unless one is actively involved in a writing project. I guess my problem is that I had a good education and learned to appreciate, expect, and respect those little delicacies light proper grammar and what not. Now, that is certainly not to say that I don't make errors when I write, but probably the only place I don't proofread my work is with a grocery list! (And I'm not 100% certain about that!) "Good" writing should be second nature to everyone, and most especially someone who pursues writing as an avocation. Much like a hunter should keep his rifle cleaned and ready for hunting season and anyone behind the wheel of a car needs to be sure the fluids, engine, ignition, etc. are always kept in good condition or refilled or replaced as necessary, so should a writer always keep his/her tools in their best condition, primed and ready for work. And, for a writer, this means not just the computer and monitor but your words as well. Certainly, there are those who struggle with language and grammar and spelling. That can be excused to a certain extent. But this in no way excuses writers, as a whole, from always striving to hone their skills both artistically and technically. And to so readily forgive sloppy, sub-standard writing just because it's "only a forum" is... well, in my book, unforgivable.
I could not agree more... I have no intention to be published in an English speaking country (maybe as a translated novel), but I still try to be grammatically correct when posting here and I would really appreciate if someone points out any mistake I make. There is no such thing like "It does not matter here". It does matter, everywhere.
I don't mind anyone pointing out my mistakes, no matter how goofy I look. I'm here to learn and grow in my writing.
The good news is, that comma and the quotation marks have been sparring with each other for generations. So much so that, in America, they do it one way, while in GB they do it the other. Good news here, as well. Hard work and study can go a long way toward fixing some of those problems. But some people will continue to struggle. Their brains are just hardwired a little differently than most and it makes wrestling those nasty grammar witches more troublesome. And they may never fully grasp some of the 'intricacies' of grammar. That's okay. But always asking those we trust for help where we know we have weak spots is a great way of beating down the demons.
