So I've found some great threads here on adverbs and participles that have made my editing process far more efficient. I'm interested in seeing the response to this one. It seems a fairly common practice to start a sentence with but. I'm not entirely clear on the general rule though. Starting a question with but seems straight forwards, but what would be the justification for a normal sentence? As opposed to using a comma and connecting it to a previous sentence.
I can think of plenty. In dialogue: "I need you to take apart the carburator," said Craig from beneath the car. "But I don't know how," replied Carl. As a more dramatic spacer between action and consequence: They were to have dismantled their nuclear stockpile, but that's not what happened. They were to have dismantled their nuclear stockpile. But that's not what happened.
I just did a word search in my MS to see how often I myself use but to head a sentence, and the result seems to be that I do not personally favor that construction. Strangely, though, It would seem I do not hold the same prejudice toward heading a sentence with and, also a conjunction.
In fiction, it's done all the time, both in the narrative and in dialogue. But I wouldn't do it in essays, formal letters, etc.
