any grammar nazi's out there who can help me develop my skills? i want to be able to write a story without people complaining. also it will help me in the long run, being able to correct myself.
Firstly, we prefer grammar police 'round these parts. One thing I can tell you that would improve your (and anyone else's skills) is to let go of the mobile platform style typing. Your post is punctuated, but lacks correct use of capitalization. If you hope to become a writer, and you know that you have issues to work on as you have mentioned, then you cannot afford to have two different ways of writing. You have to let go of the casual, textie style of presentation and adhere to as correct and precise a manner as you can. It all counts. The punctuation, the capitalization, all of it.
@Wreybies It makes sense, what you are saying. For now on, I am going to try to be correct no matter where I'm typing.
From, not for. Slow down and watch syntax. In writing, speed is not always your friend. Read, absorb the context and the constructs of the sentence structure. Study the punctutation and grammar of the other posters on these boards. Learn by doing because in forums like this, poor grammar will deter readers.
One easy way to improve grammar is to read novels, stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and other nonfiction pieces. Basically, read anything you can get your hands on. Trust me. It will really help.
I want to quote this advice for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's all true. I myself have a terrible habit of letting my fingers get out of sync with my head as I'm writing and when I look back over what I have just written, whole words are missing. It's frustrating, especially when I admittedly pride myself on prefect presentation. I'm constantly scanning my old posts for this and editing them. Maybe OCD, maybe not. Secondly, Darkkin's advice to read at a pace that lets you really absorb and notice what's going on is crucial. I think speed reading is an abomination. Try not to skim. It's not easy, because we all do it. But try. If you read stuff that leaves you wondering why something was written in a particular way and not another, we have a Word Mechanics section in the upper part of the forum for those kinds of questions. Feel free to ask anything.
