Hello I am writing a short story as a introduction .. or well... perhaps its more like a teaser to a bigger story that I will try to self publish some day. But there is a decision that is bugging me about this shorter story... English is not my native language so grammar and spelling sometimes get really screwed up. The thing is that this story will be free of charge so I wont earn any money from it. Yet, if the main story is going to be sold i'd probably want to make sure that the spelling and grammar is correct so would it be weird if this first one might be incorrect? Should I hire a translator for this short story so it would look more professional even thou it might get expensive? .. I hope i didn't confuse you ^^;
I would say no. If you want to write something novel-length in English eventually, and have ambitions to publish, then it makes sense to 'practice' on the shorter story (or many shorter stories even) and really hone your spelling/grammar skills. Else how will you learn and make the bigger story any better?
thank you for your opinion, it makes sense so perhaps I should do a few more stories then just for the sake of practice before I take the big leap.
In the words of Kurt Vonnegut: "All these varieties of speech are beautiful, just as the varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter what your first language, you should treasure it all your life. If it happens not to be standard English, and if it shows itself when you write standard English, the result is usually delightful, like a very pretty girl with one eye that is green and one that is blue." I can wholeheartedly attest to the veracity of this claim -- not, of course, that it really requires my word to validate Vonnegut's, but simply that my own personal experience has proven him quite correct. Though that isn't to say don't continue to practise and expand upon your knowledge of English; as with anything, there is an obverse to the coin -- someone who's grasp of the language is so poor that they are left at a disadvantage from the start.
Trust me being English is no help with punctuation and grammar. There are so many dialects and variations
There's a ton of free sites for learning and honing your English. One I find good for grammar is englishclub.com It's a free site and they often use tables and exercises to make things clear and commit them to memory. It's easy enough for anyone to follow. No matter which language you choose to write in, exercising and builing up your English is a help. I think I've learned a lot about my own native language from being on these forums, etc. Love the Vonnegut quote as well...and I'll keep it in mind next time I might feel like throwing in the towel. It also helps to think about the many foreign names that made their appearance throughout the history of English literature. Coming from the outside in doesn't hurt your perception of the whole.
i mentor many aspiring writers to whom english is not their first tongue, so if you want some help improving your writing in english, feel free to email me any time... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
