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You are here: Home > Forum > A Place of Safety > General Talk > "Anyone can write a half decent story"
Re: "Anyone can write a half decent story"  [message #57128 is a reply to message #57127] Mon, 25 May 2009 16:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
saben is currently offline  saben

On fire!

Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537



Sorry I didn't mean to accuse you of criticising Grasshopper's spelling/grammar/etc. Rather I was making the point that compared to other authors he DOES use more modernised forms of words. There is more "net-speak" in spoken dialogue than a lot of other authors would use.

That said his writing is clearly of a higher calibre than that found out nifty from both structural and content perspectives. Spelling and grammar is stylistic, though, mispelling and poor grammar can actually create a better story. Perfect spelling and grammar often takes away from the tone. Though thorough editing is important in ensuring that the spelling/grammar matches up with the intended tone/style.

In my opinion though "modernised" English shouldn't prove a distraction. It's merely the natural evolution of language. Spelling will be retained where distinguishing forms are important. The writing form of language, the orthography, really is secondary to spoken language, anyway. Written language is just a convenient way of drawing on certain symbols to reflect spoken words, which in turn reflect real-world referents.



Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
Re: "Anyone can write a half decent story"  [message #57130 is a reply to message #57125] Mon, 25 May 2009 19:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Nigel is currently offline  Nigel

On fire!
Location: England
Registered: November 2003
Messages: 1756



Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation are a courtesy to the reader. Writing is a form of communication and bad or inconsiderate spelling, grammar and punctuation interfere with that communication and therefore defeat the object of writing.

Language comes at many levels from high literature to the language of the gutter. Use the appropriate level, bearing in mind that a story comes at the literature end of the spectrum.

You can usually get away with anything if it is within quotation marks.

The only people I have heard trying to justify bad writing skills are either people who have not mastered the art or are patronising academics with their own agenda (dumbing down). If you want to see that more fully explained read about 'Newspeak' in George Orwell's '1984'.

The bottom line (Oh, how ashamed of myself I am using that cliché!) is as Timmy says, if it's a good story there are plenty of people on this board able and willing to help.

Hugs
N



I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.

…and look forward to meeting you in Cóito.
Re: "Anyone can write a half decent story"  [message #57138 is a reply to message #57130] Tue, 26 May 2009 21:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JimB is currently offline  JimB

Likes it here

Registered: December 2006
Messages: 349



Nigel wrote:
> Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation are a courtesy to the reader. Writing is a form of communication and bad or inconsiderate spelling, grammar and punctuation interfere with that communication and therefore defeat the object of writing.

You said that very well Nigel and expressed my feelings on the subject precisely.

JimB
Re: "Anyone can write a half decent story"  [message #57151 is a reply to message #57121] Thu, 28 May 2009 05:14 Go to previous message
e is currently offline  e

On fire!
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179



I'm also a huge fan of Grasshopper and feel privileged to have been a part of this board while he was still around. I really miss him. We came here at about the same time and left at about the same time. Another of my favorites is Zustara Orur, aka Lenny. His characters always touched me and he wrote with such passiona and tenderness. Does anyone know what happened to him? I'm curious.

Anyone with a story to tell should just go ahead and write it. Worry about the grammar and punctuation later. timmy can vouch for the number of times I've sent him a new chapter that I thought I had edited correctly, only to have me send it again (and sometimes again) after finding more mistakes.

As promised, now that my school semester has ended, I have begun work on my new story. I wrote two chapters several years ago but couldn't quite figure out where to take it. I thought I would add one last chapter, but one has turned into two and two may just turn into three. I'm currently about halfway through chapter four.

It's funny that you mention taking French to sit behind a cute boy. One of my short stories is about being in class with a cute boy. ::-)

Think good thoughts,
e
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