We
writers spend so much time in the woods that our closeness to the
bark, the woodsman and the axe can cause splinters to blind us to the
simplest of errors.
Writing
is a craft which can be honed over time and it is hoped we will grow
in knowledge to produce ever better work as we progress through the
world of words, punctuation and grammar.
It
should not matter if our audience is young or old. The writer's only
concern should be that the writing is worthy of our audience and we
should strive to make it so every day.
There
are of course people who feel basics such as punctuation and grammar
do not matter. I cannot easily forgive those who dismiss these
conventions – perhaps it's because I've grown up in a world where
my reading list is made up of superbly crafted writing:
Toni
Morrison
George
Eliot
The
Brontes
Steinbeck
Margaret Atwood
Louis
de Bernieres
Christina Rossetti
D H Lawrence
Harper Lee
George Orwell
The
list is endless. If I wrote them all there'd be no space for the
rest of this blog. I love the deliciousness of these writers' words
and how I am totally enveloped in their worlds because of the way
they've helped me truly see the words on the page.
I
learnt the use of speech marks and semi colons from these writers
much the same way I was drawn in by their metaphors and sensory
language. For those of us who read and write in earnest, our role
models are these writers.
So
if we are to be the writers of the future we should carry on this
tradition of excellence.
Perhaps
these writers are and were blessed with superb punctuation and grammar skills
so they were on a winning streak to begin with. But if any of them
were not then I'm certain they asked for help in getting those areas
right.
If
our writing truly matters to us then we will strive to perfect it in
every way possible. And if that means calling in someone to help us
with certain areas of our work then it's not cheating. It's
admitting we need help.
It
took me a very long time as a person and a writer to admit when I
needed help. I used to get an uncomfortable itch between my shoulder
blades at the mere thought of asking for assistance.
But
over time I've come to value every bit of help I can get. And I hope
my readers benefit from this.
So
I urge all writers who love language, to put their beautifully
thought out words into a framework worthy of it. Let the punctuation
and grammar matter because it's evidence of the hours of toil, the
tears, the joys which went in to produce the final product.
As
this post has been a bit heavy and soap boxy I've decided to end it
with a bit of levity.
Interesting. I have become a regular reader of your blog. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sridhar. Will try to keep them coming.
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