This is a lesson a lot of us have to learn about our writing. It’s never as bad as we think it is, and sometimes we just need to take some time away from it to find that out.
Thanks for sharing, anon.
-Mod Pi
jrr tolkien: i really love my wife. i will make her into a beautiful, unearthly half-angel princess who beat satan almost single-handedly and won an argument with the keeper of the halls of the dead
jrr tolkien: i really love my best friend. i will make him into a grumpy old tree who never gets to the point
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some writer snob somewhere: Do not start sentences with But or And because doing so is grammatically incorrect.
me, writing my fic: But I don’t care. And you can’t stop me.
To my beta’s profound dismay.
Okay, writeblr, I have a genuine question: I understand the logistics of why this makes sense. That being said, the last ten critically-acclaimed books I have read do this on the regular – and that is not an exaggeration.
Am I missing something? Is this one of those “rules” (emphasis on the air quotes) that everyone unanimously decides to ignore? If so, should I follow in the others’ examples or should I follow the rules? The rule follower in me wants to die every time I see someone do it…but it also feels right?
If anyone tells you not to start sentences with “but” or “and” in creative writing, they’re full of shit. If you’re writing an academic paper, sure, avoid starting with and or but because that makes them incomplete sentences (though I majored in English, did this regularly, and got great grades in my papers, so it depends on your major too).
But with creative writing, as long as it’s like… coherent, do whatever the fuck you want. You’re trying to establish a character’s voice, not win the Most Grammatically Correct award. People don’t talk or think in perfect English and neither should your characters.
If you see a rule that’s being picky about grammar rules like this, assume it’s meant to apply to academic/professional writing only. Applying it to your creative work will not only bring you pain and suffering but also make your narration and dialogue stiff and awkward.
Speaking as a fiction editor, being a petty little grammar pedant is rarely useful outside of academia. As a writer you want to create something that flows, that engages the reader. Not sound like you were stunned over the head with a copy of “Eats, Shoots & Leaves”, which by the way, is a terrible book. Don’t read that. The author is an elitist snob, and they might know how grammar works, but that’s the extent of their skill.
Basic grammar, yes. Good. Smashing.
But you can safely ignore anyone that tells you “said is dead”. Said is not dead, said is undead and wishes people would stop trying to replace it when it’s a perfectly good word to use.
My own novel is “diverse” filled with queer people of color, but you should never use “diversity” as a selling-point because then it doesnt feel authentic. It feels like its there just to hook people in and not because its an intrinsic part of the world or storytelling.
Everybody in my first novel is japanese, because its anime-inspired. Many of the chracters are queer or trans [or both] because I just like writing those kinds of characters. but when I have a trailer Im going to focus on the plot, on the lore, on the artwork [IF WE CAN EVER AFFORD IT C’: ], etc.
Because when you use diversity as a selling point it feels insincere.
Give them the plot. Give them the characters. Give them the world. Give them your WORK and let them discover the “diversity” for themselves.
ATLA didnt brag about how diverse the show was– it just gave you a show inspired by all kinds of asian and Inuit culture that featured people of color, disabled characters, and well-written female heroes as a natural part of the story.
I never once went “omg atla is so progressive its got a blind girl uwu”
i went “HOOOOLY SHIT, TOPH IS BADASS.”
And that’s what you want.
If people are only interested in your show because it meets a diversity checklist, then you’ve done a poor job as a writer. : And thats not me trying to trash it, thats just my honest opinion. If you’ve done a good job then you could have every single character be a trans woman of color without needing to go “WE’RE TRANS-INCLUSIVE!!” once; and all people will care about is how much they love their favorite characters.
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