Grammar Nutzi

Monday we talked about not requiring good grammar for good writing. If you've been keeping up, you know that.

Today, we're in a similar vein.

Why are so many writers also grammarians? 

Well, I'm glad you asked. And I'll give you three good reasons.

1. We've written so much, every single day, that it's become second nature

This is just what happens, after a while. I've only been writing professionally for a few years, but still. I've written ten novels, all of them over 200,000 words. And after a while, it just gets engrained in you. I've used spellcheck and my thesaurus so much that I just know now, without even thinking.

I'd guess that it's the same for most writers, who find themselves acting as grammarians.

2. We've been through so much editing that our editors have drilled it into us

It's true.

Our editors have banged our heads against the dictionary so many times that it finally stuck. We're so nervous that our editors are hiding around every corner that eventually, perhaps even sadly, we've become like them.

We can't help it. Most of us would apologize, if we'd realized that it had happened.

Then again, most of us wouldn't want to admit that we've become our editors. It's akin to a child realizing they act just like their parent.

Scary stuff, that.

3. Really, we're just always editing

In our heads.

In our lives.

In everyday speech and even during television shows.

We can't even help it anymore.


Don't worry, if you're just starting out and you have a heart for writing (and even if you don't have one for grammar), you'll get there too.

Trust me.

[love]

{RD}