This week's Spin Cycle is on Things I hate. I think that Hate is a much too harsh of a term— but Irritate, or Pet Peeve is probably more appropriate it for me.
I tend to write from the hip. If someone was to critique my writing in order to make it more clear to the reader, that is OK. But to pick apart my writing because you think you are a better writer than I and will prove it by showing my mistakes, I have to take heed. Sure— I may choose the wrong word, or even use improper punctuation; but I also feel that writing needs its occasional strays from the straight and narrow path of grammatical perfection.
I feel that if all writing were grammatically correct, all writing would be the same and the writing would not have any flavor or appeal. I do not say this because my writing is never grammatically correct and I am being spiteful— but rather that any time you make anything formulaic, it loses its soul. The writing becomes more mechanical and less personal, and much like Latin becomes a dead language.
5 comments:
While one of MY personal pet peeves is...bad grammar, I totally understand what you mean. I think that people like to read blogs for that very reason, that they are conversational, and colloquial rather than written like a thesis paper or something!
You are linked!!
I try to think of my blog writing as folksy and conversational. This way I lower everyone's expectations. It's for the best.
but rather that any time you make anything formulaic, it loses its soul-You're exactly right. I personally enjoy reading writing with soul!
Sometimes our best writing is from the hip, when we write without worrying about grammar!
Typos are what drive me nuts about reading some blogs. I know I don't write from a rigidly grammatical stand point. But for the love of everything, use they're, their, and there correctly.
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