Okay, Holly Lisle has a post on her site about grammar and the ridiculous lengths people will go to defend their idea of "proper usage". (Christ, some people need a life!) This whole concept of English being a static language for which there is only one accepted manner of use pisses me right the fuck off. Seriously, at what point did we lose the concept that all language is fluid, that it needs to modify and bend itself to the needs of its users or it serves no function and dies? I am a writer (of sorts) and I have some skills with the English language. I understand that sentences need to carry complete thoughts (usually), that verb/noun and tense agreement are important (most of the time) and that punctuation is a good thing (almost always). This fanatic nit-picking over dangling participles and which adverbs modifies what pronoun or whatever-the-hell-other thing the frustrated writers who settle for becoming English teachers force down their students throats is ridiculous. English is a living language. It changes daily and there is nothing wrong with that. I remember the fanaticism with which teachers pounced on the word "ain't" when I was in school. They swore up one side and down the other that is was not even a real word (despite the fact I heard it a thousand times a day in conversation. Often with those very teachers!) Now it appears in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as a part of regular speech. Rules are a useful starting point, but it is a writer's job to bend (hell, even break!) the rules whenever necessary to convey tone, timing, or meaning. The idea that there can be an absolute set of unchanging rules to govern a language is asinine.
Verily, if change be not requisite of speech, then even so wouldst all mine sentences read!
I feel better now.
Did some editing on GS last night. (Not enough though. Is it ever?) and got a healthy chunk of work done on "Fish". I'm almost through the first 60k words so I can pick up again where I left off. Really thinking of some very dark and creepy things for my two MC's in this once I get going again. I want to end this one under 100k but I guess that'll depend on what the characters decide to do. I have discovered that I am definitely a "by-the-seat-of-the-pants" writer. I don't do well with detailed outlines. I'm more productive and have much more fun when I let the characters write for me. I absolutely love it when I look back at my stuff and say: "Where the hell did that come from? I don't even remember writing that!" I think outlines intimidate me (sort of like English teachers!) and keep me from being free with the grey matter. (BTW: anybody know the correct spelling: grey or gray? Both come up alright in my spell checker.) Did some crit work with my Circle on FM; those ladies are prolific and we're doing a round robin of about two chapters a week each. It is absolutely fantastic to have contact with folks who are as serious about writing as I am. I think part of my problem in the past has been that I wrote in a vacuum. I don't have any friends who write or understand my need to so I was kinda stumbling along in the dark by myself for a very long time. (And there's nothing sadder to see than a fat bald man bouncing off walls!) Now I feel like I'm on the right path and I can see there are other folks traveling the same way. It's a major relief!
Still exercising and actually enjoying it! The program I'm doing is very low impact, though it is pretty tough. For once, I'm not constantly in pain from my exercise program! (I'm sorry, but the idiots who design these thing have never been overweight or they'd understand that men of my size simply cannot do three hundred Roman sit-ups!) This program is mostly painless -slightly sore muscles, but that's to be expected- none of the cramps, joint ache and migraines I've gotten in the past.
The wife just called me from work as I was writing this. She just spoke with my son's teacher about his Spanish grade this semester. Turns out one of the issues is that the boy has been reading in class instead of paying attention to the teacher. I know I should get mad but how can I be pissed at him for being a voracious reader? He learned it from me and it's a great thing but I have to get him to stop doing it in class. We had this problem in his science class earlier in the year and forbade the bringing of novels to school but he's snatching up the books they have available on the shelves in each classroom. I can't tell if I'm angry or proud right now. Ah well, either way you've gotta chuckle at his resourcefulness! I let you know tomorrow if I let him live or not.
Later!
3 comments:
It's great not being alone writing. I only found FM in February, and already I can't imagine not being a member. Oh, and 'grey' is UK, 'gray' is US.
Hell even FUCK would not be used as a curse word if language were static, and it is my favorite one.
I used to read and write in school too. Just tell him he can do it AFTER he finishes all his work. Its what I did and I got straight A's mostly. Couldn't keep a pen or a book out of my hand. Think I must have wrote enough for a whole novel on paper in absent scenes during boring classes. Terrible.
~Lee
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