Comments:

muffy - 2005-07-22 23:11:43
Understanding language is more instinctive than you probably realize. Everything I've read suggests that you do have an excellent grip on grammar, structure, and that most crucial but underestimated of literary tools -- timing. You pick it up by reading everything from cereal boxes to trashy best sellers to textbooks. The people who say that bad grammar will keep you from being published are correct; no editor will wade through piles of "And we was real good friends back when we was in the fith grade." You are equating grammar problems with being unable to diagram sentences and define "gerund." Unless you are planning to write an English textbook or the next volume in the illustrious Hooked on Phonix series, however, you won't need those skills. I just broke one of the cardinal rules of writing for an audience, though: I used a lot of words when just a few would have sufficed. I meant to say that you write real good.
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Judith - 2005-07-22 23:27:37
Ya know, it's okay to be realistic about your limits. Just be careful not to give yourself too many of them. You sound like you have a good mind and a curious nature. Those two things alone will keep you going in this life,I've found. And nobody wrote the Great American Novel overnight. It's a long process. I love to write but lack the discipline to really do it. That's why I love keeping my own online diary. I can put my thoughts into words and that's a good writing exercise in itself. Take care.
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awittykitty - 2005-07-22 23:37:15
I think writing is less about where you place a period or comma but rather about fluidity and sentences that carry the reader along on a merry adventure. I am the queen of run-on sentences. I totally suck at spelling. I have trouble with commas. But despite all these glaring writing speed traps, I've published over 300 newspaper articles. Why? Because I was entertaining and had something to say. I think you do to. So tell your anally retentive friend, that not all writing has to be perfect and structured...just entertaining.
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Phil - 2005-07-22 23:47:16
awittykitty makes a great point. Spelling and grammar? You can hire someone to fix that up but plot, structure, charactisation, point of view.... that's got to be all you.
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Sarah - 2005-07-23 00:37:56
Forget good writing (although you write better than I do anyway). Good storytelling is much better. And that, dear gump, is your forte. Your taste in baseball teams is not. ;)
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Kelly - 2005-07-23 08:55:00
You forgot the people that let themselves fail because even though they know they are capable of succeeding they feel like they deserve to fail and those that fail as a sacrifice for others. Or maybe you didn't. You can write cleverly about any subject, no matter how boring, and make it fun and interesting. I think that fact alone allows you a bit of cockiness. And youre good at beer pong? YOU'RE TEH SEX GUMP! Sorry. so much seriousness makes my head explode.
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Sarika - 2005-07-23 10:20:47
All bullshit aside, good writing is writing people want to read. And that is all about style. And gump, you have style. Style and flair combined with something interesting to say. Language is as free as you chose to make it and manipulating grammar and syntax for stylistic effect is what makes it your own; the rules are whatever you chose to make them. I think I'm pretty good with my grammar use - when I chose to use it correctly. I'm not sure why it came about; I suppose I've always had an interest which I've followed up in studying literature to a high level, tearing apart language to see how an author manipulates his tools. And now in trying to learn a new language, I am all the more baffled by what exactly indirect object pronouns are, but that isn't what's important in writing. The point is, stop being silly, don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do, do it anyway. Fear of failure leads to unfulfillment. If you don't take chances on yourself sometimes, really put yourself on the line, you could really miss out. I would never have ended up spending a year living in Naples at the age of 19 if I didn't believe in myself enough to try. And I almost failed, but i didn't. And so here I am. <> So anyway, what exactly is beer pong? it sounds scary. Like ping pong. Which is scary. And beer is nasty... x
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Jackie - 2005-07-23 11:18:10
I like reading your diary because I like the way you write. I don't know about grammar and sentence structure and all that shit(honestly, I don't know. I've forgotten all I learned about it), I just like that you are funny as hell and seem very intelligent. Like the friggin' arguments you out on sometimes, like the one about the Death Star, and how Luke Skywalker's attack on it was flawed. See. It's been how long? And I still remember it. PLus your assessment of why people fail is right on the money. And you take some mighty purty pictures too. And, I can only speculate about this, but I'll bet you're fun to drink with too. So. See. You're good at more than just beer pong. Now stop your fucking whining. ;) (I kid. And thanks for adding me).
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betty - 2005-07-23 12:30:35
Holy rambling diary entry batman!!
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andreeb - 2005-07-23 13:16:00
Grammar and punctuation? Who cares. Awittykitty is totally right. That's what editors are for. To me, the key to successful writing is to just do it. Lots of people say, "Oh, I can write better than that." But do they do it? Nope. They just blather on without the balls to even try. Also, writing is an art and a skill that grows over time. So you suck at 20, are tolerable at 25, pretty good at 30 and great at 40. This isn't the Olympics. You don't peak at 14 and spend the rest of your life staring at your wheaties box.
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Samantha - 2005-07-23 17:06:20
What the hell is beer pong?
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vomitingcod - 2005-07-25 13:15:10
gump, you misquote me. I was trying to explain why people care about grammar. The reason is this: having a sense for grammar is generally indicative of having a sense for language. And you have to have a sense for language to be a good writer. So usually good writers are good grammarians. But not always!
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vomiting cod - 2005-07-25 13:17:58
I just found the quote, so here it is: "It's rare that someone is a good writer and a bad speller, because usually it's a necessary condition of being a good writer that you have a feel for the language, and USUALLY (but not always) having a feel for the language entails knowing how to spell." I wasn't trying to say that you're not a good writer, gump! Obviously you are!
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