From time to time I get emails from aspiring writers wondering how to navigate through the confusing publishing industry.
Recently I received an email from Shelly wondering how nitpicky agents and editors are with manuscripts. She asked: When it comes to grammar, how perfect do writers need to be? Obviously we need to look and sound like we know what we are doing and not come across as amateurs, but how nitpicky are agents/editors/publishers? Will this factor in for whether you are considered for publication or not?
Specifically Shelly wanted to know about two areas, how carefully should we follow the rules of grammar when writing dialogue and whether we can end sentences with prepositions.
I think overall, Shelly and other aspiring writers, want to know how strictly we need to adhere to all the rules we learned in English class. As novelists, do we have to use proper punctuation, conjunctions, correct sentence structure, etc.? Or do we have the liberty to break the rules of grammar as needed?
Here are my thoughts:
No, we don't need to be English majors (or even very good at grammar) to write:
In today's market, STORY is the most important aspect in catching the interest of an agent or publisher. A writer could have the most perfectly written manuscript, without a missed comma or misplaced preposition, but be unable to garner interest in his or her book.
Perfect and pretty prose won't sell a book. The STORY sells the book. Readers (including agents and publishers) are often willing to overlook "bad writing" if the story is riveting. We can all name popular, even best-selling books, that we might consider poorly written.
But yes, we need to put our story in a pretty package.
While STORY is paramount, if we don't put it in a pretty package (well-written and presented in a professional manner), then we risk it getting overlooked in the sea of other pretty packages vying for reader attention. In other words, if our query letter or first few pages are riddled with "mistakes" or come across as amateur, then we likely won't get anyone to read the book all the way to discover just how excellent our story really is.
For our best chance at success we should strive for an amazing story that is also well-told. Agents and editors want to see that a fiction writer—especially a debut author—can carry the entire story to completion in a satisfying and professional manner. We don't need to be perfect, but we should know the basics of grammar and other writing techniques.
Great stories in pretty packages don't all have to look alike.
Once we've honed our story-telling ability and know the "rules" of writing (and grammar), then we're at liberty to shape our stories, bending the tools to work for us so that we can make our books unique and fresh.
Some writers might use choppy, incomplete sentences for an effect. Others might use long, run-ons to their advantage. A regency author might never use contractions. But a western writer might use slang and end their sentences with prepositions—both reflecting their genres and characters.
The idea is that we use language and fiction-techniques to help define our special writing voice. But we usually can't do that until we're intimately familiar with the craft of writing. There's a difference between breaking "rules" because we just don't know them or because we're sloppy and then breaking "rules" because we're purposefully shaping our stories to reflect our writing voice.
So what do you think? Are you focusing too much on pretty and perfect prose at the expense of the story? Or are you concerned too much with your story at the neglect of learning writing techniques? And if you've found a balance, what are some ways you're bending the rules to shape your stories?
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Jody,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for elaborating on this topic! I try to be conscious of basic grammar rules when I'm writing but have intentionally broken some as well for the sake of the story. Particularly in dialogue. Since I write contemporary romance, I try to write dialogue in such a way that people in my every day life would sound like. I also like using the short, choppy sentences for effect.
You're welcome, Shelly! It's a great topic to explore further!
DeleteAs an avid reader, I expect grammar and punctuation to assist in communicating the story to me, without distracting.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have to read a sentence multiple times trying to figure out what it said, because of poor sentence construction, missing words, or incorrect punctuation, that is distracting.
Dialogue that flows as I would expect the character to speak is not distracting, but natural.
Hi Joe, by the time our book reaches publication, we would hope it to be fairly flawless (especially after several good edits). But that isn't always the case, unfortunately!
DeleteHowever, I've learned that a book doesn't need to be perfect to garner the attention of agents/editors/publishers. A writer might be a good story-teller, but might not be a great self-editor. And that's why we really need to invest in an editor (if self-publishing) or have the benefit of good editing through traditional publishing.
I know I can write; I have the degrees to prove it. ;) jk. But in all seriousness, I've been rejected mostly because my story wasn't unique enough, etc. So I know I need to focus on craft, structure, plot, brainstorming, etc. It helps to know where we are weakest, because I think all of the elements work in tandem to get you noticed.
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsay, Yes, that story is SO key! It has to be unique and fresh and gripping. So finding that break-in story is always a challenge. That's why it's important to keep writing and not to give up after the first book or two. Because we never know which story will be our break-in book!
DeleteGood morning, Jody,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a tough subject - and that sounds so trite when I look at it. But I have read quite a few manuscripts over the last several years (mine, included!), and one of the first things that sets me on edge is the appearance. If it's not formatted correctly, I sigh and prepare myself for a tedious read, regardless of how fine the writing/story-telling may be.
Nitpicky? Maybe. But I can't tell you how PLEASING it is to get an MS that has everything in the right place; margins and headers and footers and chapter breaks, etc. all lined up and uniform. When those areas aren't addressed, the whole flow of the MS is broken up. Commas out of place, one paragraph that should be three, the word 'they' twice on page 200 - those things don't bother me at all. Those are oversights and happen to the best of us.
Not making formatting a priority, however, tells me a few things about a writer: 1) They haven't taken the time or made the effort to follow instructions - RED flag! 2) Presentation is not priority - RED flag, especially when we're presenting Christ! 3) There must be some kind of entitlement going on inside that doesn't require them to follow the same rules as everyone else who's working so hard to get their manuscripts just right - RED flag!
This is exactly why it is sooooooo important to have critique partners, fellow writers who will hold each other up and help work out the kinks BEFORE someone on the business side of the publishing industry slaps you down. I so appreciate the crit partners in my life who look at my work and point stuff out before my work goes public. It's kinda like having hubby tell me my dress is inside out BEFORE the date, you know?
I'm going back inside now to turn my dress right side out....
Blessings,
Becky :-)
Hi Becky,
DeleteYes, a poorly formatted manuscript or chapters riddled with errors gives editors and agents just one more reason to say no to our books. And we certainly don't want to be rejected simply because we didn't take the time to make our books as professional as possible.
I think, however, many writers tend to get hung up in the little details and think they're getting rejected because of them. But usually the rejection has more to do with the quality of the story (that it lacks originality or freshness or just isn't put together well). That's why I think it's important for writers not to keep on laboring over the same book year after year attempting to make it perfect. But rather to keep on writing new stories! Hope that makes sense!
As I do my final read through on a novel I wrote years ago, but contracted THIS summer, I'm still finding some areas of weak writing and passive words. But I can't go back and change them all! If I did, the story would never get out. So if something comes to me while I'm writing to make a sentence stronger, I change it. People already like the story, so I'm not too worried about a few more WASes than I'd like to see. The bottom line for me is if they are so into the story that they don't notice some of the "weak" writing, than I did my job!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
DeleteI can totally relate to how you're feeling!! By the time I read my Galleys, I feel that it's the worst story ever! I see every glaring "mistake" all the adjectives and adverbs that I could have cut, and the repetitious words, passiveness, etc! But the truth is, we're being overly critical at that point! Readers aren't going to care about an extra adverb or two! They'll be looking at the story.
"...to boldly go where no man has gone before."
ReplyDeleteThis is the 20th century's most famous split infinitive. Certainly Gene Roddenbury knew the rule about not splitting infinitives, but he did it anyway, just because he could. (I hope I spelled his name right.)
My college grammar professor called this "flouting the maxim," and he drummed into us that it can be a very effective literary tool...but only if one knows what one is doing.
I like your example of matching the grammar and word use to the character. And that means narrative too, not just dialogue. A scene written in a certain character's view point, needs to sound like that character.
Hi Andrea,
DeleteGreat point! We need to match grammar and word use to the character in BOTH dialog and narration during that character's POV. Thanks for the great reminder!
At first blush, "nitpicky" may carry a negative connotation, but to truly honor the reader's commitment of time and energy, anything--weak plot structure, stilted dialog, spelling / punctuation errors--that interrupts the vivid and continuous reader's dream must be eliminated from a book's final form. My editor is nitpicky, and even a little snarky at times ... and I wouldn't have it any other way. I owe as near-to-perfect a book as I am capable of to my potential readers.
ReplyDeleteTo the growing ranks of self-published authors, our common goal should be to produce books that are indistinguishable from traditionally published works. Hire a freelance editor, proofreader, book designer, whatever it takes to make your book as near-to-perfect as possible ... before you publish it!
Hi Rob,
DeleteYes, by the time a book is ready for publication, we should have that book in as perfect a condition as we possibly can. As a traditionally published author, my books undergo multiple in-house edits before hitting shelves. I would think that a self-published book should undergo the same rigors of editing.
Readers deserve our best! But the other truth is that if a story is gripping enough, most readers will overlook some of our unintentional blunders.
I couldn't agree more, Rob. Both for the reader and for myself, I want to put out a product that is as near to perfect as humanly possible. Of course, my internal editor has OCD, and one minor error can pull me right out of a story. I guess I tend to assume that it's the same for everyone else.
DeleteI would tell your friend that there is a certain dialogue standard within the CBA. It is NOT the same as the ABA standard. The CBA frequently expects beats (action) to indicate who's talking--not the "he said, she said" structure of yesteryear. Action tells who's talking now. (for example: "Get out of my house! Jenny whirled back toward the stove.") Not my fave thing, but if you don't nail that, it will stand out like a sore thumb with the agents/editors. At least that's what I've found! What do you think, Jody? I STILL haven't read any of your books (*sigh*).
ReplyDeleteHi Heather,
DeleteI personally have not noticed a big difference between CBA and ABA standards. My publisher (Bethany House) has never mentioned to me that they prefer dialog tags a certain way or action beats instead of "said." I actually use a bit of both in my writing. So I don't think there are any hard, fast rules for this. Again, I think it comes back to the story. If we're telling a riveting story, editors aren't necessarily going to care if we use "he said" versus an action beat. In other words, we shouldn't be sweating those things. Obviously, we should do the best we can to hone our writing skills and employ techniques that will make our stories flow smoothly. But overall, I've found that my publisher isn't hounding me and nitpicking every word of my story. They're more concerned about getting the story into something readers will love.
I'm working on finding the balance right now. In the past, I've gone overboard with the technical and now I'm concentrating on the story aspect. I so hope to find the perfect balance.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jody! Having just turned in my 20th published novel, I can say for me its still a struggle to find the balance. Each pass through one of my novels, I focus on something different, either the story or perfecting sentences. It also helps me to give a little time between each read through. That gives me a little distance. This is a great subject that I think all writers struggle with. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think we need to know the 'rules' of grammar like we know how to breathe - and then use them thoughtfully. So if we break them we know why, we know the impact it will have on the rhythm of a sentence, on the consistency of character.
ReplyDeleteThe art - as I see it - is to write so that the reader cannot see the art! So the words sweep the reader along with the story rather than being tripped up by clunky sentences. But for the writer, this needs meticulous attention to those very sentences!
I am asked, from time to time, to read somebody's typescript. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think they can write, how many people cannot spell (bearing in mind the difference between English-English spelling and American-English spelling),and how few are able to tell a gripping story.
ReplyDeleteI think, for me, my problem is more along the lines of whether or not my story is interesting to others. It is all so relative. My book "French Sand" is, for me, a gripping story - yet it does not sell anywhere near as well as the others.
Catherine Broughton.
Bother ! The classic mistake ! I didn't re-read the above and now I see I have written "for me" twice ! Hey-ho ....
ReplyDeleteI try to craft the story, but I'll deliberately stick in language idiosyncracies that other people stumble over. They fit the language and the culture that I'm writing about, but it has the same effect as writing a whole character in deep south dialect.
ReplyDeleteOops.
Hey, Jody. First visit to your site. Love it! Saw a shout out on Natalie Hartford's site and bopped on over. I'm still learning the craft (aren't we all) and I agree, a well-told story is the key to success whether traditionally or self-pubbed. I intentionally abuse the rules of grammar for a variety of reasons. In dialect most definitely but also sometimes to emphasize something. If it flows, the reader never notices that it wasn't a complete sentence, even though my high school English teacher would cringe. But flat out mistakes are another matter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Kassandra! Yes, we definitely have to distinguish between molding the language for our use and then just flat out making mistakes!
Delete