tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post8915161515407635981..comments2024-03-13T06:31:17.010-04:00Comments on Susan Says: Rules or GuidelinesSusan Gourley/Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669793865290876168noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-45521414549329195782014-06-26T01:49:44.246-04:002014-06-26T01:49:44.246-04:00Hi Susan - I have to say I hate the thought of lea...Hi Susan - I have to say I hate the thought of learning English ... my understanding of it is so poor - one day I'll need to tackle it, or hope others will correct for me .. <br /><br />Interesting post though .. and I usually break rules! but follow the guidelines ... cheers HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-12830687641028568142014-06-25T09:09:19.816-04:002014-06-25T09:09:19.816-04:00"Outline," they said. "You must br..."Outline," they said. "You must brainstorm and then outline."<br /><br />And yet some stories are better off discovery-written.Patrick Stahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690555802232025818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-76709151138964998572014-06-24T19:06:25.566-04:002014-06-24T19:06:25.566-04:00I don't have a style book, but I have very hel...I don't have a style book, but I have very helpful critique partners! Over the years, I've read so many different things, most rules seem to be only guidelines.Christine Rainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08263694662585963900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-65723539517629531582014-06-24T15:11:39.241-04:002014-06-24T15:11:39.241-04:00You might appreciate this, which I saw on Twitter ...You might appreciate <a href="https://twitter.com/douglasmarshall/status/474868478340780033/photo/1" rel="nofollow">this</a>, which I saw on Twitter a week or two ago. Pretty apt. :)Luanne G. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15762881276976395955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-700579647225923792014-06-24T14:27:09.016-04:002014-06-24T14:27:09.016-04:00Susan: That is exactly why I wrote 7 Writing Trick...Susan: That is exactly why I wrote <i>7 Writing Tricks for the Clueless.</i> My system teaches "concepts," rather than rules of grammar. I do pretty well selling that book at teacher conferences. The one thing insecure writers should remember is that academic writing and writing for profit are worlds apart.JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14692103477055483000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-41095452255815129962014-06-24T13:24:36.464-04:002014-06-24T13:24:36.464-04:00I remember those "rules" that were more ...I remember those "rules" that were more guidelines (for research papers). The one I had the hardest time with was the "do not use contractions" rule. That creates some very stilted dialogue, so in my earlier work, I had to go back in and fix it.Cherie Reichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-16930279571513258612014-06-24T10:08:49.682-04:002014-06-24T10:08:49.682-04:00I once read that you should know the rules so you ...I once read that you should know the rules so you can break them. And break them we should (did you see what I just did?). I always refer to Elements of Style and sometimes defer to my editors better judgement, but there is nothing wrong with breaking rules if it helps your story.Ellie Garratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03731071128348213067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-71310611664830889182014-06-23T23:46:47.288-04:002014-06-23T23:46:47.288-04:00Hi Susan. Thoughtful post. As a guilty English tea...Hi Susan. Thoughtful post. As a guilty English teacher I agree with you, but...creative writing is very different from writing an essay or academic paper where some of those rules are important to follow slavishly. (I love my adverbs...best way to express myself at times). However, creative writing is meant to break all the 'rules', even guidelines. We can even jiggle with correct spelling through a character's dialogue. What fun is that! And fragmented sentences...I'd hate to read a book without some of them, but doesn't Grammar Checker HATE them.<br /><br />Have fun writing. I especially enjoy the rule-breaking aspect.<br /><br />DeniseDenise Covey https://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-92072110461335760502014-06-23T15:35:57.734-04:002014-06-23T15:35:57.734-04:00I have read that it is always best to KNOW the rul...I have read that it is always best to KNOW the rules so that you are aware of when you break them. It should be a choice and not an accident. Reading this post makes me think that I should probably pick up a refresher book on what the rules are so that I can differentiate the rules from the guidelines. Thanks!Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14932408372240147454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-26169697172137174202014-06-23T14:19:25.393-04:002014-06-23T14:19:25.393-04:00I'm with Alex. Those incomplete sentences can...I'm with Alex. Those incomplete sentences can really be powerful at times. I like to add them in - maybe too much ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-79631102200984222532014-06-23T10:08:01.964-04:002014-06-23T10:08:01.964-04:00Almost anything seems to be able to be used in a c...Almost anything seems to be able to be used in a certain context, so a lot are just guidelines it seemsPat Hatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07745293224202430152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-33147142282618310952014-06-23T08:53:52.562-04:002014-06-23T08:53:52.562-04:00I'd say the rule that adjectives and adverbs a...I'd say the rule that adjectives and adverbs are bad. People use them in speech though, so if you leave them out, it reads weird.L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-63600628890349020852014-06-23T07:36:57.554-04:002014-06-23T07:36:57.554-04:00Incomplete sentences. I've learned those work ...Incomplete sentences. I've learned those work well in novel writing.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-15730491427107593272014-06-23T07:33:51.603-04:002014-06-23T07:33:51.603-04:00I try to remember that a story is about people and...I try to remember that a story is about people and people split infinitives, use incomplete sentences, and stutter.<br /><br />As long as 'writing sins' are used for color and not the end sum of bad habits, it enriches the storytelling.Maria Zanninihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01604862636922299273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-47067327133751003442014-06-23T04:22:03.362-04:002014-06-23T04:22:03.362-04:00I have a relative that cannot, and I mean cannot s...I have a relative that cannot, and I mean cannot stand any sentence that begins with the word but, or and. <br /><br />Me, I don't care. <br /><br />Hope you have a great week, Susan. Cheers and boogie boogie.The Happy Whiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13438469476168485775noreply@blogger.com