Grammar, My Old Nemesis, We Meet Again

[meddow]

I got some concrit today, which is completely awesome cause love concrit. But it was about dangling participles. Which brought up the question, WTF is a dangling participle? I am absolutely sure that has never come up before in any classroom I’ve been in or book I’ve ever read. A quick trip to google and I’m onto what they are, but it brings up the bigger frustration of my life - I am so sick and tired of being a grammar idiot.

I’m working on it. I've been reading books and learning through concrit of fics and comments from betas and I've improved greatly. At the beginning of the year I didn’t know about dialogue formatting or even what a semi-colon was. I think I’m getting the hand of when to use a comma; I was bit to quick to use them before. But so many people out there are so brilliant at it and I feel so incredibly inadequate.

And I know I do it a lot, but I see it as something of a flaw to blame others for your own problem, but damn it, I feel ripped off. What on earth were my English teachers being paid for if not to teach me how to use the English language? I only learnt what a verb was because I took a beginner’s French paper at University. It’s not like I didn’t learn anything. I can list off definitions of language devices such as similes, alliteration and metaphors. But still, when I finished high school I couldn’t have picked out a semi-colon in a lineup. University’s not that much better. I got through my first three years and still had no idea of when to use a semi-colon. Then again it’s not a University’s job to point out the basics.

There is no point to this rant. I can’t change the education system and every country is different anyway. I’m just pissed off. But just think what would have happened if I had not ever submitted a fic and had it rejected from FictionAlley. It would certainly have been more embarrassing to enter the workplace with my appalling skills.

Comments

[thebrettguy.livejournal.com]

As the person that mentioned the dangling participles, I'd like to comment on your entry here.

Frankly, our public education system in America, and I'm sure in many similar countries, sucks. I am lucky enough, and know that I am lucky, to have a natural feel for grammar. Believe me, I wasn't taught very much in school.

Back when I was in High School, I wrote a paper on Earnest Hemingway. I read some of his books, and then just wrote the paper. I never read anyone else's critique of his works.

The teacher said I plagiarized it because there was no way a high school student could have written it. My parents Had Words with the man but that tells you an awful lot about the state of things in schools.

Luckily, such technical stuff CAN be learned on one's own. Storywriting talent is a gift, which you either have or you don't, and you have it. That means that ultimately, the sky's the limit.

There are many really easy to read guides on effective writing which can help fill in the educational system's gaps. I gave one to a friend that he loved, and I'll ask him which one it was if you'd like.

I also wanted to invite you to a PoTC RPG community, which I've never done before, because... well, obviously, you write so well. I have a yen to see Governor Swann come to life even if he's not in very many of the action scenes.

If the idea interests you, the community is Port_of_Tortuga. If not, just continue to write. Good things will come of it, and good things have already come of it.

---Brett

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the RPS invitation. Unfortunately my University workload doesn’t make it easy for me to have regular writing commitments. I will continue to write though. I love it far too much to stop.

I am incredibly glad that these sort of skills can be learned. All things going to plan, I will learn enough to be satisfied with my own grammar skills some day.

[thebrettguy.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about time. I've been working 12-14 hours a day on average lately and sometimes life just has to take the only course it can until circumstances change.