I didn't lose no time. The next minute I was a-spinning down-stream soft but quick, in the shade of the bank.
I use bad grammar, and I admit it without shame. But then so have history's most famous writers, including the much praised Shakespeare, who had a nasty habit of using the word “like” incorrectly. And there have been thousands of writers since him who have done the same and, I might add, successfully. Included in this number is Mark Twain in his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I quoted above.
The secret to bad grammar, if you're going to use it, is that you must know good grammar first. In high school I often aced my English classes, but I couldn't diagram a sentence today if you asked me. But the most wonderful thing about good grammar is that, once you learn it, you don't forget it. I like the way the well-known author and writing instructor, Gary Provost, described it best, that grammar is like music, you can hear when it's done wrong.
So, why do I use bad grammar? Because there are times when my characters or the story calls for it. Perhaps your character, like Huckleberry Finn himself, never learned good grammar. So, if you started writing his point of view using schoolroom English, it wouldn't sound genuine to the character.
Or, maybe you want to create a sense of urgency, tension, perhaps approaching danger. Short snappy, sometimes incomplete, sentences work well in such a case. I'm not saying you should write a book filled with page upon page of incomplete sentences, but they do have their uses.
The darkness pressed closer. Too close. She cowered, hearing the footsteps drawing near, nearer. Too near. Then two hands dragged her, kicking and screaming, out of the cramped cargo hold. Terror iced over seized her. Oh God, he'd found her.
The key to these incomplete sentences, if you will notice in this example, is that they are each and every one linked to the subject in the previous sentence.
On the other hand, there's the much maligned run-on sentence. Yep, I've used those too.
The reason? Have you ever noticed how longer sentences are soothing? How they can lull a reader into believing all is well? They're perfect for creating a false sense of security, or for after a danger has been overcome, if only temporarily. Plus, they're wonderful for love scenes too.
He kissed her gently, slowly, drawing out the moment until her body surrendered, even if her mind did not, could not, would not. His touch danced upon her skin, an irresistible claiming, even as her mind whimpered, stop . . .
At the same time, using all long sentences or all short sentences creates a droning, monotonous tone. So the key in deciding sentence length is variety. It is this variety that creates music.
But the most wonderful thing about bad grammar is that, while outlawed in the schoolroom, if used properly in fiction, it can create an absolutely wonderful characters and story. Remember Huck Finn? There's a reason why it's a classic. And it's not because of Mark Twain's perfect grammar.
Still doubt me? Let's rephrase the quote this article started out with then.
I didn't lose any time. The next minute I was spinning downstream softly but quickly and into the shade of the bank.
If you're anything like me, you discovered that the flavor of Huck's unique personality is lost in this rewrite.
So, in the end, the true rule of grammar in fiction writing is not to use the perfect grammar you learned in high school, but instead concentrate on grammar that sounds perfect for the story, characters, and the setting. Good fiction is music to the ear, although admittedly your high schoolteacher probably would never give you an A+ for your efforts. But it's not that schoolteacher from long ago who needs pleasing, but your readers. And believe me, so long as you give them wonderful characters and a great story, your readers will love you for your outlawed grammar.
Karin Schroeder is an active member of SARA, where she has been the co-editor of the newsletter, The Love Letter. Currently she is busy writing both a western, The Right Man, which recently placed First in the 2000 Merritt Contest.
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