I've spent several hours this morning adding commas and semi-colons to my manuscript. A tidy little hand has written them in for me, where they belong. Whose tidy hand? My trusted writing friend--Moira Rose Donohue! She loves me and believes in my writing, even though I'm grammar/spelling/punctuation challenged.
I always have been. For years, I didn't think I could ever be a writer because not only do I not know where to put a comma, but I spell "their" for "there" and "too" for "two" and so forth. I use run-on sentences like they are adverbs. By the way, just what are adverbs? And semi-colons, colons, single quotations, italics, hyphenated words? I might as well write my novel in French, which I do not speak, as try to put the punctuation and grammar in place correctly.
But I am a published author. I am writing a guest post. And I'm sure before any of you read this, my friend, my trusted critic, Moira Rose Donohue will make this post readable. She's a genius at grammar. And since reading her books ALFIE and PENNY, I actually have learned a bit more about punctuation. Even for me, her simple lessons stick. I never get tired of watching Alfie make "do not" into "don't." It's fun. Moira makes learning about punctuation a game. If Alfie and Penny had been around when I was in first and second grade, maybe I wouldn't need Moira to help me today. But since they weren't, I'm so glad she is around.
Thank you Moira, for being the queen of grammar; for making my bad sentences sparkle with your grammar magic; and for helping children who, like me, just do not get where to stop a sentence!
Beckie Weinheimer is the author of the young adult novel CONVERTING KATE.
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Beckie is overly generous in her praise. However, she makes a wonderful point: while grammar and punctuation are necessary to make sure your reader understands what you mean, no one should be afraid to write because he or she finds punctuation challenging. Thank goodness Beckie didn't let it stop her – her book CONVERTING KATE was an ALA Notable for Young Adults!
ReplyDeleteAnd here's a take-away tip for writers young and old: "peer editing" doesn't end with school—it's an important part of an adult writer's life as well. What's key is finding a peer you trust and who can help you with your weaknesses. Beckie and I are a perfect pair in that regard; I help her with grammar and plot and she helps me with character and emotional depth.
I hope that you find your "perfect peer" to help with your writing. And if you need help with punctuation, here's good news—ALFIE and PENNY are now available in paperback! Go to http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=moirarose+donohue&x=0&y=0 and click on other editions.
Thank you, Moira, for helping me with my stories, too. You have a great eye for details, plot development, and grammar.
ReplyDeleteThe job of Grammar Queen should come with a tiara, no?
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