A.C.E. Writers

Today I discussed writing with a writer friend who said she wasn’t writing for her English teacher. We were talking about John Gresham and his writing style. What a page turner! I’ve read through several of his books and interestingly enough, the bad grammar has never even slowed me down. I love his books. Now, before you get your undies in a bunch, I’m not saying John is a bad writer, or even that all his grammar is bad. Neither could be further from the truth.

What I am saying is that good writers (sometimes even the BEST writers) use bad grammar. Some of them, hold your chest and gasp, have TERRIBLE grammar. Grammar isn’t a requirement for a best seller. If you doubt that, read the number one books on the New York Times best sellers list. So, what does constitute a good writer?

I believe plot, characters, and story are the primary pillars of a good book.

If the book doesn’t have a killer cover that grabs your attention, chances are good that  you’ll walk right on by, never stopping to read it. So, of course, you’d better have a drop-dead, killer title that captivates your reader on the front side of your book. But inside… Where the meat is… You’d better have a plot that keeps your characters moving and a story line that turns the pages or your reader is gone.

The key is, if your story doesn’t keep those pages turning, your grammar and word choices had better not slow them down. Readers can get captivated in the story enough to miss a few misplaced words and bad grammar. But if the story isn’t going to be absolutely stellar, the grammar and word choices must impress EVEN your English teacher.

So, does your sentence structure matter?

How well does your story read? That’s the real question!