Ficlets

R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation

You wouldn’t show up at a job interview in your PJs, with 5 o’clock shadow and halitosis, would you? Of course not. Likewise, you shouldn’t show up on ficlets.com with bad spelling, punctuation, or grammar.

I recognize that some of you are secondary school students, or dyslexic, so I’ll cut you some slack in this regard. But for the rest of you, there is no excuse for bad spelling now that web browsers like Firefox and Safari include a built-in spellchecker. It won’t catch homonyms like “to” versus “too,” or misspellings that are also words, but it will catch most other things.

Punctuation and grammar are trickier issues, since you can’t check for those in the web browser. (Although you could paste your ficlet into MS Word.) You’ll just have to learn the rules.

There are books out there that can help. For punctuation, I suggest Eats, Shoots and Leaves. If you’re still in school, take more writing classes.

These are skills you don’t need just for ficlets; they will serve you well the rest of your life!

Comments

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R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
THX 0477
Posted 3 months ago

It is definitely something that will wind up being an asset should you go on to any kind of professional career. There’s more writing than you might think, though it’s dull and technical. Still, you might as well practice now, so it’s second nature later, making it go more quickly.
On a more immediate note, these kinds of errors, for me as a reader, rob the piece of some of its power. I lose the emotion and flow of the story each time I wince or have to re-read something to figure out what it means.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
Blusparrow
Posted 3 months ago

Yes they are important! I usally copy and paste the ficlet I just wrote into microsoft word and do the spell check. after that I reread it, but even then I seem to miss something at one time or another.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
SKermitgorf
Posted 3 months ago

I do what Bluesparrow does with Word.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
BARomero
Posted 3 months ago

Totally agree with you again, R_M! And I further agree with THX , that it takes me out of the story if spelling and grammar are incorrect (unless of course it was done intentionally for effect).
One group I would add though to those who get a free pass, are those for whom English is not their native language. I know there are at least a handful here, and just because they don’t speak or write a lot of English, doesn’t mean they don’t have something to say.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
Russell Ruffino
Posted 3 months ago

Grammar is where I fall down, I like to think I have my punctuation and spelling sorted but grammar is definitely my main weakness.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
.:band baby:.
Posted 3 months ago

I like to think I’m pretty good at punctuation, grammar, and spelling.. but sometimes I honestly don’t know. I’ve learned the rules, but never fully understood them. If there is something wrong in my story, I apoligize, but I also expect someone to let me know so I can change it and make it better. Isn’t that why we’re here? To help one another become better? I mean, everyone is bound to miss something
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
wytherwings
Posted 3 months ago

I agree. I try to correct my work, but sometimes I over-look something. Actually I over-look something a lot. But I’m trying to get better.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
OrangeOreos
Posted 3 months ago

This is one of those things I don’t seem to have a problem with…

Of course, maybe it’s the fact that I look over my published ficlet five times and edit any bad grammar and stuff out…

Oh well!

LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
Ridcully Calvert
Posted 3 months ago

English is not my native language, I am from Africa after all, but that is still not an excuse not to learn the grammar and spelling.

I agree with THX that obvious spelling and grammar errors prevent me from really enjoying a ficlet, though that could be due to my nascent OCD . :-D

LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
Stovohobo
Posted 3 months ago

Firefox saved my life in this way. And on my PC, I use dictionary.com.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
i live NYLSC
Posted 3 months ago

i tend to miss commas