(Originally published August 15, 2022)

Hey, storyteller!

Is correct grammar really all that important in storytelling? I mean, if a writer, whose job is painting pictures with words, doesn't catch a grammatical error in her story, most readers certainly won't notice, right?

Well...yes and no. They may not know why, but they'll get tripped up or lose the thread of the story.

Will you take a moment a play a little game with me? Think of this like those "what's wrong with this picture" games. Only, instead, we're asking "what's wrong with this story?"

Example 1: Pulling into her driveway, a bird slammed into her windshield.

Is the bird pulling into the driveway?

Example 2: "I'm starved. C'mon, let's eat Grandpa."

Now, if you're writing a story about a society of cannibals, or people stranded on a mountain with no food and no way back to civilization, this might work. Otherwise, you've just thrown a very disturbing line at readers who are expecting quite a different sort of tale.

In this week's writer coaching session, I share the top 7 grammar mistakes writers make in their stories, so you can avoid creeping out your readers...unless you mean to.

Those mistakes include: