Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop!

Today’s topic is: What grammar rules have you broken on purpose?

And remember to visit my fellow writers to see what they have come up with. You can find their works here!

This makes for an interesting topic this week. As a rule, I am fond of good grammar. I mostly expect it in books, though am aware that between authors, proofreaders and editors, human error can and does occur. When it comes to basic grammar I do hold marketing to a higher standard. When an establishment post on social media, prints a menu and so on, if the basics of grammar, spelling and punctuation aren’t correct, well it drops in my estimation immediately. It could be harsh to judge, but with a wide variety of options to correct things, the basics should be correct. To me, it screams a lack of attention to detail and doesn’t inspire a great view of their product offering. But I digress.

As for grammar rules that I’ve broken in my own work, well I’d say the biggest ones appear in dialogue. And it’s not any one specific rule I break in that regard. I’ll use and abuse the English language in any number of ways. After all, according to the great Sir Terry Pratchett “English doesn’t borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.”

Dialogue needs to feel natural. I find if it’s written in perfect English it feels unnatural. Very few people speak perfect English. It just doesn’t happen. My characters swear, stammer, and stumble over their words. They butcher words, drop letters, and speak with affectations and accents. Reuben, for example, is a bit like a pirate in my mind, so he speaks in a manner befitting. Edison Crow is suave and well-spoken when he is prepared and rehearsed. But when things take a turn he loses all composure.

So yes, I do break grammar rules, because sometimes the rules just ain’t what’s needed!