No, you do not, but it’s important. Do not let poor grammar hold you back. I have known grammar boffs write terrible prose. I have also known people who have no skill with grammar write great stories, stories that are direct from the heart. Here is one such writing by Bill Neidjie, an Australian Aboriginal elder, from his work Kakadu Man:
My people… all dead We only got a few left… that’s all, not many.
We getting too old. Young people… I don’t know if they can hang on to this story… might be you can hang on to this story… to this earth…
You got children… grandson. Might be your grandson will get this story… keep going… Hang on like I done My spirit has gone back to my country… my mother.
What more could the above say? Better grammar would not improve the power of the piece; even without grammar it’s clear and easy to follow.
Do not let your lack of education or understanding of grammar stop you. The grammar can be improved later. If your grammar is suspect, apply the following:
Make sure that the full grammar settings in your word processing software are on (checked). Usually, the default settings only make use of about a quarter of the options. There are programmes that can help your grammar edit but I have found them to be too slow and clumsy for professional use.
When I first started writing I had absolutely no grammar. But over the years it has improved, and so will yours.
Bye for now, Pat
Oh, for the next post, write down in your workbook what you think makes a good writer. You can see if we agree.
if you are one of my blog students, you can get a 20% off my book. How To Transform Words Into Stories – A comprehensive guide to write, promote & sell your book. Watch this video.
