Friday, November 12, 2010

A Million Grammar Books

Almost everyone's saying I need this grammar and syntax book and that grammar and syntax book. Hell, my librarian (great people that they are, by the way) gives me free ones. That's fine, she's only given me a couple. To be honest, I haven't even cracked them yet. Well, that's not quite right, I've cracked them, but I haven't read them front to back. I also study Warriner's Grammar and Composition, The Elements of Style, the grammar and syntax section at the back of my dictionary, the Associated Press Stylebook, and what I saved from the grammar workshops from the Muse Online Writer's Conference this year.

My question is, when does it end? Other writers are constantly saying I need to buy a certain grammar book. Hell, Warriner's gives a list of like, oh, I don't know, twenty?

If I buy every grammar boom on the planet and read them, I'll never read regular books and learn from the greats. I'll never give other new authors a chance, reading and reviewing their books for the mag I work for. Hell, I won't even have time to piss and shit!

I say get a couple, maybe a few, maybe five or six, but enough with the endless grammar books already!

2 comments:

  1. I hear you man. I have put off buying as many as I should. Honestly, we could study English forever. At the end of the day, you must be comfortable enough with your writing to write. How many books do you think it will take? I guess that it's subjective.

    Love your blog, by the way.

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  2. I have no idea, actually. I may think I have enough, then find out later I could've studied a little more. I'm going with six grammar books right now.

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