Q: When writing action scenes, do you focus on details or summarize?

Weak words are words that are lazy, or vague–the low-hanging fruit in your vocabulary. Don’t simply choose a word; choose the right word. 

When my husband started writing for publication, I had the unique opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at the writing process of another person. One of the things he struggled with was the specific handling of grammar when writing dialogue. I’ve seen several other of my writer friends struggle with this, so I thought I’d break down the basics here.

My name is Rebekah, and I’m a grammar nazi. There, I admitted it. I love language. I love when it’s used properly, and with elegance. Grammar is primarily intended to add clarity to words, and clarity is always a good thing. But… though it pains me to say it… sometimes good grammar isn’t necessary, or even the best choice.