The Writer 03.2020

6 | The Writer • March 2020

ASK THE WRITER

In my current story, my grammar check keeps adding “and” before some of my

sentences that include “then.” For example: “We took off, then he called.” It

happens a lot with this narrator. When I add the “and,” the sentence sounds

wrong. Is there another way to deal with this?

Not every character’s voice is grammatically

correct. As a fiction writer, this puts you in a

position where you have to make a choice: stay

true to the guidelines of grammar or stay true

to your character’s voice. And, as you note,

those additions of “and” make a difference.

Sometimes, as a fiction writer, you achieve

authenticity and develop character at the

expense of grammar.

That being said, such choices shouldn’t be

made lightly. First, make sure you must make

the choice. You might consider the sentence

construction that leads to your question. You

mention it happens often with this narrator. Is

that an authentic aspect of the narrator’s voice?

Does the repetition of that construction add to

the individuality or distinctiveness of the voice?

If you’re not sure, you might experiment with

other possibilities so that the repetition isn’t as

prevalent. Voice should be constructed carefully.

Consider, too, the dynamic that sentence con-

struction creates. Is there a connection between

the events – in this case, the leaving and the call-

ing? Does your choice support that? Notice the

subtle but different emphasis with this change:

“Figures he’d call when we took off.”

All this is to say, don’t be unnecessarily bound

by grammar and don’t use this freedom as an

excuse to avoid going deeper into characteriza-

tion, voice, and the possibilities of language.

—Brandi Reissenweber teaches fiction writing and reading

fiction at Gotham Writers Workshop.

• An inanimate object in your house
  has developed the power to commu-
  nicate but only in the form of haiku.
  What’s the object, and what haiku
  would it send you?


• If you could rewrite the ending of any
  work of literature, which would it be?
  How would it end differently? (Be
  specific – and if time permits, write
  the final scene as you envision it.)


• Take three things you see on your
  morning commute and try to incorpo-
  rate them into a short story or poem
  at lunchtime.

Short on time and inspiration this month? No matter when (or where) you can

squeeze in a bit of writing time, these quick-hitting exercises are here to help:

• If you were to play 20 Questions with
  your protagonist, what would you
  ask? How would she answer? How
  would the game change if you played
  it with your antagonist?


• What’s on the list of things your char-
  acter would never, ever leave the
  house without?


• If you could add a fifth season to the
  year, what would it be and why?
  What would the weather be like?
  What holidays would we celebrate?
  How would it affect the other
  seasons?

WRITING PROMPT: Creativity on the go

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