Bad Punctuation
Wednesday Writing Weekly No #73
Bad punctuation can be annoying to readers, can cost a lot of money if you need to hire an editor, and can singlehandedly stop your book from getting published. A lot of you reading this might be thinking, well, of course! But what if I told you the sentiment of, “As long as it is a good story, the punctuation doesn’t matter,” is something I see all too often?
What does bad grammar or punctuation do to your book? Is it actually hurting it or is this something you can solve with a pros and cons list? Let’s dive into this topic.
What is Bad Punctuation?
When I say, “bad punctuation,” I mean incorrect as in, a mistake has been made. Not, “you are a bad writer.” Every writer at every level has either made these mistakes at one time or frequently makes them in early drafts to be later edited out. That’s okay and it’s a part of the process!
Common errors you can make while writing is not understanding how punctuation works properly. Here are some common mistakes, with links to either more of my articles explaining these rules or some of my favorite online resources if you need help on these topics.
Dialogue punctuation: Does the period or quotation marks come first? Do you capitalize the dialogue tag or is that a separate sentence?
Comma Placement: Overusing, missing, or misplacing commas can change the meaning of an entire sentence.
Dashes: There are dashes, em-dashes, en-dashes, and hyphens to use in a variety of different situations, each with their own set of rules.
These are just a few. If you find yourself unsure of any of the above ideas, follow their links to learn how to use that kind of punctuation! As an editor, these are some of the most common mistakes I see in my clients’ writing. As a writer, it’s something I used to have to fix in my own work.
How Does Bad Punctuation Hurt Your Work?
If you are still in the boat of bad punctuation doesn’t take away from a good story… here are some real effects bad punctuation can have on a work to keep in mind. As the author, it is your job to write something that your reader not only wants to read but is immersed in. If you fail at that, it’s on you, not the reader.
Bad Punctuation, whether a few mistakes or many can do the following…
It will pull the reader out of the story. It is disruptive!
Depending on the punctuation’s placement, incorrect punctuation can sometimes change a sentence’s entire meaning and confuse the reader.
Many mistakes not only looks but is unprofessional. You should be putting your best work out there. If not, why should you expect readers to buy or spend time reading your story?
Bad punctuation looks like no work has been done on the story. This is a major red flag because if a writer doesn’t bother to fix their little mistakes, what quality is the story as a whole going to be in?
Conclusion
Whether a story is “good” or “bad” is completely objective. But, if how a story is written and put together shows that it has not been edited or that the work was simply written and never improved upon presents a story that is not ready to be read yet. I don’t like calling stories “bad,” but rather, “not ready.” Every story, no matter what the writers’ struggles are or the typos inside them has the potential to be a “good story,” but it is up to the writer to take their time and put in the work it takes to get their story there. Writers should not be blaming readers for being “stuck up” if they don’t want to read something with typos in it. Instead, put the focus on your work and work to improve it.
Editing is a long and tough road, but it is something worth pursuing!