Living, reading, writing and working in Kansas, I have upcoming appearances in Tales of the Talisman, Aoife's Kiss, and Scifaikuest. So far my nearest brush with success was an honorable mention for poetry in the 18th Annual Best of Fantasy and Horror. I have several major projects in the works so keep watching!

Daniel is also the author of Transitive Verbs: Language in Motion, which was also published on Byzarium.

“Using language may be compared to riding a horse;
much of one’s success depends upon an understanding
of what it can and will do.”
- Richard Weaver, The Ethics of Rhetoric

My bass teacher, in an effort once to encourage me to learn how to read music, reminded me of my studies in English and creative writing.

“Imagine a writer without a true understanding of the rules of grammar of the language they write in; the difference between a musician who works, and a guy who maybe plays in a band but winds up paying to exercise his craft-- even if it’s just gas money to get to the gig-- is the ability to read music,” he said.

As I started to examine my own writing earlier this year, seeking ways to improve, my bass teacher’s words kept ringing in my ears, and when I came across the Richard Weaver quote that precedes this article, I understood why.

Just as success upon a musical instrument can be determined by understanding what the instrument ‘can and will do’, success in writing demands more than just a rudimentary knowledge of grammar. A writer must be aware of what language ‘can and will do’, and once one accomplishes that they can begin to command language, just as a musician with a thorough knowledge of the theory behind their instrument is in command of the sound they produce.

Again, to quote Richard Weaver:

“A language has certain abilities or even inclinations which the user can draw into the service of their own rhetorical efforts.”

Embracing the study of grammar, and integrating that study as a component of your writing should be a never ending process, just as the musician is constantly seeking new ways to express new musical ideas each time they pick up their instrument. And just as the virtuoso musician never stops practicing the basics (scales! scales! scales!) in order to improve upon their ability to perform what they already know even better, writers should constantly review the basics of grammar to reinforce the skills they already have. As skill and confidence in familiar turf grow, just like a musician you can find yourself ‘stretching out’ or ‘reaching beyond’ your current level of skill.

As your knowledge of language increases and you begin to utilize certain grammatical structures, you might find yourself creating richer detail and developing your ideas even more as you start to produce more complex sentences.

Yet, even with the obvious advantages that an in-depth study of grammar offers, most people, even writers, approach the study of grammar with trepidation.

The anxiety seemed amplified for me personally as non-traditional student back in the class room after fifteen years and I approached grammar as something I hoped and prayed I could pass. Now, in retrospect, this is perhaps my biggest regret concerning my belated education.

Grammar is more than a set of rules that govern the exercise of writing-- grammar is the system by which we create and produce sentences, as well as interpret sentences.

Why is this important? Because in language, words represent symbols; words, strung together in a systematic fashion, formulate sentences, and sentences represent concepts. For writers, grammar is the system that allows us to apply these concepts to our interpretation of the world around us.

More importantly, as writers, grammar is the tool that allows us to express ourselves.

But how do we study grammar? Short of taking classes, diving into old textbooks is a great place to start. Used book stores are full of them-- and many of those college texts that you only skimmed and can only sell back for a dollar or two, take it from me, hold on to those.

You won’t regret it.

Of course, there is no better way to study good grammar than by studying the great writers. Masters of language, in any literary vein, are not only a joy to read but for those with patience and an analytical eye, the words of the greats have much to teach us. Science fiction is particularly blessed with many masterful users of language-- LeGuinn, Card, Sturgeon, Dick, and Octavia Butler (just to name a few).

Another good way to study grammar, in my opinion, and I think many would agree, is to study a foreign language. Immersing yourself in another language can only increase your familiarity with your own language as well as your understanding of how language works in general.

And every writer should have at least a few grammar books handy. My personal favorites include The Little Red Writing Book, by Brandon Royal and published by Writer’s Digest Books, and of course Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. For the particularly grammar-phobic, The Transitive Vampire and Woe Is I, come highly recommended.

Something else to keep in mind is that for writers, good grammar equals professionalism. As a writer, literacy is your number one credential-- every submission is a resume.

And perhaps, more importantly, good grammar and the mastery of language that follows is the key for writers who sell stories to Asimov’s or Interzone as opposed to writers, such as myself, frustrated by their inability to break out of the small presses. Someone who, even if it’s just postage and ink, is paying to exercise his craft.

But, now we that we have the key perhaps we can unlock that door…