Spinning Yarns, Exclamation Marks and Proper Grammar

Well, it's been slow going and I'm far behind on my "Time" goal... but I believe I'm finally starting to gain some momentum. Takes some little time and effort to push past the dust and commotion in a muddled brain and put good words on a page.

I have two stories working. Buuuuut when I hit a box canyon with one I chose to swap over to the other series and keep on moving. That one, the Jeb Taylor series, seems to have grabbed some traction and be finally, gathering some speed.

I've found I don't take an easy breath until the story has finally caught traction in my head and begins to carry itself... and me... along.

All that comes in the face of some critical reviews the past few weeks. It seems some folks don't especially hold with what could be considered my odd emphasis and grammar. Funny... they still gave it four stars :)

You know... Cowboys tend to be excitable fellas... I'd warrant that if you recorded a conversation of a dozen of 'em compared to reg'lar folks... you'd HEAR a lot more exclamation marks! I consider my writing to be sort of a "Truth in Advertising" kind of a deal.

The thing is, I don't look at language as some static this-is-the-onliest-way-it-can-be sort of regimented science. Language has one and only one reason for being; To allow one fella to communicate what he's thinkin'... with another.

So... if that gets done, if the story gets told in a way my readers find entertaining... it don't make no lil' bit of a never mind to me if the commas are in the place dictated by an english teacher, or if I've got some part of a ciple danglin' some damn where. Ain't no cowboy ever knew what one of those was any damn way.

Now I 'spect that absolute precision is purty important when you're drawin' out the plans for a vee-hickle that's gonna fly some loco pilot to the moon and back... but... when ya'll are passin' on some cowboy's version of a difficulty he had in the high chaparral... with seven fellas that ain't got no better education than he's saddled with... good grammar would be a really dishonest way of tellin' the story.

Now that don't mean I'm against makin' things neater and cleaner for those that look for where the commas are at rather than reading the words... but if it seems to me that doin' such gets in the way of the proper feel and flavor of the tale... you'd be best to expect to find things arranged in a way that'll make your english teacher wiggle and squirm.

So, when the dust settles and the words hit the electronic shelf... since those that admire my particular way of spinnin' a yarn seem to outnumber the critical ones; and considering that even those that question some of the mechanics of my literary license claim they continued reading because the story held their attention... I believe I'll keep on keepin' on the way I been doin'.

Many Thanks for Reading My Stories!
Brian.