#shameless princess bride cadence at the end there

[emilianadarling]

34 and 35 for the writer asks?

Thanks so much for asking!!! TWO MORE I THINK TWO MORE ASKS LEFT WITH QUESTIONS AHH

Weird Questions for Writers (because writers are weird)

34. Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

STRONGLY POSITIVE STRONGLY POSITIVEEEE. The style guide for my place of work does NOT include the Oxford comma and it kills me lol, I'm constantly sneaking it into internal documents where I can for that sweet sweet clarity.

As a youth, I was perhaps-too-aggressively into grammar and punctuation to the point of snobbery. I'm over that by and large, but still do feel that punctuation are the road signs that help us navigate sentences and stories. The Oxford comma is wonderful for this.

A book I did enjoy a lot in my formative years that discusses this is Eats, Shoots & Leaves. I haven't re-read it in ages, so not sure how it holds up, but it was a favourite for a long time for sure.

'who knew being a grammar nerd could be so much fun' lmao lmao, the early 2000s were a different time.

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens?

I answered this one previously, but I'll give another one!!

Not smithereens, per se, but I do think there are nuances to the old "write what you know" adage. In some ways, yes, absolutely. Draw on what you know and find rhymes and echoes of your own emotions and experiences that you can channel into your creations.

But limiting yourself too strictly to "write what you know" can also be restrictive, in a sense -- and can in a way disincentivize the act of trying to imagine and depict other worlds that don't exist, or to attempt to put yourself in another person's shoes. Draw on what you know, but don't limit yourself to what you know. Being willing to explore, learn, and imagine new things into existence can be one of the truest joys of writing. It would be a shame to deprive yourself of it entirely. <3