Writer’s Matrix Point #2 may seem so obvious as to be ridiculous. It is “G” for . . . drum roll, please, Grammar. Let us writers embrace the notion that we are the carriers of the flag. If we don’t pay attention to grammar as the key to the language, then who else will? Grammar mistakes should be anathema to the professional writer; indeed, to anyone who values words, thought, and clarity. If the grammar is wrong, the point is lost. So I recommend that anyone who can’t immediately identify the parts of speech, much less can’t say for sure how many of these nettlesome things there are, put your pen down. Turn off your word processor. Stop trying to write right now! You’re trying to build a house without knowing how to use a hammer.
G — Grammar
Get your hands on a primer on the English language and read it through. Memorize it, in fact. Then read Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style and read it again. If writing is going to be your life’s work, you have to make yourself the ultimate arbiter of le mot juste. Get comfortable with words like noun, verb, adjective, adverb, infinitive. Know and immediately recognize the difference between the active and the passive voices (see Matrix Point #1, “P”). Identify antecedents correctly. Stop dangling your modifiers. Make your subjects agree with your verbs. All of this nuts and bolts stuff must become part of your DNA if you want to be a writer. So if I’m reading one of your manuscripts and you see a big “G” around a circled phrase, you know you’ve flunked a question from English IA, and this should never happen to a serious, much less a professional, writer.
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Hi, John!
I just finished reading “Damage.” What a gripping story, with turns and twists every few pages to keep me reading into the night. This was the tenth of your books I’ve read, all great. I look forward to repeat visits with Abe Glitsky, Dismas Hardy, and their cohorts. I hadn’t much cared for Wes Ferrell until this book. Thanks for helping me know him better.You realy made Sheila Marrenas into a monster we could dislike immensly. I was so pleased when Jeffrey Elliot was given the opportunity to set the facts in order.
I love the way you incorporate the San Francisco area into your stories. Our daughter lives in Cupertino, and we have often visited areas you mention. We drive through San Bruno on the way to the airport. We love Half Moon Bay. I have a cousin in Mountain View and friends in Sunnyvale. We love crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and driving through the Presidio. The use of these landmarks really helps us feel rooted in your stories. We agree that the beach is too cold for swimming, so we take a kite and dress warmly.
I carry your book list in my wallet and look forward to finding more of your great books. Thanks for the invitation to correspond with you.
Best,
Bill