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This has been driving me nuts in the Archive. I learned this rule as a ten year old kid so I now question WTH our kids are being taught. This comma makes all the difference in the world in a sentence. Let's demonstrate! "Let's eat, Grandma!" means that we want Grandma to put the grub on the table. "Let's eat Grandma!" means that we have suddenly become cannibals and Grandma IS the grub. A lowly comma, long neglected by lazy writers, completely changes the context! It also applies to terms of endearment or titles: "Yes, Master," murmured the slave. "Good night, my sweet," whispered the dom. If even one person changes their evil ways, I shall rejoice with dancing, dearies!

Or if they haven't managed to read an actual book? The sad part is that this is not limited to the younger members, either. There are a great many members old enough to have learned these rules, but who simply can't be bothered, or so it seems.

Agrees with Dany's rant. Folks, not taking the time to learn the rules of grammar, even the simplest ones, is insulting to the readers and sheer laziness on the part of the so-called authors who ignore them despite someone trying to explain them. Clambers down off soapbox, for now.

JayDee you knows their is sum body who just didnt get the sarcazm they're.

Pittwitch, it seems they can do so rather easily, unfortunately. After all, as one person stated, prose and screen-writing are identical forms and require no alternative means of formatting. Of course, that's complete bunk, but since the tripe is actually believed by someone, I'm quite certain that they also believe that using proper punctuation is neither wanted nor needed to communicate. Considering the frequent miscommunication that occurs in society at large, one would think that the finer points of language would be at the fore of what the educational system chooses to impart. Sadly, however, it does not seem to be so. I can tell you that I saw a story a few months ago that attributed lines to a character that, had they been spoken by that character, made no sense whatsoever. The faux pas was the result of bad punctuation, which, yes, I did point out to the author in a review. I shudder to think, though, that not only have the rules of grammar fallen to the wayside, but it also seems that broadening one's vocabulary is no longer considered a proper use of time. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've read the same phrase repeatedly within the same section of prose. It's not only irritating, it's boring. And, Bronx, surely you jest. Read a book? Why, there're movies to prevent that practice!

Bronxie! That was my next sticking point. Geez, how can anyone call themselves a writer if they totally ignore all the rules of writing?

I am ancient enough to remember all sorts of rules of grammar and punctuation that have gone by the wayside, it seems. Such as using a comma at the end of dialogue, before closing the quotation and appending attribution, a convention that is also mysteriously absent in the archive. Even if our children aren't actually being taught any of these things, there are numerous websites where one can self educate. Google is our friend. Failing that, one can real a book, an actual published book that has been printed and sold. It will be a revelation to see punctuation properly applied.

Heaven forbid, though, if we point out to someone that they make mistakes or need help. After all, this isn't a professional writing site and we shouldn't treat things in it as such. Or we hold the written word that people post to a standard of readability that doesn't want to make you spork your eyes out or you need a version of Babel Fish to figure out what was said. And, sorry, not buying the dyslexia excuse for poor writing either as I am one that suffers from it and i sure as heck don't put that kind of horribly written stuff out there! Sorry, all the excuses out there for poor writing are just that... excuses! There are ways to get help or fix it if you want to, most just think they don't have to bother. </rant> *goes back to hiding*

You are absolutely a writer, perhaps a writer of pornography, but a writer nonetheless. Plus, you do have a solid enough grasp of your native language to craft amazing tales. Yes, JayDee, you are a writer.

I actually don't know what I'm doing. Luckily I don't call myself a writer, I call myself a pornographer.

Your right, For all intensi've, purpose's I dont no wat Im doing theirs know {hope}.

If there is one thing I hate about a lot of yaoi-fanfiction (I prefer original m/m slash myself), it is when every single female in the story is a bitch or something. I've seen it so many times, again and again, and I've always found it sickening. I know that mostly young teen girls write it, which I view as ironic in a hypocritical sense, but that kind of a mentality seems rather unhealthy and jealous, even? I've had an instance when I was dating a girl back when I was a teenager, and after like 2 months she decided to show me a few of her stories. We had gotten together because we both liked art, and I do love drawing more than writing. What appalled me was that in all her stories EVERY SINGLE GUY was gay, and ALL the women were bitchy and/or antagonists. Why? How...? I know that stories don't ever have to be realistic, but still-- you want a sense of realism in a story anyway, right? Even in fantasy or science fiction, there are some laws that are kept in all stories, right? I just find that a world in which all females are angry horny bitches that try to turn males straight (because somehow all of them are gay, or maybe all the heterosexual men got eaten?) is just a waste of writing. I am sorry if this offends anyone, but really. :/ I do not mind it if there are sexist characters in a story, that is a character. That is their flaw. But when a story itself is sexist, that's just ... no. That's all it really is. Just, no. Then again, if there is a world where all the men are gay, I truly would not blame the females for being bitches. Hell, I'd be one of them. I mean, I have never, in all my life, come across a story in which all the woman in the world somehow were lesbians and all the men were abusive assholes that forced woman to be straight (I bet they'd all be rapists or something...!). If I wrote that I'd probably get my head beaten off for being such a sick person-- which makes me want to write one as a parody. I'd write it well, but make sure it's bad all the same. NOT that I agree with sexism against men either ... it's just not that common. And nooo I'm not talking about something a texan politician would write (no offense, but have you seen the attacks on planned parenthood? I may be Canadian, but thanks Obama for supporting woman, and stating that females are not an 'object of interest' <3 ). And for those who disagree with me, I do not see why females should be viewed as such. I am a female, I do not, and would never in my life, try to make a man straight to fuck me O______O;. BLAH, I guess that's ... all I have to rant about on that subject. PS. To be fair, I do know that most of the stories I'm talking about are written by teenagers.