Quote:
Originally Posted by hidari
People never seem to notice my commas or full stops when I am speaking.
Arbitrary rules that everyone in said language agrees to follow because some rich men back in the day made a "correct" way to write in said language, fine. However, Anal retentiveness does have its limits.
I am sure a novel will not die on one grammar mistake.
Below is an example where commas can make a difference, but in a novel....who cares:
Politicians who tell lies should be despised.
Politicians, who tell lies, should be despised
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As a novelist, I care.
Commas not only provide clarity, they also illustrate character. When you're writing from the point of view of a particular character, you have to develop a voice for that character. The use of commas, particularly the "optional" ones, is a way to capture the rhythm of their thoughts and when done properly helps distinguish scenes written in the point of view of one character from those in that of another.
Commas also help in pacing; you can use them not only to slow down an introspective scene, but when you minimize your usage you can increase the urgency as well as pace of a scene.
They do a lot of work in fiction, and any novelist who cares about the craft pays attention to commas. Readers may not pay as much explicit attention, but if the writer didn't use them appropriately, they will notice that things aren't working.