Quote:
Originally Posted by bookfiend
One thing that people forget about writing is that it depends on a set of tools; we give these the general name of "language." And, just as we'd be unhappy with a surgeon who didn't know how to use a scalpel, or a mechanic who couldn't tell one wrench from another, there's no reason to be satisfied with a writer who doesn't know how to use vocabulary or punctuation....So it's not a matter of being a snob; for me, it's the decision to not read books by someone who doesn't know how to use the tools of his trade.
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I'm not sure I entirely agree.
I'm not in a position to judge whether a surgeon wields a scalpel with an impressive flourish or not - I judge them on the outcome of their work, not how they achieved it.
If a writer creates a (for me) gripping story, with fascinating characters inhabiting a fully realised world; I don't care how many 'rules' they broke to do it.
(I'm not claiming that Dan Brown achieved that as far as I'm concerned.)