The Best Writing Rule (totally based in fact, not opinion)

There are many rules and commandments to writing. Some useful, some intuitive, some frustrating. However, my favorite rule concerns punctuation, which is: “2/3rd’s rule, 1/3rd choice.”

…No I’m not talking about pro-choice here, people. Get your minds out of the politically-correct thinking gutter for a few minutes.

Simply, what that saying means is 2/3rd’s of all punctuation should be by the rule-book, but the other 1/3rd is left up to you – the writer. Sometimes, it’s not good to be a grammar nazi. Writing, or rather, good writing, is based on how it feels. Sometimes, the grammatically correct comma breaks the flow you as the writer want.

I can’t remember where this next example came from, but I read it in a book (a book about writing, duh) and it’s by some famous author whose fans will probably find me, torture me, and murder me for forgetting the guy’s/girl’s name.

…actually….I can’t remember the exact wording either. So maybe I’m safe from an ugly death for now.
How about I make my own example?

“The men relaxing on the couch puffed the last of their cigar, and they all went out to drink.”

I’m really not good at making examples. The other example I had in mind is much better. Anyway, can any of you see what’s weird about the sentence?

That extra comma. Grammatically, it is not necessary. If viewed from the stance of allowing the characters to snuff out their cigars, stand, and leave for the bar, it makes much more sense. This is what the author I mentioned did – he claimed it gave his characters time to stand, then do whatever-it-was-they-did. This is the 1/3rd choice.

Maybe it didn’t help the flow, or make it easier to read, but I think it gave the characters a bit more realism. After all, you don’t just finish smoking a cigar then find yourself teleported to a random bar…or at least, I hope not. If that does happen to you, you should probably see a therapist. Or a witch doctor.

So the next time a grammar-Nazi is getting onto you for using incorrect punctuation, just hold up a finger and say “No I meant to do that” and tell them punctuation is 2/3rd’s rule, 1/3rd choice – and that particular dangling modifier is totally legit. After you save your ego, go get an editor and make sure that nonsense is legible.
#BeSensible

– WordTechnician