I've been told I should use more contractions in my writing - something my formal, old fashioned schooling seems to rebel against.
Is 'd'you' as in 'do you' acceptable ? even grammatically correct?
I've seen it in published books, I suppose it's okay in dialogue - but it grates on me I seem to have a lot of do you's in my novel and I'm thinking should I change them ?
Help! Any thoughts on the subject gratefully received ?
I agree with Paul, oh to hear those words from an enthusiastic publisher: "we'll publish but you've got to lose those darned contractions!" :-)
I agree with Mark on this, it is how the reader understands what is being said. It is very easy to think about rules, but language changes as we develop as humans, we don't use f for s anymore or thee and thou, unless of course it is in context. My only issue about this contraction debate is what the agent thinks,and subsequently should one be lucky enough to get as far as a publisher what their view is. I suppose if the story is good enough to get that far the publisher will say "rewrite and remove the contractions." If only!
Regards Paul.
I've always believed that if your mind starts to analyse what's written down in front of you then the writer has failed.
Good writing should flow almost to the point that it seems like someone is speaking the words in front of you. If you constantly go back and reread a sentence to gain what it is trying to convey then it does not flow.
Whilst appreciating different people read in different ways (i.e. a teenage may like fast-flowing streetwise dialog, whilst someone who enjoys historical novels may like slightly more archaic words), the words still have to flow, the sentences must make sense, the paragraphs have to progress the story and the chapters must lead the reader along the story pathway to a satisfying conclusion.
I guess what I'm saying is - in my view - the reader is the most important aspect of writing - if our writing doesn't please the reader then I guess we've failed as writers.