I was thinking... dangerous I know but...
We are always vigilant for bad grammar in stories, also annoying phrases, innacuracies and all sorts of bad things. But what about dialogue?
To use just one example
What if a character says... "Look this just isn't good enough. I mean is just isn't is it? It's just..." Now usually I would try to avoid the word just if I could because... well it's just annoying isn't it. But what if my character uses the word a lot. I often base what my characters say on what people I know and hear say. It depends on the character but there are times when they just have to use it.
Or what about characters who are plain and simple. They wouldn't use 'correct' words. They wouldn't say... that was simply not correct. They would say... that's just not right.
One of my pet peeves is a character who is supposed to be grand and formal using slang, or a person who is simple or quirky or 'street' using stiff and formal language and words. You have to write to your character
So what if your characters don't speak as proper as what you does?
if you were reading a story and came across bad grammar in dialogue, would you condemn the story or recognise it for what it is... the way the character would speak?
Thoughts ??