…grammar is an ultra-micro component in the larger picture; it lies somewhere in the final steps of the editing trail; and as such it’s an overrated quasi-irrelevancy in the creative process, perpetuated into importance primarily by bitter nerds who accumulate tweed jackets and crippling inferiority complexes. But experience has also taught me that readers, for better or worse, will approach your work with a jaundiced eye and an itch to judge. While your grammar shouldn’t be a reflection of your creative powers or writing abilities, let’s face it — it usually is.
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“20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong” by John Gingerich
I like his perspective here. Grammar isn’t a crucial part of the creative process. It’s a finishing step, a refinement. However, when it comes to the finished product, poor grammar can sink your credibility with readers at an astonishing rate.
It’s like being impeccably dressed, but having a blob of ketchup dripping down the front of your shirt.
