Being a Better Writer: Voice VS Grammar · 8:07pm Jun 10th, 2019
Welcome back readers! It’s Monday, and that means Being a Better Writer! So, our topic for today? We’re going to start off with a little quiz. Nothing complicated, just pick answer A or answer B.
The setup? Picture a man sitting alone in a train car. He’s alone in his berth, the other three seats unoccupied. He keeps glancing out the window. His leg is bouncing up and down in a rapid rhythm. His clothes are wrinkled, unkempt. He looks as though he may have missed his last shower. His fingers keep beating a nervous, staccato beat against the arm of his seat.
The door is open, and he jerks his eyes to it as a trolley stops in front of it. The man behind the trolley politely asks if the occupant would like anything.
The man in the berth opens his mouth and says—
Option A) “No, thanks.”
Option B) “No thanks.”
So, which option is correct?
Good article.
This gets even more complicated when you're doing first person.
My editors go nuts and I have to say, "It's the way this guy speaks."
You can see their hands going for the red pen, but then they pause and then reach again.