My name is Trevann Rogers and I have comma issues.
There I said it. My challenges can be summed up in one word. Commas. Moreover, I'm an afficionado of the Shatner Comma as well as the Oxford comma.
With the first, it just makes sense to me that there should be a comma where I want the reader to pause. That pause can totally change the meaning of a sentence. It's really the only way to show inflection.The second is obvious as Eats Leaves and Shoots so aptly shows.
Despite owning several books dealing with grammar, and usually reading about commas several times during the editing process, I still seem to get them wrong. Fortunately, my editor still treats me kindly. Like I'm that quirky, outlandishly dressed second cousin who means well but never manages to hit the mark in terms of basic fashion.
I also have a penchant for leaving partial sentences when I rewrite a passage. Most of the time I catch them on the second go-round, but not always. I also do the opposite and leave out a crucial word when I change a sentence. I am an equal opportunity rewrite mangler. Except for commas most of my editing mistakes are carelessness. Since I know what I want to say, my mind fills in whatever should be there.
Fortunately, I'm lucky to belong to a writing group whose members excel at punctuation and haven't yet grown tired of catching those mistakes. With their help, I might have a chance at learning the comma rule. Then again, maybe, I won't.
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