On Wed, 13 Dec 1995, Brett Handy wrote:

Well - I agree... but I was talking about the 'mechanical' things (ie: 
spelling, punctutation etc) - that kind of correction does not really 
help a person become a better writer...  comments on plot, characters, 
etc are what I think the ML should be about - that way it doesn't seem 
like a bunch of 'proof readers' are reading the stuff posted, rather than 
intelligent, constructive critics... (although I wonder sometimes :) 
(although *I* don't object to getting help with some of the mechanics, 
just don't bother everyone else with it :)

	I sort of have to disagree here, actually.  Quite a few of the 
stories posted here are obscured by bad spelling, poor punctuation and 
generally substandard usage.  The fun stuff -- plot, characterization, 
and the like are, IMHO, dramatically enhanced by writers who are 
comfortable with their language.  Similarly, what might have been a great 
story is reduced considerably by deficient mechanics.  
	I can't claim to have perfect - or even nearly perfect - 
mechanics in my own writing, but I do care a great deal about any lack of 
clarity ... particularly stemming from oversights on my part.  I've 
always been _most_ flattered, and amazed, by those few who have taken the 
time to actually read my stories in enough detail to comment upon grammar 
and style, as well as general plot issues.  I feel both honored and 
humbled by unsolicited line-by-line critiques and proofs of my work.  
	Even a cursory examination of any sort of body of literature will 
reveal that great works are just as much about masterful execution as 
they are about novel and interesting ideas.  The plots and premises of 
any story on this list could probably be _readily_ summarized in the space 
of a paragraph, and yet most span dozens - if not hundreds - of pages.  

	The magic happens in the space between the paragraph and the
volume.  The contitutive elements of that magic are the pedantic, 
silly grammatical points which drive us all mad.  After all -- even if 
we're writing prose instead of poetry, every word counts.

CHL