In Mary Duffy’s Toolbox for Writers we find a discussion of what the ‘comma splice’ punctuation sin is all about:

‘Comma splice occurs when a comma is placed between two clauses; the correct punctuation should use either a semicolon or a period. If the writer wishes to keep the comma, then it must be followed by a coordinating conjunction.

I brushed my teeth, I didn’t wash my face

Propose correction: I brushed my teeth; I didn’t wash my face’

All aspiring writers should learn this bit of information, for it is a grammatical sin that editors seldom forgive. Yet, how can editors justify Charles Dickens opening paragraph of his landmark novel Tales of Two Cities:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present…”

A dozen comma splices we find there! What is an acceptable explanation for this blasphemy in the temple of writing? And incidentally, besides the comma splice sin we also find an adverb-error: that ‘direct’ should be ‘directly’ since it is an adverb qualifying the verb ‘going.’

For writers, grammatical rules are strait jackets that must be discarded, if they aspire to be master writers. Why is that? Not because writers must be rebellious, nor innovators, much less creative path breakers, but because writers should consider that in writing there’s a higher good—art.

From freedom of expression comes elegance, from elegance comes precision, from precision comes economy of words, and from succinctness comes clarity, wholeness, brilliance, and harmony—which are the elements of fine art.

Charles Dickens euphonious chain of antitheses (binary oppositions) is fine art, and the grammar teachers and English purists can well be ignored for a higher good that is art creation.

So, for you aspiring writers: don’t let a comma splice inhibit your writing.

To become a writer I write every day. Since English is my second language, when I write articles I consult Mary Duffy’s Sentence Openers.

When writing a novel or short stories I consult Toolbox for Writers

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