EPISODE 109: Grammar as a Craft Choice with Patty McGee
Way-Word Writers Podcast · Way-Word Writers
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (api.substack.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Hosts Heather Cashman, Stephanie Bearce, and Nicki Jacobsmeyer welcome nationally recognized grammar expert Patty McGee, author of “Feedback That Moves Writers Forward” and “Not Your Granny’s Grammar,” to discuss grammar as a tool for clarity, intention, and voice rather than rigid rules. McGee explains why grammar feels scary due to shame-based schooling and “grammar police” culture, and emphasizes learning key sentence structures (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) to shape rhythm and meaning. She advises that grammar focus during drafting depends on a writer’s fluency, highlights comma splices as a common issue, downplays strict comma-before-conjunction rules, and encourages intentional rule-breaking—especially in dialogue—based on audience and purpose. The group discusses distractions like repetitive punctuation errors, AI’s conflicting guidance, knowing oneself before critique, and trusting candid readers and copy editors, then closes with a lightning round on Oxford commas, fragments, adverbs, and starting sentences with conjunctions.
00:00 Welcome to Way-Word
00:32 Meet Patty McGee
01:38 Why Grammar Feels Scary
03:58 Rules vs Voice
06:22 Four Sentence Types08:30 Drafting or Revising
09:48 Comma Splices and Commas
15:00 Grammar as Paintbrush
16:38 Authors vs Copy Editors
18:41 Grammar Distractions in Queries
21:50 Where Rules Came From
23:52 AI Grammar Anxiety
25:00 Know the Basics
26:00 Writing Voice Choices
26:57 Audience and Genre Rules
29:01 When to Let Go
31:04 Lightning Round Grammar
36:08 Professional vs Personal
36:55 Where to Find Patty
37:22 Final Thanks and Outro
Go to Patty McGee’s website here!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit waywordwriters.substack.com