Kris Spisak
author of Get a Grip on Your Grammar and The Novel Editing Workbook
Kris Spisak wrote her first book, Get a Grip on Your Grammar: 250 Writing and Editing Reminders for the Curious or Confused (Career Press, 2017), with a goal to help writers of all kinds sharpen their craft and empower their communications. Her “Words You Should Know” podcast and “Grammartopia” events follow the same mission, as does her latest book, The Novel Editing Workbook: 105 Tricks and Tips for Revising Your Fiction Manuscript (Davro Press, 2020). A former college writing instructor, having taught at institutions including the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, Kris is now an active speaker, workshop leader, and freelance fiction editor. She is the board chair of James River Writers and is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Virginia Writers Club, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
Me: Tell us about Get a Grip on Your Grammar.
Kris: So many people think about “grammar” and “revising your work” as something painful. Memories take over–painful English classes with desperately tedious teachers, red ink scribbled all over writing after you’d worked hard, or “grammar police” (dare I say “grammar nazis”?) that call out every little mishap and typo. But language is powerful. What is more important than human communication, spreading our ideas, stories, and truths with other human beings? Get a Grip on Your Grammar was written because, no matter who you are and what you do, a strong command of the English language is not only helpful; it’s world-changing. And who said that discussing language use had to be dull? The tone is playful and personal. It’s intentionally casual, so it’s not only accessible but also–hopefully–an entertaining read.
The funny thing about Get a Grip on Your Grammar, though, is that it didn’t originate as a book idea. It began as a writing tips blog, which I started back in 2012. I wanted to dig in and discuss language use in a way I hadn’t seen before. Only when that blog started to gain a popularity far beyond my expectations did I consider where the project might go. I’m proud to say that the blog is still going. I actually just passed my 400th post, and it’s now evolved into a podcast as well. I’ve loved connecting with readers of Get a Grip on Your Grammar, readers of my blog, and subscribers to my language tips and trivia newsletter, because, again, isn’t connecting with others through our language the entire point? That’s worth some time and attention in my opinion.
Me: When and how was your interest in grammar sparked?
Kris: My favorite place to spend my time has always been those areas where the right brain and left brain meet, where the creative meets the analytical, where the logical meets the imagination. Grammar is the puzzle that so many creatives overlook, thinking someone will help them with that step later, but a strong command of the English language with all of its subtleties is essential for any storyteller who wants to captivate an audience. Typos and confused commas tossed about like confetti are simply too distracting.
My love of grammar came to be, perhaps, when I had the realization that the English language is so much more complex and fascinating and beautiful and nonsensical at times than I ever gave it credit for. We are taught so much in school, but none of us are experts in grammar after that. A study of history, etymology, and present-day stylebooks brings us closer, but it’s a quest of sorts. My quest has led me to the fact that the word “go” hijacked its past tense from the old word “wend,” and that Ben Franklin once proposed that we strike down the old alphabet and create a new American version. “Imbed” and “embed” have been having a popularity contest that has been going back and forth for centuries. “Soccer” is actually a word of British, not American, origins. Words are absolutely fascinating. Who doesn’t love a quest story? Knowing English grammar is only the beginning.
Me: What advice do you have for changing the mindset of people who’ve been scarred by too many red pens?
Kris: Oh, I feel you, though admittedly, I sought out the most notoriously difficult English professors in college, because I thought it would be a fun challenge. I absolutely recognize that my idea of “fun” here might not be everyone else’s. But like anything else when it comes to editing, those red pens should have been used to elevate your potential, not to tear down your confidence. Powerful editing, whether self-editing or editing with assistance from a teacher or an editorial partner, can enable any communication to become stronger. Anything can be edited, and everything should be. If editing makes you cringe, conquer that fear. Realize the power in it. Realize that your words, no matter what they may be, can strike with passion, brilliance, revolution, and/or resolution, if you only are willing to put a bit of elbow grease into the effort.
Me: What grammar rule do you think people have the most difficulty with and what tips do you have to help them better understand it?
Kris: There are so many language choice subtleties I wish more people understood, from knowing that there’s a difference between “uninterested” and “disinterested” to knowing whether they should teach their dog to “lay” or “lie” down to understanding whether the expression is “besides the point” or “beside the point.” However, the one punctuation mark that is misunderstood more than any other is the semicolon. It’s correctly used in so many ways beyond the winky face, though I suppose even “emoticons” are outdated as compared to “emojis.”
Long story short, semicolons are not just emphatic commas. They are used to separate what would otherwise be complete sentences. Or, they could separate items in a complicated list, such as a list that already has other commas within it (e.g., Kris’s books include Get a Grip on Your Grammar, an Elements of Style for the Twitter generation; The Novel Editing Workbook, a hands-on resource for spit-polishing your fiction to a shine; and The Family Story Workbook (forthcoming), a step-by-step guide for capturing your family’s history, generation by generation).
Knowing the difference between “e.g.” and “i.e.” might be next on the list of where people need a bit of help, but we’ll save that for another day–though it’s absolutely covered in Get a Grip on Your Grammar.
Me: What other writing-related services do you provide?
Kris: Beyond my books, I work as a freelance fiction editor, helping storytellers elevate their solid manuscripts to manuscripts that actually meet and surpass the vision they once held in their minds. I’ve been honored to work with authors who have gone on to gain literary agents and major New York publisher book deals, as well as award-winning indie authors who have made their mark on the literary world. I really do have the best job in the world, diving into stories and helping creatives empower themselves and their next steps in their careers. All of my work, from my own books to my fiction editing to the writing and editing workshops that I frequently teach, have that singular mission.
Want to hear from more experts? Check out Zibby Owens‘ interview on finding more time to read books.
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