Is it okay to write badly on purpose? | Writer Questions #6

Writer: Is it ever OK to deliberately write poorly, as long as it serves a function of the story? I have a character who, throughout the story, has their memory altered to forget certain events, or to influence their perception. From a critic's perspective, it would seem as though the character just isn't written well; they don't react the way a normal character would given their circumstances, except that's intentional on my part. Flowers for Algernon did something similar, I remember, with its main character's speech changing over the course of the story. The MC's dialogue, in the beginning, has poor spelling/grammar, but it's OK because the story allows for this. In Flowers for Algernon it's easy to accept the poor grammar and spelling because we, as readers, know it's a part of the story up front. Is this OK? Can poor writing be excused by the plot? What about if the plot requires it to be kept secret? Can it be conveyed in other ways that something is amiss, and the writer is aware, so that the reader doesn't just think it's poorly written?

Dear Writer,

You haven't explained what you mean by "deliberately writing poorly," which makes it difficult to understand what exactly it is you are asking. The example you provided from Flower for Algernon suggests using typography and intentional deviation from standard English (E.E. Cummings, Cormac McCarthy) to communicate odd thinking from a character. I would advise you to tread carefully and to avoid the mimetic fallacy: It does not follow that if you write chaotically you will convey chaos.

That said, anything can work if it interests readers...which explains why bad books (from a craft perspective) become bestsellers. The bottom line issue in any craft-related question is: There is an exception to every "rule"—provided you do a good job.

Give it a try and see what people say in critiques. If you receive consistently negative feedback, that will help answer the question of whether or not you've done a good job. Provided this is the case, dial back and stick to the fundamentals until you develop the skill and instinct to deviate from the norms of modern English.

Best,

DRM