Punctilious punctuation in this stream of consciousness (sorry, couldn’t resist). Sounds like you’ve had a bad experience with the grammar Nazis somewhere along the line – of course content is the most important thing, and intentional errors \ subversive grammar is nearly always creative. But if it’s simply bad, it can be detrimental.

Always worth getting those stories out of your head and into the outside world though?

I haven’t personally dealt with the grammar nazis; however, I have been put off by reading an amazing story and seeing that the comments are centered around comma splices and other mundane criticisms. Of course poor grammar can be distracting, but that’s when it’s truly poor and not just nit-picky nonsense.

I personally hold the structure of writing in high esteem, and am carefully avoiding the affront you have presented to us. I encourage most new or young users to improve grammar and formatting to better their ability to communicate the stories and ideas they wish to share.

Derisive as you may feel toward these things, that structure is the inherent purpose of communication.

Having said this, I also like to let stories flow freely within my imagination, especially when I am falling asleep. That’s where my best ideas come from. Still, there is no perfection in formless conjecture. It must solidify into words, be mined and refined until the truest, purest meaning can be conveyed to readers.

As someone studying to be an opera singer, I have to commend you for putting this thought down in words. With any creative art you first learn a technique- and then you have to learn to break it just a little.

It takes courage to challenge conventions, especially conventions as root level as grammar. Thank you for this!