"Conjunction Junction, what's your func..."

Max has taken a new interest in writing.

He writes constantly.

Sometimes, I can't get him to go to bed because he has "one more sentence" to get down on paper.

I love it.

However, while at his parent/teacher conference this week, the teacher explained to me how she is always reminding him that in his writing, he cannot begin the sentence with the word AND.

I immediately sat up and nodded my head and pretended to agree.

In case you haven't noticed, I do this a lot.

I begin sentences with AND.

I know the rules. Mom was an English teacher/grammar Nazi, remember.

I just like it. I like the way it flows and I hate long, wordy, run-on sentences!

And...(for example) rules of writing change. Using conjunctions to begin a sentence is becoming more acceptable, particularly in informal writing.

Sometimes, I'll even throw in a BUT to start a sentence. I'm crazy like that.

Would I use it on a resume' or in an email to my boss? No.

Will I continue to do it here? Absolutely.

But, I guess that for the sake of his educational record, I should discourage my young Hemingway from using the AND in a more creative and pleasant-sounding fashion.

In time, he will learn that a good writer can bend the rules of grammar without appearing to be an idiot. (Please just spell correctly, because that sin in nearly unforgivable!).