Grammar vs. Story Telling

What's more important, excellent grammar or being able to tell a great story?

 

A great story, but you can't have a great story without good grammar. No one is going to hang with something clumsy for long.

I know the Dimmesdales here will immediately shout about Hemingway, as they often do, but that's an exception, rather than a rule.

 

Grammar is more important. It is a basic foundation of storytelling.

By grammar, incidentally, I'm not talking about term paper style and not using contractions. I'm not talking about vague cliches.

 

I guess I'd say grammar. People won't read much of a great story if the first sentence is something like: "The interwebz were abuzzin' 'bout da first time Jonny Doe thruw a touchdown!"

As journalism shifts toward fewer copy editors and more immediate posting, you'll need to produce clean copy while telling good stories, too.

 

I'd fuck storytelling, marry grammar and kill punctuation.