According to a new article by AP writer Jill Lawless, Jane Austen was not a schoolmarmish grammarian. We all know how many of her books have been read and lovingly reread. So for all writers (myself included) whose eyes glaze over at the term “past participle” or who quiver as chalk scratches the blackboard underlining verbs as sentences are diagrammed, you can stop slouching in the back of your writing class and stand tall. You are not a fake. Even Jane Austen loved dialogue more than past participles.

Her story also shows how an editor/writer team can work together to shape a novel and craft a writer’s image. Some may argue that Austen’s original prose was superior to the subsequent polished works. There’s no way to go back and undo history. The books sold. Readers swooned. Years of adoration dubbed them masterpieces. Isn’t that the goal? Who can say which version is better?

Writers, stop biting your pencil tops over whether Owen was sleeping or letting sleeping dogs lie. Only fools trust talking dogs anyway.

Read more about Ms. Austen at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101023/ap_en_ot/eu_britain_jane_austen