Q

How does one balance intentional fragments in writing for a competition like this?  Fragments are a SPaG issue, but sometimes writing style demands it because not using fragments would make a piece seem stilted or awkward.

A

“Harry was gone. Dead.”

In this example, ‘dead’ is a sentence fragment. It’s grammatically incorrect because it lacks the necessary elements to make it a complete sentence (known as an independent clause).

“Harry was gone. He was dead.”

Both sentences in this example are independent clauses. The example is grammatically correct, but it doesn’t have the same effect as the first one.

Proper grammar can become the enemy of good writing when it’s rigidly upheld. But as with using a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so…) to start a sentence, all incorrect grammar should be used sparingly.

The point of breaking a writing rule is to create a certain effect. With sentence fragments, that effect is generally an emotional impact. However, the more often you break a rule, the less shocking it becomes.

Ask yourself what you hope to achieve with the fragment and if there’s another way of reaching that objective. 

If you decide that the fragment is necessary, you have to accept that certain people may disagree.