: Re: Commas at the beginning of a sentence: should I follow convention or intuition? An example from my own writing (Mother and daughter are burying their deceased dog): As planned that Friday,

@Sent2472441

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Late to the party, but I disagree with promoting unwavering adherence to the formal grammar rules forced upon us in schools.

But I agree with the sentiment to let your ear be your guide.

Schools have to teach a basic, abstract style that will serve most people. And that arrangement is perfect for people who are not particularly creative, but who are great at following rules. That system is, however, toxic for the creative and the talented. So I would encourage you to find your own style.

The heuristic I follow is simple: If the sentence is short I consider omitting commas. But for longer sentences, omitting commas tends to damage either the meaning or the rhythm, so I find it's best to keep them.

Applying my approach to your sentences, I'd say #1 (As planned that Friday,) and #2 (Finally,) should keep their commas, and #3 (After that) is improved by omitting it. Although I say that thinking #3 is too "flowery". You'll deliver a better punch with a #3 like this:

After that we stood there. Silent. Just looking at the grave. I felt strange.

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