I still write letters; on paper.
I write with a fountain pen and cannot resist a beautiful notebook. I’ve been writing my whole life and, while I love the ease of technology, there are some pitfalls to it.
I write with a fountain pen and cannot resist a beautiful notebook. I’ve been writing my whole life and, while I love the ease of technology, there are some pitfalls to it.
I abhor texting. If I have to text you more than six times, I will phone you.
Got a quick message? Great, spell it out. Want to have a conversation? Don’t make me type. I can think and speak faster and I don’t have to delete and rewrite my thoughts several times to make sure my grammar and punctuation are correct.
And yes, I will judge you on your use of U R Gr8.
I asked for a Kobo or Nook last Christmas, but after looking at them briefly, I realized it wasn’t going to work for me. I like the smell of books, the fact that you can read them in the bath, that accomplishment of closing the back cover. I ruminate on the choice of colours and fonts on the cover, vying for attention on store shelves.
Facebook is a huge timesaver when trying to reach someone or to keep up with the comings and goings of those you care about, but damned if it doesn't drive me figuratively (and maybe a little literally) insane when I read; “My daughter done some good on her report card.”
My hands fly above my head and my mouth opens and something insulting (Like, “How do you talk to that child and how can they possibly receive a report home that shows any level of competence with the English language with you as a parent?”) comes pouring out of my mouth.
All this is to say that technology is amazing, incredible, elegant in its own way; but also total and complete rubbish in how it’s hurt our use of the English language.
Add that to the dialects and accents in Newfoundland and Labrador, and you've got a social media mess sending people like me running for the hills.
What’s a writer to do about it? Offer the greatest piece of advice ever uttered … read it out loud before you hit send.
Honestly, this has been a tried and true method for me for years, whether I’m testing out the flow of an article, to see whether I've achieved the voice of the person I’m ghostwriting for, or even just to make sure I’ve put commas and periods where they need to be.
Your brain picks up more grammatical errors like run-on sentences, comma splices, and misused words this way.
You will be surprised how much better your writing is as a result of just talking to yourself like a crazy person.
Next I'll talk about those words you never seem to get right and give you list to remember which ones work well and why.
Got a quick message? Great, spell it out. Want to have a conversation? Don’t make me type. I can think and speak faster and I don’t have to delete and rewrite my thoughts several times to make sure my grammar and punctuation are correct.
And yes, I will judge you on your use of U R Gr8.
I asked for a Kobo or Nook last Christmas, but after looking at them briefly, I realized it wasn’t going to work for me. I like the smell of books, the fact that you can read them in the bath, that accomplishment of closing the back cover. I ruminate on the choice of colours and fonts on the cover, vying for attention on store shelves.
Facebook is a huge timesaver when trying to reach someone or to keep up with the comings and goings of those you care about, but damned if it doesn't drive me figuratively (and maybe a little literally) insane when I read; “My daughter done some good on her report card.”
My hands fly above my head and my mouth opens and something insulting (Like, “How do you talk to that child and how can they possibly receive a report home that shows any level of competence with the English language with you as a parent?”) comes pouring out of my mouth.
All this is to say that technology is amazing, incredible, elegant in its own way; but also total and complete rubbish in how it’s hurt our use of the English language.
Add that to the dialects and accents in Newfoundland and Labrador, and you've got a social media mess sending people like me running for the hills.
What’s a writer to do about it? Offer the greatest piece of advice ever uttered … read it out loud before you hit send.
Honestly, this has been a tried and true method for me for years, whether I’m testing out the flow of an article, to see whether I've achieved the voice of the person I’m ghostwriting for, or even just to make sure I’ve put commas and periods where they need to be.
Your brain picks up more grammatical errors like run-on sentences, comma splices, and misused words this way.
You will be surprised how much better your writing is as a result of just talking to yourself like a crazy person.
Next I'll talk about those words you never seem to get right and give you list to remember which ones work well and why.