Spoken vs Written Words
When we write, we do not have the audio or visual cues that are available when we speak. We don’t have tone, inflection, body language, volume, or emotion. We can’t cover our blunders with “forget I said that” because the words will continue to stare at us from the written page. We have a responsibility to convey our message and all of the audio and visual cues that go with the message. We only have to write it.
We do this by the actual words we use, in how we use those words and also in how we punctuate those words. We use colorful language, spelled correctly. We use description, narration, explanation, and any other tools we have. We do it carefully and we do it correctly. We proofread our work and evaluate it ourselves. Then we move forward and find our readers.
Many of us stumble or blunder some when speaking. Those blunders are more obvious when writing. We have to watch our spelling, grammar, and punctuation. When we speak, no one knows whether we can spell the words we utter. It doesn’t matter. When we write, it matters very much. Grammar is a totally different story. We speak a certain way because that’s how we are. When we write, however, who we are isn’t important to the reader unless it is an autobiographical work. The message is what’s important. Grammar becomes important for this reason. Punctuation provides additional assistance in our expression. It can help to show excitement, pauses, etc.
How the words flow on the page will determine whether the reader will keep pouring through those words. If he stumbles, it interrupts the flow. Each time he stops to consider our errors, it is one more opportunity for him to abandon our work. It is not up to the reader to determine whether we used a word correctly. It is not up to the reader to find the errors in our grammar. It is up to us, the writers. The better our flow is, the better chance we have to make it all the way through.
Misspelled words, incorrectly used words, grammar and punctuation are all things that cause our flow to be interrupted. They cause our reader to stumble. We want our work to be a pleasurable experience that imparts a message. If our reader becomes battered and bruised when attempting to read our words, we have not succeeded.
To summarize: Presentation matters.
We do this by the actual words we use, in how we use those words and also in how we punctuate those words. We use colorful language, spelled correctly. We use description, narration, explanation, and any other tools we have. We do it carefully and we do it correctly. We proofread our work and evaluate it ourselves. Then we move forward and find our readers.
Many of us stumble or blunder some when speaking. Those blunders are more obvious when writing. We have to watch our spelling, grammar, and punctuation. When we speak, no one knows whether we can spell the words we utter. It doesn’t matter. When we write, it matters very much. Grammar is a totally different story. We speak a certain way because that’s how we are. When we write, however, who we are isn’t important to the reader unless it is an autobiographical work. The message is what’s important. Grammar becomes important for this reason. Punctuation provides additional assistance in our expression. It can help to show excitement, pauses, etc.
How the words flow on the page will determine whether the reader will keep pouring through those words. If he stumbles, it interrupts the flow. Each time he stops to consider our errors, it is one more opportunity for him to abandon our work. It is not up to the reader to determine whether we used a word correctly. It is not up to the reader to find the errors in our grammar. It is up to us, the writers. The better our flow is, the better chance we have to make it all the way through.
Misspelled words, incorrectly used words, grammar and punctuation are all things that cause our flow to be interrupted. They cause our reader to stumble. We want our work to be a pleasurable experience that imparts a message. If our reader becomes battered and bruised when attempting to read our words, we have not succeeded.
To summarize: Presentation matters.
posted by Vickie at 10:46 PM
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