STOP THE EMAIL CONVERSATION!

Fellow writers, 

     

     I write today in light of recent trends that have taken place in our society. Writers of all ages, typically those whom have grown up during the early 2000's, have a lack of knowledge in the craft of writing. Today's message is aimed at bringing light on the decline in artistic ability of writing through social media. The more we, as a society turn to texting, email, and self-publishing, lose knowledge of basic skills that are involved in crafting well-written sentences. 

     For the past five years I have written books, blogs, and articles for various magazines. Each time I send something to the editor, I receive a review in return that is nothing short of a humbling experience. There is no such thing as a born writer. There is a passion to write, a need to write, and a curiosity to write, but there is not a born expert. If one studies the greats, you will find writing requires many long hours of practice and reading daily. Read everyday on subjects that not only interest you, but about ones of unfamiliarity as well.

      Recently I visited my old high school. I had lunch with a couple of staff members that had worked at the high school since the mid 90's. We spoke about this very same subject and how, students today are more familiar with turning in papers to be graded that are written in the form of an email, rather than  producing well-written work. To me this is not a warning, it is an alarm sounding at the highest level. Soon traditional publishing companies will go out of business, and anyone who wants to produce a book will do so of their own will, without proper editing. We subconsciously learn to write from the sources we surround ourselves with the most. It is up to those of us who share the passion of mastering the craft of writing to enforce the rules of writing and educate the new generation on how to create work free of novice errors. 

     What I have below is a compilation of tips and advice from such books as "Strunk and White's Elements of Style" and "Punk and Bite." I also include a list of books that should be on your person at all times. These books are not only of my recommendation, but come from many prestigious authors and Ivy League schools.

Advice:

- Never use the word "Just" If you have to use this word, it should only be placed in a direct quote. There is not a book in the world that needs the word just.

-Adverbs: Get rid of them!

-Do not end a sentence in a preposition. There is a reason for this besides being grammatically correct. If you end a sentence with a preposition, you will undoubtedly create questions for your audience.

-When you are not reading, write. When you are not writing, read. 

-Using the passive voice is a sign of a lazy writer. Learn to use the Active voice.

-When you summarize, stay with one tense. Advice from William Strunk.

-The thesaurus is a valuable tool that can not only improve your vocabulary but make your writing look more professional.

-Make a list of commonly misused words and understand the difference in such words as Lose and Loose, or Weather and Whether. 

-Omit needless words! Screams Willaim Strunk. My favorite out of all lessons and a big component in today's topic. When we email, it's basic nature to speak our thoughts to the recipient. This is a major violation in writing.

-If you are in love with the idea of getting published, and are not to fond of the actual writing process, I suggest you find another career in life. Learning how to write well, express yourself clearly, and spot errors of all types is what the writing process is all about. 

-Do not join two independent clauses with a comma!

-Learn to take three sentences in your work and make them one. Learn to cross out every third word and read the sentence back to yourself, you will discover something new.

-Proofread. Have someone that is not biased toward your work, read it. 

In some way I do hope this article has served as a reminder to old lessons, or for those of you who are new to writing, opened your mind to common errors. Critics are everywhere in this world. When introducing anything you write to an audience, you only get one chance to impress the reader. State your thoughts clearly, make your points clear, and above all, never give up on pursuing the craft. 

Recommended reading:

Strunk and White "Elements of Style"

Websters Pocket Style Guide

Spunk and Bite- A writers guide to bold contemporary style -Arthur Plotnik

101 Habits of highly successful novelist - Andrew McAleer

The art of Styling Sentences - Ann Longknife and KD Sullivan

On writing - Stephen King

Characters and Viewpoints -  Orson Scott Card

Word Painting - Rebecca McClanahan

Anthony Farina

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