We all claim the title of ‘writer’. That’s why we’re here in RWA, and in our local or specialty chapter.
But we write everyday. Often times, the things we write have nothing to with us as writers: letters or emails to friends or family, letters or documents for work, thank you notes, that absentee note to our child’s teacher, etc.
And even though we are writers, we are still human. We make mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, homonyms, etc. And that’s why, when we write our works-in-progress, we use spell check and critique partners. But are we as diligent in our non-writer writings? Do we go back to re-read the letter, double-check the email, the thank you note, the note to the teacher?
Most recipients of those things probably don’t bat an eyelash at a misspelling or homonym mistake. Either they chalk it up to us being human or they don’t even realize an error has been made. A sad commentary on our times, BTW.
I once read a six-page letter written by an attorney. It was full of errors. Spelling, grammar, duplicate words, missing words. He even misspelled his client’s name for crying out loud! In one paragraph, he listed several dollar figures and then mentioned the total of all those amounts, and you know what? The sum of those figures was even incorrect.
So what does that tell me about that lawyer? He doesn’t have a secretary and he obviously doesn’t proofread his own work. I’ve never met this man, but my impression is that he is not a professional. It was sad. For the writer in me, it was disgraceful. And I would never hire him.
When I judge contests, my first impression is always readability. Again, spelling, grammar, punctuation. I know we’re all human and we think fast, type fast, and use the first spelling that comes to our mind. But, as a reader, if I can’t read your work because there are too many errors in the basic mechanics, then it’s not going to matter a wit that you have a really great story to tell. I can’t, no, make that won’t, continue to read something the author doesn’t seem to care enough about to make it the very best they are capable of making it.
“But what if I’m not good at spelling, grammar, and punctuation?” Well, first of all, a writer needs some level of proficiency in all three of these areas, so take a class and do what you gotta do. Second, get someone to proof read it for you.
But what about when we do things on purpose? Like not capitalizing ‘I’ or the first letter of our name when signing an email? What impression does that give you about that person? Is he or she in a hurry or just too lazy? Trying to be an individual?
If we claim the title of writer, then anything we write leaves an impression on the people who receive whatever it is we’ve written.
If we claim the title of writer, shouldn’t everything we write be written right?