Writing is fun, but not always easy.

For the following, I share and elaborate.

I love to write, and engage often through this blog. I write for other online sites, usually through freelance and volunteer work. Then, the various social networks and message boards, of which I share my two cents on many subjects. There are also emails, chats, texts, etc. Overall, I strive for professionalism in my communications. Grammar and form are especially important.

I make mistakes. Most of the time, easily and quickly spotted. The rest, I feel shamed when discovered late. The worst of my guilty writing sins include the repeated overuse of unnecessary words, run-on sentences, subject/verb disagreements, the occasional apostrophe slip. Sometimes the typing and thinking are not in sync, words are skipped.

I edit myself a lot. Editing others is easier, I think. I find the more creative I write, the more edits needed. However, I fear for the missed errors and awkwardness. I develop new healthy habits, while maintaining my style. Lately, I strive to eliminate unnecessary wordage. I also work to shorten sentences and reduce paragraphs to their individual purposes. I occasionally stop and write a standalone sentence, for special effect.

I especially enjoy doing that.

Don’t let personal writing pitfalls discourage from writing. Keep writing, no matter what. Have fun with your writing, and be creative when necessary. If you screw up, chuckle in your corrections. Maybe, dedicate and share a blog post on your developments. More importantly, learn and develop new positive writing habits. I do this constantly and enjoy this vital growth.

Also, learn from others. There are plenty of resources out there. My suggestions include style guides, reference books, writing exercises, peer advice. Consult your local librarian for good further direction.

Also, never rely on built-in software spell checks.

I conclude with a recently discovered blog from the New York Times online, written by their associate managing editor, Philip B. Corbett. It’s “After Deadline”, and examines errors in usage and style found in NYT newsrooms. There, is good advice on recognizing various abuses of grammar, spelling, style. For that goodness, click here.

PS, I welcome further advice and criticism. Bring it on.