Writers Should Know How to Write
Their attitudes reflect a disquieting trend that I've noticed on the Web. Many would-be pros seem to believe that writing has little to do with the ability to construct a recognizable sentence. Nope, to them, it's all about the topic-the trendier or more exotic the better. If it sells, it doesn't matter how sloppily the piece is put together. Take blogging. Blogging is terrific because it's democratic, but I think it has also trivialized writing because a lot of bloggers think if they can blog, they can write. Some deluded souls even believe that if they can throw together an e-mail or text message, they can write. I wish it were that easy. In the real writing world, mastering the craft is essential. It's not enough that you create a crowd-pleasing or unique subject-like Paris Hilton's sizzling sex life behind bars, or how to knit seaweed sweaters. You also need the ability to make it worth reading, using acceptable English. I recently read an article about better ways to cut into vegetables and fruits, which doesn't sound like a stimulating subject. But it was written with such style and competence that it just drew me in.
I went to school in the 50s and 60s. I have a pet theory that we Baby Boomers received generally excellent, no-nonsense educations, but for succeeding generations, the quality of the teaching went south and permissiveness now rules the schools. These days, even if students have little or no aptitude, teachers and parents still give them an "A" for effort, pat them on the head, and assure them that they're wonderful. It leads kids to believe they don't have to try very hard. I believe we're reaping the dubious rewards of that permissiveness on the Internet. There are those who seem to think they deserve fame and fortune just for figuring out how to work the system, no matter how little of real value they contribute to the public discourse. But it's not enough just to have something you want to say. You ought to be able to say it skillfully. Now, I'll admit that English is a tough language, even for native speakers. But the very least you can do is master the basics instead of tormenting your readers with lousy syntax.
For those of you who are not willing to take your writing to a professional level by putting the effort into improving it, you might do the world and yourself a favor and get into a less labor-intensive field. How about trying out for American Idol? Heck, you could be the next Sanjaya-that is, if you're pretty enough.
Published by Barbara Joan Baxter
Barbara Joan is a freelance writer/editor/publisher/webhead and the proud guardian of ten dogs and cats. Books of poems and a memoir are in the works. View profile
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14 Comments
Post a CommentSophie, Amen.
Spot on, Ardeth! Writers should do all they can to produce quality work.
Sophie
Sharkbytes, You're right, No Child Left Behind is making an even bigger mess of our wounded educational system in its obsession with testing, and kids are just not being taught the basics of anything anymore. It doesn't help that they have to worry about other students shooting at them when they go to school, and they have to try to stay away away from all the seductive drugs that are offered to them. Not a good situation at all. I don't have any easy answers to this one. It would take a restructuring of our society from top to bottom, with more money being devoted to education than to wars. Vote for Kucinich.
Great stuff, Ardeth! And Little Bird might not like it that those solid educational tools were were given were reinforced by TESTING, that bane of public education in the present era.
Julie, I agree with you. I don't mind sloppy emails or instant messages. I'm sloppy myself when I'm in a hurry. Everything doesn't have to be Great Literature. But if you're writing for public consumption or money, even blogs should be up to snuff, in my opinion.
Hm. Blogs. There I go, pot calling kettle black.
Internet writing bothers me when it is applied to true writing. I have my own mistakes, but that aside, talking to people on instant messages who never use the shift key, reading blods with 'l33t' speak...ugh. Shoot me now.
Thanks to everyone for your comments.
A little bird: I never had any kids, so don't blame me for your generation's issues. I'm merely reporting on what I've observed, drawing conclusions about it, and making some (hopefully) useful suggestions.
Nice article and I agree with everything you're saying, but what are you Boomers actually *doing* to improve the lot of those succeeding generations who are now enrolled in contemporary public schools? Seems to me most of you aren't truly concerned enough to do more than point an admonishing finger and waggle, waggle, tsk, tsk, as your article does. Mostly, you folks seem too darn busy worrying about your portfolios and ROIs. Talk about navel gazing!
Maybe a more effective approach would be an article on 5 Ways That Boomers Can Help Younger Generations Succeed in Schools. After all, we wouldn't be here to get slipshod educations if it weren't for you, now, would we?
Great article. You really handed out the truth.