Rick Gregory, Writer

Translating Messages From Heads To Hearts

Why Does Writing Need to be Done Well?

Carol Tice’s post today has inspired me to formally comment here on my own blog!

I’ve been writing for over 30 years and have quite a few published pieces. Most of my writing has been done in the context of my business, where I’ve written collection letters, marketing collateral and prospecting letters, along with all the copy for multiple blogs, websites and feature articles for trade magazines. And on this website, you can find stories about years’ worth of travel by my wife and me throughout Africa, Bolivia and the Philippines.

Like Carol, I hate bad spelling and grammar. Having supervised and collaborated with many people over the years, I am appalled at how poorly most people (young and older) “communicate” in writing – and communicate they do! Just like this person sending Carol the LinkedIn message she quotes in her post. Here’s my opinion, and I’ll warn you in advance, it’s clearly jaded and possibly unfair. When someone writes like the piece Carol received, it communicates disrespect along with laziness, and suggests the product they might produce would be just as poorly done. Agreeing with Kevin in the comments section below Carol’s post, I would likely toss not just their request, but that first impression would push me to ignore anything further from them as well. Receiving an email or letter or even text from a colleague that is badly worded or poorly spelled tends to injure my respect for that person. I wish it didn’t, but it does. Can we still be friends? Of course! Would I ask that person to write something for me or to a client? Not a snowball’s chance in that hot place.

2 thoughts on “Why Does Writing Need to be Done Well?”

  1. I would agree with you, but I have been an English teacher so I probably have more opinions than most people on the subject of poorly written language!

    1. Dear Heckety,

      Thanks for commenting! You may have more opinions . . . but I suspect I might be a bit more verbal (a few have call them caustic!) about mine 🙂

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