Edit my email or blog? Have you lost your mind?

There have been whispers...

Let's get to the meat of the issue. You have just announced to the world that you are a -- ta da!--WRITER. After all the oohing and aahing subsides, you bask in the glow of expected glory tinged with a bit of envy [oh, that's the green hue]. What you have just done, in effect, is shot yourself in the foot.

Being a "writer" means you know how to do all that English stuff, right?

With your announcement, you put your language abilities in the line of fire. You'll be expected to spew forth pearls of wisdom perfectly written and properly punctuated. Oh, poop. Didn't think of that. Every notation, refrigerator reminder, sticky note to your boss, all communication you make will come under intense scrutiny. The days of dashing off quick, poorly written, emails to your friends have ended.

Before you initiate the send button on your email account, edit what you have said. Is it properly punctuated? Is it an actual letter, or a line of hieroglyphics only understood by three people in your friends group? In a blog, have you taken the time to check your spelling?

It has become commonplace for employers, agents, publishing houses, and everybody's grandmother to use the email for communicating. Employers, agents and those in the business end of the world, judge the sender, first, by the prose of the text, second, by the proper use of the English in the text, and, third but not last, by the punctuation. Diplomas and degrees don't necessarily guarantee a job.

Your grandmother--well, she's just your grandmother.

If you can't write a readable, intelligent email, how are people expected to think you will write a novel worth reading?

Edit your emails.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens