Recently I had a conversation about writing and in particular blogging. The person I was talking to insisted that all spelling, punctuation, sentence structure should be precise and accurate. In fact, this was a two against one conversation.
Now I think we should know as much as possible about good writing. There is a place for formal writing.
So I think blog writing should be about your audience. You want to converse with as many people as you can. You adopt a style that your readers find interesting. You try and find material that people will like to read.
A couple of years ago I had someone read every blog post I wrote. The person was from Chicago and read about twenty posts a day. I was very pleased that someone would go back and read all my posts. I am curious as to who this nice person is.
So I think bloggers have control over what and how they write.
What about you? What's your view on how blogs should be written? Do you think about your writing or just write the way you speak?
So let's see whatyou think and please help me out in the two against one conversation I had.
Blogging is a personal creative outlet and therefore it is subject to the whims of the writer.
ReplyDeleteFor many years I wrote my blog all in lower case because I didn't want to stop my already slow typing to use the correct punctuation.
I change spelling or grammar to create tone or humour or whatever I'm trying to do.
You know how it is, Red: a master can play with the rules, an apprentice can not
Interesting look on things.
DeleteAck I just write like I speak. I am sure words are misspelled and parts of speech are messed up but so be it! Blog on anyway you want!
ReplyDeleteMost people write as they speak. It's a good point of view.
DeleteI think bloggers can write however they want and if a reader doesn't like how a blog is written they can move right along! That being said, I do try to write clearly, try not to whine too much, and write quite similarly to how I talk. If it's not natural, I can't keep it up :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea that you have confidence on how you express yourself on the blog.
DeleteWrite it the way you want to; it's YOUR blog. If we have a question, we'll ask you. I like reading your blog most every day! It's fun learning about those cold days so far north. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteWe do have ownership of the blog and what we say.
DeleteIt's tempting to keep fiddling with a blog post making minor changes which might or might not be improvements. I get to a point where I think OK that's good enough, and press publish.
ReplyDeleteI certainly take time to look over a post after I'm finished writing. I find many things that can be improved.
DeleteBlogs are informal. I generally obey the rules but not completely. Most authors who write fiction for publication also break lots of rules.
ReplyDeleteI usually write the way I speak. I have also typed since I was 17 so type as fast as I think, which may not be a good thing at times. Love that quote!
ReplyDeleteSo how do you get the English accent in if you write the way you talk? Just wondering!
DeleteLove your sense of humor Red :) Would you believe that the first time I went home after several years, English people thought I was Canadian?
DeleteSorry, my blog is not formal and it is more of a photo blog. Take care, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteand you have a great photo blog.
DeleteFor me, blogging has always been a sort of therapy. Instead of mulling on these subjects in my head, I write them down and it is like a mental release happens and my brain is now free to move on. Somewhere along the way, I gained an audience, who over time has become sort of a family to me. Through their blogs, I know probably more about their lives than their neighbors do.
ReplyDeleteAll this is to say, I type what I'm thinking and I make grammar mistakes all the time. I correct those I catch, but many make it to publication. If I were writing a book, I would worry more but I'm not. I'm undergoing mental therapy so as long as it is effective, and it is, I'm okay with grammar mistakes.
Writing is a great therapy.
DeleteSomewhere between the two, maybe?
ReplyDeleteI like the maybe in your comment. I am inconsistent so there are surprises.
DeleteI sit thinking, I read something somewhere that sets me off and I sit and ponder on the whole thing until once my morning carer has gone I come into my computer rom, open up and write. I just write as I think - I don't write it out first and then copy it. There will most likely be mistakes - my hands shake so I don't always hit the right keys - but I write 'from the heart' - think, write it down, read it to check (usually miss a few mistakes) - I ike to feel I am chatting to you. As I frequently say - posts that result in a goooodly number of replies - often argumentative- always make me feel how good it would be to all be sitting in the same room with a drink, a table of snacks and all the time in the world to chat and argue our corner.
ReplyDeleteI operate this way too. I roll and idea around in my head and have a good idea how I want to say something.
DeleteI use my blog to reflect on the joy around me, and mourn the tragedies. I think while grammar, spelling, and vocabulary has evolved, the point is to make reading it easier, clear, and precise. As a retired teacher, I shudder when I have to figure out what I am reading. It slows me down. It disturbs readers, and I don't want to do that.
ReplyDeleteI think blogging should be written the way you want to express yourself. Some people write poems; some write like daily journals. It's a personal creative space, shared with friends around the world.
ReplyDeleteGood point. There are more ways to write.
DeleteWhen I read a blog it feels like reading a letter from a friend in a comfy chair. I don't care about grammar or punctuation. I'm just happy you took the time to communicate with us.
ReplyDeleteI am a commenter, not a blogger, and enjoy many different blogs. I am from the Chicagoland suburbs and do often go back and read previous posts when I discover a blog that is new to me. I don't expect formal writing and don't mind a typo or grammar error as it is easy to do but I can still figure out what the writer is trying to say.
ReplyDeleteI think I am on your side of this issue!
You play with the point as to whether you're the person from Chicago who read my complete blog.
DeleteMy inner editor tries to go for the correct aspects in writing, but at the end of the day, the blog is that of the owner.
ReplyDeleteI think people should write the way which pleases them. Some are formal, others not. Whatever makes you happy will usually find an audience.
ReplyDeleteWe also write in a fashion that is easy for us. Your topic will also influence your audience.
DeleteMine is just a photo blog. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteand a darn good photo blog.
DeleteI use a lot of photos. I share that way. But my writing is structured and hopefully well crafted. I like to write. I like segues and tying things together and beginnings, middles and ends.
ReplyDeleteYou're a thinker about how things are expressed.
DeleteI say write however you like and the critics be damned!
ReplyDeleteI just write for to have a place to talk to my friends around the world who give me such insights into other ways of being, and none of it is right or wrong, it just is. You always leave thoughtful comments on my posts, and I feel like I know you personally, :-)
ReplyDeleteOn your Sunday post , I often wish that I could stop where ever and make comments. It would be a very interesting conversation.
DeleteBlogs are what the author makes of them. Formal or informal. Precise or "loosey-goosey." I like to be entertained and informed, and hope I do the same.
ReplyDeleteYou have a good variety in your topics.
DeleteYou know, Red, I write for myself, mostly. I just love to ponder my days. It is a joy to me that people read what I write at all. I think that in the end, what matters is this. Our days are trickling through our fingers like water, and a blog is one way of holding on to those days just a wee bit longer.
ReplyDeleteYou provide a lot of detail in your posts. Most daily actions are included in your post.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time writing a post without pictures and I pretty much write the way I talk. It drives me crazy to read back over a post and see a mistake. Correct grammar and puntuation are very important...not that I always know what is correct...but I try.
ReplyDeletePosting a blog is not like writing a novel or an essay. I think there is room for a more relaxed style of writing, especially in a personal blog like yours.That being said, I think it is important to understand how to do something according to the rules, before you decide if you will then break those rules. I know you understand the rules.
ReplyDelete