Learning How To Write Well

Anybody with an IQ higher than that of a potato will tell you that in order to learn how to write well, you have to read like there's no tomorrow. Reading will always be the secret. The reasons are so impercetible that they are difficult to... well, to perceive at first.

When you read a lot, your brain starts to learn little rules as you go. It doesn't give a hoot about what the names of the rules are because, in the long run, it doesn't matter.

Why? Easy. I've asked many of you this question before, and I'll put a little definition here, courtesy of Merriam Webster Online.

Definition for the word grammar:

1 a: the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence b: a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in inflection and syntax
2 a: the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of a language b: a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language

If your are planning on being a grammarian (one who studies grammar for a living) then sure, worry about the names of rules and all their intricacies. But if you are like most people on the planet, you don't know a compound-complex sentence from a plate of spaghetti. And aside from an exam here and there, there is no need for you to know these rules for the rest of your life. Learn them in class, pass the exam.

In other words, forget the names of the rules but REMEMBER THE USES.

But I'm getting off-track here. Read. Read a lot and your brain will do the rest, get it? It'll store away all these little rules in your head, and when you write, you'll start to recall them, subconsciouly, and start applying these rules: commas, periods, separation of paragraphs, ordering of ideas. It'll start to become second-nature to you and that's the secret to it all. It has NEVER been about writing and having to CONSCIOUSLY THINK about all the rules in order to be able to write ONE sentence correctly. That's a big, fat waste of time. The idea is for it all to come out naturally.

So read. Read Time magazine, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, Guitar Player, Entertainment Weekly, National Geographic but read. Whether it's Shakespeare or the latest Star Wars paperback, the idea is for you to get as much in as you can. Read what you like.

But read.

In the wise words of Ricky Martin, I'm shaking my bom-bom outta here.

C'ya

So Public Speaking Is Not for You?

DISCLAIMER: This post in no way, shape or form condones the thought that speaking should only be seen as a way to get paid obscene amounts of money. Even though it is clear to anyone with HALF A BRAIN that being a good public speaker, coupled with knowing a lot about what you’re talking about and having a name people recognize, is probably a good way to make a living.

I saw quite an interesting article this afternoon perusing through yahoo. This article states, with words coming directly from Mr. Matthew Lee, of the Associated Press, what I’ve been telling you guys all along. Speaking well in public PAYS, and it pays WELL. Granted, we don’t all have the notoriety of a Bill Clinton, but I’m guessing that some of you could, at the very least, make a nice, tidy income from speaking well in public. Now, I used to tell you that Mr. Clinton made about $100,000 (that’s DOLLARS, by the way) per speaking engagement. Funny. I was actually LOW in my estimate.

Try this on for size:

$ 525,000 (1)
$ 200,000 (1)
$ 175,000 (3) For those of you mathematically impaired, that’s another 525 grand
$ 300,000 (1)

Hey… not bad, huh?

For your viewing pleasure, here's the link to the whole article.

All I’m trying to say is to keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities that might come your way via the public speaking highway because you just never know. Oh, and keeping your mouth open when those opportunities come knocking on your door might not be a bad idea either.

Until next time,

Me

An Introduction

Hello, guys and gals.

This, as you can clearly see, is my new blog. Brand-spanking new and ready to get into the groove (as Madonna so wisely said) as far as writing, reading and speaking in English is concerned. In other words, this is a blog that’s gonna be full of tips and straightforward entries on punctuation, reading comprehension, public speaking techniques and the everpresent “etcetera”.

I hope you enjoy it and get something out of it, too. I know I will.

Take care.