So, this is my third thread. Just a word of warning, I might sound a bit bitchy here, especially with my lack of emote use and because this thread is half-rant.

This is all written from the perspective of a writer, who, due to the influence of their beta-reader, has become quite anal on SPAG.

Let's start with the basic and obvious stuffs first, shall we? The formatting.

1. Use correct punctuation
You can say I am a bit anal with writing, even when it's only a forum post. I capitalise all required letters and use correct punctuation. Granted, I have yet to master all the usages of the semi-colon and the dash, but I'm getting there.

Do not, ever, break down a sentence into two. It's awkward and annoying eg I cannot drive. Because my father didn't teach me.

Minimise text or chat speak. I think most of us are over twenty now, so do refrain from using too much chat speak. It looks childish and unprofessional eg u cant take it because i claimed it first.

Lastly, do not put ellipses (...) in every sentence. The ellipses can be used for showing omission and hesitation, and when used correctly is acceptable. However, when you use ten of them in two short paragraphs, it is quite a bit of an overkill.

2. Proofread and spellcheck
I should not even have to tell you this. When you're posting an essay for correction, or any piece of writing to be commented on, do everyone a favour and proofread it first. It mininises the chance of stupid errors. When you type quickly, usually when you have a lot of ideas to be said at once, sometimes you don't think as you type and this can lead to stupid errors. After I post a reply, I always reread it to make sure there's no typo or stupid error. If there are, I immediately edit them out.

Also, the number of typos in this forum is worrying. If you're not sure about your spelling, then use a word-processor to type up everything and then copy and paste it here. While word processors are sometimes unreliable in terms of grammar, you can trust them with spelling.

3. Same topic should be in one paragraph
If you're talking about one thing, keep it in a paragraph. Don't be too enter button-happy. Similarly, if it's a different topic, then put it in different paragraphs, don't put them all together into a wall of text. Readability is very important in any piece of writing.

4. Check the meaning of the word you're trying to use
Don't make a fool of yourself by using the wrong word. Don't make a bigger fool of yourself by using a spectacularly wrong word. If you're not sure whether the word fits the context, do consult Google. I am pretty sure no one knows more than Google does.

I have had to correct people's wrong word choice. While I do not particularly mind, as I like to help people by telling them what they did wrong and why it was wrong, using the wrong word, especially in daily conversation, is just not cool.

If you are a writer, you will know the importance of diction better.

5. Creativity cannot be taught or learned. If you run out of inspiration, go out on a walk or take a break from writing for a while
I've read some people complaining about having no idea what to write sometimes. I have to emphasise, this has nothing to do with your language skill! You can have perfect grammar and still not know what to write, or you can have tons of idea and not know how to write them.

6. Be patient and keep practising
For me personally, writing out an idea into a beautiful, flowing paragraph or story is a form of art. It's something you learn to do over time, not overnight. If you only started, don't expect miracles. Every process takes time. You don't expect to become a virtuoso two days after you first pick up the musical instrument, so why should you expect to be a master of a language in a short time?

Also, no matter what people said, keep practising. I had someone told me they stopped writing after people told them their English sucked.

Eight years ago, my English was horrible. It was immature, unstructured, and generally horrid. I wrote preteen stories, and honestly, I always laugh when I look back at the things I have written. They are that horrible. A fellow writer in the fandom criticised my work openly and harshly, posting a lengthy review trashing my work in her site. The review was a couple of pages long, but it could be summarised into this: "your writing is crap. Grow up first then write". I did not stop writing because she told me to. Writing is a passion for me, and why should I let someone tell me not to do something I enjoy? However, I have started reading better stories afterwards. My English improved and my style matured little by little. Three years later I thanked her for criticising me and making me know better while she apologised for being harsh to me.

Bottom line is, don't give up no matter what people said if you truly have the will. Why should you let others dictate what you do?


I think that's it for now. I will add more to the list if I find something worth noting.