Tips For Dirty Bloggers Pt 4: Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation

Thats right – I am hear to cleanse you of you’re dirty writing ways.

Lots of gold stars to all those who picked up on the multitude of mistakes in the above sentance.

…you get that one too? I’m glad to see your awake!

Okay – I’ll stop now. Promise.

Grammar, spelling and punctuation are apparently ignored by many bloggers. And sometimes, they can get away with it. Many blog readers will not even notice when the writer puts a “your” where a “you’re” should be. However, there are many among us who tend to get rather bothered by poor writing skills. And if you are trying to project a sense of professionalism with your blog, poor writing is a killer.

Back To School

Luckily, if you fear that your technical writing skills are less than stellar, there are plenty of resources out there to get you up to scratch.

I can start with our very own Joe Foley, who recently wrote two articles on some of the most common writing mistakes: 5 Mistakes that Make You Look Stupid and (you guessed it) 5 MORE Mistakes that Make You Look Stupid. After all – who wants to look stupid? Consider these two articles a great primer – they will iron out your most heinous of writing gaffes.

For a highly amusing take on common mistakes from The Oatmeal, be sure to check out 10 Words You Need To Stop Misspelling.

Let me stress – when it comes to blogging, it’s not about being perfect. Part of blogging’s charm is its imperfect nature. But if you want to be taken seriously as a blogger, you do need to take care with your writing.

It Doesn’t Stop There

It’s not just a case of spelling words properly. Your writing needs to flow. There should be structure. Please don’t be overwhelmed by such words, as there is a very easy two step process to improving your skills and becoming a better writer – read and write. It really is that simple. The more you read, the more you will pick up on the fundamentals. The more you write, the better you will become at executing those fundamentals.

I have just one recommendation beyond that – Copyblogger. When it comes to learning how to write well and how to write for your audience, Copyblogger is the daddy. There are more articles published than you will probably ever read. Here is a sampler to get you started:

• Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips for Writing Well
• 11 Smart Tips for Brilliant Writing
• 7 Ways to Improve Your Writing … Right Now
• 10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer

You may notice some common themes running across these articles. There is a reason for that – good writing doesn’t have to be complicated. Usually, the simpler you keep it, the better. So focus on the basics, and let your message shine clearly in your writing.

Conversation Is Okay!

You may have read how some people write in a ‘conversational’ style. It is common among bloggers. Many respected writers have what could be called a conversational style.

There is nothing wrong with writing in such a way – in fact, it can be especially effective for blog audiences. However, there is a fine line between writing conversationally and just plain not making a great deal of sense (much like this sentence). So if you do write in a conversational style, make sure that your writing does not devolve into a steaming pile of gibberish. It’s easily done.

Over To You

What is your take on blog writing? Do you consider spelling, punctuation and grammar important? How about structure and order? Or are you more of a blogging maverick? Let us know in the comments section!

Creative commons photos courtesy of journeys, Damien Ayers, Eric Castro and Sammy

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• blogging