The Privilage of Writing

Writing Tip of the Day: March 22, 2008

Seek to maintain balance because writing is both a privilege and a business.

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I will leave alone the "business" side of this equation; for now. I've yet to earn an income from writing, so I'll focus my effort on the matter of "privilege."

Another word for privilege is freedom. A thing, first and foremost, this country was founded on. But many writers, seemingly worlds away, have been and still are silenced. Their license to be either creative or informative does not exist.
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With the freedom provided by the advent of the world wide web, the complaint is 'now everyone and their brother with a blog, thinks they're a writer.' That said, I'll trust I do not end up in that category! Oh, I admit I'm still not all that savvy about blogging. I've yet figure out the new blogroll ditty. That will come with time. I will also admit, I'm still practicing the craft. But, I also have the freedo to do so.

Though I'm a little more forgiving of obvious misspellings--our lives are so busied these days and most are quick to want their perspectives known, and are merely in a rush to do so--I do see a problem in some blogs as regards words used wrongly. Ive seen way too much their or there used instead of they're, and vis versa; in whatever the combination. Or here instead of hear; to instead of too. And one that grates on that proverbial last nerve, ideal used in place of idea. Though the list could go on [see Commonly Confused Words (I fell victim recently, to envelop/envelope. And I do know the difference!)], they are simple, yet all too common mistakes. And as writers, we cannot rely solely on any given spell checker.

I also have difficulty with the fact that something has gone terribly wrong with the spoken word as well. Though I have since seen it in writing, if I hear conversate (or conversating) one more time instead of converse [same with ideal/idea], I'm likely to scream. And Heaven help the person on the other end of my rant.

Okay. I've digressed; somewhat.

If we are to utilize our privilege, our freedom to write, then as writers we must also take up the responsibility of proper thought of the words we use. Regardless the prose or form of verse, words have life. And they should never be taken for granted. Especially when we've such a privilege.