| "Who could have sent me this terrible email, | | | | and that takes courage, my friend! You WANT |
| and what did they want?" I thought to myself! | | | | to improve yourself, and all of these things |
| Was this person some kind of jokester or was | | | | are big pluses for you. You've taken a |
| this a practical joke of some kind?The email | | | | couple of big steps and you're off to a good |
| was sent to me by a fellow named Orley (who I | | | | start!4) You'll have to pay your dues, Orley, |
| didn't know), and he told me that he lived in | | | | just like everybody else has done! There's |
| the panhandle of Florida near the Alabama | | | | no free lunch! I took three writing courses |
| state line. Orley told me in his email, that | | | | (in my 40's) to try to improve my writing |
| he was concerned about his website, his | | | | skills. You're going to have to go back to |
| spelling and grammar, and he wanted somebody | | | | the books...go back to square one, and try to |
| to go to his website and critique it, and | | | | refresh your memory. As all of us get older, |
| give him advice as to how to improve it, | | | | we forget what we learned in school. Writing |
| etc.Over the short time I had been online, | | | | courses are expensive, so I don't suggest you |
| there have been many people who have helped | | | | do that, unless you can afford it. But, you |
| me in a variety of ways, so I decided to go | | | | can go to the library; buy a book on English; |
| to Orley's website to see how I could help | | | | or take a course at a local community college |
| him. And, from what I saw of that | | | | if there is one in your area. You have a |
| email...Orley NEEDED HELP! He told me he | | | | spell-checker...use it! And, if you don't |
| wanted to go into business for himself, but | | | | have one, you'll have to download one or do |
| he was not going to get very far with emails | | | | it the hard way!I know I'm a little tough on |
| that looked like the one he sent me! At this | | | | you, Orley, but your work is out there in |
| point, I still didn't know if I was dealing | | | | front of the whole world...and, because of |
| with a jokester but, I went to pay a visit to | | | | this, you have to be at your best.* |
| his website anyway.There, I found a pretty | | | | * *I didn't enjoy doing this sort of |
| nice looking website, with a thing or two | | | | thing, but it would be worse for me to ignore |
| wrong, but nothing major. A nice Front Page, | | | | it. I had no idea what his response would |
| with links and buttons to different places, | | | | be, or if he would respond at all, so I was a |
| etc. Judging from that first dreadful email | | | | little nervous! Maybe this was a practical |
| he sent me, somebody must have helped him put | | | | joke or maybe I was dealing with a jokester |
| up his website. The website was not bad at | | | | here! Later, that afternoon, his email came |
| all. I didn't see much of anything I could | | | | in, and I didn't want to look at it.As I |
| report back to him, with respect to errors on | | | | scanned quickly over Orley's email, I was |
| his website.And besides, I'm not an editor or | | | | impressed at how much improvement there was! |
| a grammarian. In college, I was not an | | | | Instead of one big FAT paragraph, there were |
| English, journalism, or communications major. | | | | about five nicely trimmed paragraphs. The |
| And yes, I did complete two correspondence | | | | email was much improved, and he must have |
| writing courses in my 40's, and by doing so, | | | | taken a crash course in neatness during the |
| it helped me improve my writing skills and | | | | day! There were still spelling and grammar |
| gave me the confidence to continue with my | | | | errors in the email, but the email had |
| ambitions in writing. I think all of us just | | | | improved over the first disaster he sent me, |
| do our best when it comes to writing, after | | | | etc. After I received his second email, I |
| all, we're dealing with the English | | | | knew he was sincere, and I was happy to see |
| language...which is all "Greek" to me!I | | | | the improvement.It was a relief to me, when |
| really didn't know how to handle the | | | | Orley thanked me for being honest with him. |
| situation with Orley, but I thought honesty | | | | He told me that's what he needed...for |
| would be the best policy. But, I had to be | | | | someone to be honest with him! And, the best |
| encouraging and supportive of him. | | | | news of all, is that he told me that he would |
| Constructive criticism was the name of the | | | | take my advice and hit the books, to try to |
| game and I told him in a return email:1) | | | | improve his writing skills. I believed him, |
| Website building is publishing, and if a | | | | as he had already made progress in his second |
| person is going to be in the publishing | | | | email. I was happy to hear all of this!* |
| business on the Internet, which shows your | | | | * *After I dealt with Orley, I |
| work all over the world, your work has to be | | | | remembered that old television commercial of |
| your best! Like a resume or job interview, | | | | the 1970's, where the mechanic looks straight |
| first impression is everything! Your | | | | into the camera and says, "You can pay me |
| website, Orley, was acceptable, but you | | | | now...or you can pay me later!" And, that's |
| probably had help with it.2) Your first email | | | | true of almost everything we do. So, if it |
| to me was awful and I almost deleted it! It | | | | pertains to writing...you can do what Orley |
| was riddled with spelling and grammar errors | | | | did. You can pay now by being honest with |
| and was just plain unprofessional and ugly! | | | | yourself, and go out and get the help you |
| What kind of a first impression would this | | | | need, to improve your writing skills and |
| make? Unless you take action to improve | | | | raise your confidence level. OR...you can |
| this, nobody will return your emails, and I'm | | | | pay later, when nobody returns your emails |
| sorry to say that you won't make it in | | | | and you don't have much traffic at your |
| business or anything else!Unprofessional | | | | website and visitor's don't return...THE |
| emails, riddled with spelling and grammar | | | | DECISION IS YOURS! There's nothing to be |
| errors will be your downfall...I don't care | | | | embarrassed about! We all forget the little |
| how nice your website looks. Communicating | | | | things that are so important that go on a |
| well with customers and visitors will be a | | | | page, etc.I think everyone will agree that |
| way of life for you, Orley. You MUST improve | | | | writing is easy, and most of us do it |
| your writing skills if you are to succeed!3) | | | | everyday. But, writing WELL is NOT so easy! |
| Orley, you have won a couple of big battles | | | | And, most of struggle with it, when we are |
| right away. You have been honest with | | | | writing an article; book; email; screenplay |
| yourself...and that's a big step forward. | | | | and so forth. And, it is! Having to deal |
| Many people are not honest with | | | | with the English language can be tuff...I |
| themselves...they're in denial about such | | | | mean tough! Good writing requirs good |
| thing in their lives as alcohol; drugs; | | | | speling and grammer!Writing is easy! Writing |
| temper, etc. And, you know you have a | | | | WELL is not so easy! So, if you want to do |
| problem, and you have gone out to get some | | | | something easy...why don't you go back to |
| help! Not only have you gone out and asked | | | | school and become a ROCKET SCIENTIST! |
| for help, but you went to a total stranger, | | | | |