Rules for Writing

I just got through catching up on reading everyone's blogs. I have successfully added everyone, and you all have successfully invited me, so that's great! We're all set now! Isn't it interesting to see the different writing styles we each have? I think it's pretty neat to see the differences, and it makes me realize and/or reminds me that those differences don't make one writer better than the other necessarily; it just makes reading the blogs more fun!

I saw the comment Christie wrote on Krystina's wall, which I thought was very thoughtful. It was about punctuation and/or subject/verb agreement. First of all, if I can improve my writing, I would appreciate helpful tips/comments like Christie wrote for Krystina because I am interested in bettering myself whenever possible. One more thing before I go more into that---Wow! We have a Christie, a Krystina, and a Kristy (me)! Olyvia, by any chance is your middle name Krystal or something? :) I don't remember if I told you all, but my internship supervising teacher's name is Kristin Abel, and mine is Kristy Zabel, so with all of these similar names, I'm bound to answer to anything even remotely close to my name! Hehe :-D

Anyway....back to the topic at hand---punctuation. Also, I'd like to branch out and include some of the other basic rules of writing--capitalization and subject/verb agreement. Ever since I learned the rules for those things, I have been a stickler for them in my writing and in whose writing I read. Even when I'm IMing or emailing or doing any kind of casual writing, I just can't live without my subject/verb agreement, punctuation, and capitalization being correct. :) Once in a great while I'll let it slide, but it bothers me when I do, so I avoid it unless I'm in a huge hurry. Is anyone else like that? When people don't capitalize or use punctuation in instant messages and such, it annoys me. Maybe I should join Writing Rule Sticklers Anonymous or something. :-P :)

Although writing well is important, I have come to the realization that maybe sometimes it is more important for students to be writing in the first place than it is for EVERYTHING to be perfectly written--especially when students know the rules but choose not to use them for convenience's sake or what have you. I grasped that this past summer, when my music teacher said that sometimes you should just appreciate the fact that a student is reading a Nickelodeon Magazine instead of not reading at all. Reading and writing is so important, and I think we should praise any little effort that students make when they are engaging in literacy on their own apart from assignments.

Keep in mind, if you will, as you read my blogs that I am not writing as I would for an essay to turn in to a professor. I write my blog as I would speak in a conversation with you. So, if you get lost with the blabbing on and on, let me know, and I will try to help you decipher it. Even though I take a more casual approach in keeping with true blogging form, I still try to punctuate correctly and so forth. But again, please feel free to add helpful comments! Thanks! :)