Write Like You Talk
I think the first time I heard that piece of writing advice was in my college fiction-writing class. I loved that class, and I learned a lot, including that piece of writing advice.
That advice has stuck with me through the years, especially as I've stared down a blank page and struggled with where to begin. But as I've grown in my career and moved to more editing and less writing, I've begun to realize that “write like you talk” is, at best, incomplete advice.
Publish Like You Intend
Talking is a very sensory experience. Your tone, your inflection, your facial expression and your gestures combine to effectively convey your message. Think of the phrase, "Yeah, right." Just by varying your tone, you can make that phrase mean, "You're right" or "Exactly!" or even "You're lying."
Our written words don't have the benefit of sensory context, which is why we need to be so much more careful with the words on our pages. Your reader doesn't "get what you mean" unless you clearly take them to your exact point.
By all means, write like you talk. Doing so is a great way to get your thoughts on a page and get your creative juices flowing. But when it comes time to hit the publish button or send your files to a printer, dust off the grammar hat from your grade school days to make sure your copy says what you mean.
