We all have things about the writing process we're not thrilled about. Promotion if the big one for me, but I also have a small thing that slows me down writing not just in my 'fun' job but in the day job that pays the bills. I can't spell.
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I've have my theories about my weakness. Even in elementary school when we had weekly spelling tests I scored only average on the durn things even though I led my class in every other subject area. This continued right up through high school and college. And thank the world of technology for spell check. Sometimes though, I've spelled a word so far off the correct mark, spell check laughs at me and asks, 'is this the English language?'
My biggest theory about my spelling-challenged mind is that I don't care. Spelling is easily corrected, especially on a computer, so I don't feel the need to fill my brain with memorized spelling rules. I'm more for higher thought processes like analysis and application. And how's that for rationalization of a weakness?
Do you have a minor weakness you have to keep an eye on in your writing or in your 'other' job? Is spelling easy for you or do you rely on the computer like I do?
21 comments:
I'm with you on promotion being the ickiest part of our profession. And it seems to take up 90% of my time these days. Thank goodness for spellcheck, but it sure doesn't get them all. My fingers don't seem to know the difference between "some" and "sum" and love to get me into homonym hell. The results can be comical.
I don't have a problem with spelling, but math sometimes gets me. And since I'm a perfectionist by nature, that really annoys me.
This is interesting. I've heard so many writers say they don't care for the promotion side of things.
I'm good at spelling, but there are plenty of things I suck at. Like math or mechanical things like changing a tire or jump-starting a car. But, like you, I get around them and move on. I'm still frustrated, but I can live with that.
I'm good at spelling as well. Public speaking is my biggest weakness. I've been a teacher since 2000 and I'm comfortable enough with students, but if you put me in a room full of peers, I'm flustered and awkward. It's something I really need to work on.
I do all right with spelling. Math is definitely a weak point for me. The only math class in which I ever did well was the one that didn't actually involve numbers.
But on the writing side, I know the whole promotional thing is going to be a major weakness of mine.
I knew I was odd man out. So many writers are better at the spelling thing than math whereas I'm a bit of a math geek.
Sylvia, I have found I actually enjoy public speaking even though I was really shy when I was younger.
Hubby's a much better speller than I am. I use spell check all the time.
Spelling is okay for me. My weakness is overusing commas when I type. At university, if ever I proofread anyone's work, I'd add in a buttload of commas (always appropriately). Apparently my lecturers knew if I helped out a student by the number of commas used in their sentences!
I did well in school, but I struggle with spelling. Thank God for Spell Check. It always seems to be the same words over and over, too. You would think I'd remember after the 100th time.
I'm awful at marketing, so can relate! But eight years of Catholic school and a career in media-related jobs made me a stickler for spelling, punctuation, etc. I overuse certain words, more heavily in some stories than others for some reason.
Never trust spell check, btw - it doesn't understand context.
I use a lot of commas and tend to insert hyphens and semi-colons too often--like that. :P
I can't spell, either. My Facebook vocabulary is much smaller than my vocal vocabulary because they don't have spellcheck! I like your explanation, though. I'll go with that, too. :)
Technology is a really big help for so many things! I can usually spell pretty well, but there are some words that no matter what I do, I don't have a clue how they're spelled! :)
You're right about not depending on spell-check, Cate. And I forgot about my comma 'do or don't' I dither on now and then.
Rachel, I have to be careful on FB because of not having spell check looking over my shoulder also.
Punctuation. It makes me crazy. Most grammar mistakes I can catch by ear when reading aloud but those pesky commas trip me up every time.
Spell-check isn't one hundred percent reliable. Spelling doesn't get me. I have to watch my word repetition. I'm aware of it, but when I get on a roll, I lose focus and have to nab them in the revisions.
I know when I've spelled something wrong, but i have to keep writing it out to figure out the correct spelling and even then there are certain words that still give me trouble.
Spelling is pretty easy for me, though I definitely make my share of mistakes! And there are some words I just can't get right no matter how many times I see the correct spelling. I think my biggest weakness in writing is make my character shrug, nod, and shake their heads too much - like they've all got weird twitching disorders. Luckily, that one's also easily fixable in revisions.
Oh, Susan, I do that too. Way too many nods.
So nice to hear from you, Betty.
I've had a spelling dictionary since college. I'm bad with vowels. I make up so many original words in my WIPs that spellcheck often gives up and shuts itself off. People are amazed that I can break MSWord and that I have done so more than once.
Math is not a strong suit of mine either.
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