WTF... He probably means something different than what he's saying here. The way most people talk naturally is pretty poor. It often doesn't even make sense when they're saying it out loud - reading it back in written form can be headache-inducing.
He's probably not saying "write exactly what you would say out loud", but that's the takeaway I got from it, and probably many others have too over the years.
he means write in your natural tone. many people write in a completely different manner than they speak.
When I wrote for my high-school paper, people would often comment that I wrote how I spoke. That it sounded as if they were speaking to me. Other writers, read like they were giving a speech or making a presentation, and it wasn't natural for the reader.
he means write in your natural tone. many people write in a completely different manner than they speak.
I wish he had said this, however. Many people do think that writing requires a windy, pretentious tone, which it doesn't. But I specifically tell students not to write the way they talk for the reasons the GP hits.
it still ignores the point that not everyone has a good natural tone. some people may be never be good verbal presenters, and they'll need to develop a good written tone in the absence of good speaking skills.
This reminds me of a quote from Christopher Hitchens. I'm paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of, "If you can speak then you can write. The problem is that few people know how to speak well."
WTF... He probably means something different than what he's saying here. The way most people talk naturally is pretty poor. It often doesn't even make sense when they're saying it out loud - reading it back in written form can be headache-inducing.
He's probably not saying "write exactly what you would say out loud", but that's the takeaway I got from it, and probably many others have too over the years.