How do I write thee? Let me count the ways - What do I do with…?

Career World, Feb-March, 2003 by Tamra B. Orr

Not sure just why you have to Learn how to write will in this modern age? Clear communication never goes out of style.!

The bell rings, and English class is underway again. You're already tapping your pencil on your text-book as your teacher launches into an explanation of the essay you're going to be assigned over the weekend. You can feel a huge sigh building up inside, and impatience rears its familiar head. Why in the world do you have to learn how to write when you're planning on a career that won't bring you anywhere near a pencil?

The answer is simple: There isn't a job you will have in your life that won't involve the art of communicating clearly. Even if you aren't going to be an author or a journalist, it doesn't mean you get an automatic pass out of English class. The lessons you will learn there aren't ones you will leave behind--they are the ones you will access almost every day of your life, whatever path you choose to follow.

Writing in Everyday Life

Shaking your head already? Sure that you aren't going to need to know how to put sentences together in a sensible way? No need for those lessons on punctuation or spelling? Think again. Here are just a few ways that knowing how to write well will come in handy:

* Filling out job applications

* Writing the essay portion of your college application

* Writing the essay portion of the SATs and other tests

* Writing E-mails to co-workers and superiors

* Writing letters to friends and family

* Writing a classified ad to sell something

* Writing cover letters and resumes for work

* Taking orders in many job positions

* Keeping records at work or in your personal life

* Organizing research information for work

* Making outlines or lists for projects you want to do

English class teaches much more than where the nouns and verbs are supposed to go. It teaches you how to take an idea and put it together in such a way that others can understand you--and respond. "I recently got a great job in the mall," says one 18-year-old senior. "I was up against a lot of other kids, but the manager said I was chosen because of the information I wrote on the back of the job application. She said it made her smile, and it showed that I knew how to communicate with people."

Writing Skills in Unusual Places

There are many fields that may intrigue you that also involve a good share of writing: advertising, secretarial, fact checking, teaching, public relations, researching, scriptwriting, storytelling and technical writing, to name a few. Each one of these jobs requires a strong knowledge of the language and how to use it best.

Salaries for writers vary widely, depending on the scope of the job. A regular position, such as secretary or journalist, will tend to make more money than a freelance writer, for example. A paycheck will come at regular intervals, and the job also quite often includes insurance and other benefits. A freelancer, who works from home for many different companies, on the other hand, may get erratic paychecks and no benefits. However, freelancers can work whatever hours and days they choose and don't have to worry about dressing up for work, punching a time clock, or dealing with bosses (except for editors). Authors' salaries also vary greatly. Some receive advances or fees for writing their books; some only get paid after books are sold, and they get a percentage of the cover price. Some get both.

English class will expose you to ideas, concepts, tips, and rules that you will access for the rest of your life. Every time you pick up a pencil or put your fingers on the keyboard, the that taught you how to make your ideas clear and understandable will be there--just waiting for you to remember!

RELATED ARTICLES: Interview with an Author

Teri Brown is the mother of two young children, loves to read, and has a terrific laugh. Last year, when a brain tumor threatened her life, she turned to the avenue that would bring her the most relief and clarity--writing. In a poignant essay guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye, she wrote of her fears and hopes. "Letter to My Neurosurgeon" was published in Home Education Magazine. It spoke of strength, worry, and honesty:

"I felt it imperative that you understand on a deep level that as your delicate hands move gently through my head, they are also moving through our lives."

Besides this essay, Brown has written two books and numerous articles for a wide variety of publications. She bounces from writing the script for an audiotape to an article on field trips to promoting her books to working on her novel--all in the course of one day. Brown is a full-time freelance writer, working from her home on a variety of assignments that bring her both an income and greatfulfillment.

"I've known I wanted to be a writer since I learned how to read," she says. "I never wrote in diaries or journals because I wanted my writing to be for the public. I've always had an ability to write," she adds, "and don't want it to become a lost art."