My punctuation skills are far from perfect, but it's not something I've ever really struggled with, at least not severely. Lately however, I have been experiencing some punctuation problems and I'm currently working on correcting them. 


It's not about perfection, I make mistakes and I will make plenty more of them throughout my life. I am only human and part of being human is making lots and lots of mistakes!


I have no intentions of changing my eclectic writing style. I go with the flow, I write according to my mood or whatever the subject is. My style is different, not everyone is going to appreciate it, that's okay! I know who I am, I know what kind of writer I am and like I said, I have no intentions of changing that. 


I would just like to improve in some areas, I want to develop better writing skills, I want to continue to learn and grow, so people will respect me and take me seriously as a writer. At the same time, writing is a fun and often therapeutic way for me to express myself. I love being able to write about the people, places and things I love and it's never a chore. If it became more like a chore, I would no longer enjoy it. I do not want that to happen!



My punctuation problems started earlier this year. What happens is I'll get halfway through a sentence or I'll get to the end of a sentence and I get stuck, I draw a big blank and it takes forever to figure out what to put there.  Does it need a comma? Should I end it with a period or an exclamation point? It's been frustrating, because I've never had problems with this before. I don't know what's going on!

I know a question always ends with a question mark and for the most part I do know how to use a period, but it can be tricky! Usually, when I'm expressing something exciting or want to get a point across I'll use the exclamation point, I believe that's the way it's suppose to be used. Sometimes I do get stumped though. I don't always know the appropriate time to use it.

And then there's that pesky comma! That has to be my least favorite of all the typographical symbols! It is so annoying! I've noticed I've been putting it in places where it doesn't belong. I apologize for that. I just get so frustrated with it! Sometimes I just decide to not use it at all, I really need to get out of the habit of doing that though. I know it's an important symbol.

It's as if I'm starting to forget everything I learned fifteen years ago in school, but I've been writing since I was 7 years old and I have never stopped. I write every day! One would think my mind would be sharper. 


I suppose it is possible to forget what you were taught in school, if you haven't been in a classroom in years and you don't have someone to show you how to solve math problems or use proper punctuation. Plus, there isn't as much discipline. I think you tend to work harder when there is more pressure and you have someone grading you.

I've been very lucky. Everyone has been so understanding and supportive. I've only dealt with a few harsh critics in the 9 years I've been doing this. People can be overly critical. There are some people who assume you are stupid if you make more than a few mistakes. That's simply not true! 

There are a lot of brilliant writers who make tons of mistakes! Not all amazing writers have the best grammar and they might struggle with things such as punctuation, but that doesn't mean they are stupid or untalented. 

Anyway, sorry for all the typos. I just wanted you all to know that I am aware of my mistakes and I am working on them. 

...Q & A...

What are your writing/blogging flaws? Spelling? Grammar? Punctuation? Are there any that you had, that you were able to correct, if so what were they and what did you do to fix them?









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