Hi, my name is Terry Clayton, your host for 7 Myths About Writing. As a writer, I spend most of my time helping people get various kinds of publications off their desk and out the door. As a teacher, I spend my time trying to help people learn to do that more efficiently for themselves. As a writer and a teacher, I've discovered some common obstacles that many people encounter. I call 7 Myths About Writing. Myth 1. This is a common one for people working in English as their second language. Yes, if I want to write in another language, I need some vocabulary and grammar. But how much? Here's one writer that hasn't learned grammar or vocabulary, stopped him from communicating a message. Reading this ad to get a clear sense that the owner of this news shop thinks his news are really good. And his grammar won't stop me from ordering a bowl. Myth 2. Writing as a product. We hold a book, a magazine, now a Kindle, in our hands. It's a physical thing. We think of writing as a product. But behind every product, there is a process. And without that process, there is no product. What most of us have never had is any introduction to that process. But we struggle with writing. Myth 3. Many people have a romantic image of the writer as a tortured soul toiling away in a secluded attic. Maybe for some poets and novelists, but here we're talking about everyday workday writing, which is very much a collaborative process. Yes, one person may sit alone for periods of time composing sentences. But composing is only one part of the process. Myth 4. I would define anxiety as that tension between that feeling of it's not ready yet, and the knowledge of an impending deadline. Think of it like this. It's not ready until someone's read it and give an use in feedback. Not correction. That comes later. Myth 5. There was a time, long ago, when people dipped their quill pens and ink they mixed themselves and paper was expensive. So you tried really hard to get it right the first time. It's only within the last generation that the technology of writing has changed all that. So it's not surprising that most people feel that revising the text is somehow not right. Nothing could be further from the truth. Going through revise and you are well on your way to becoming an accomplished writer. Myth 6. Revising is different from correcting. Correcting comes at the end of the process when you have all your ideas organized and it's time to polish the text. Revising is what you do before that stage. Making the big changes. Myth 7. It certainly can be and often is formal but not every occasion needs formality. The tone of an email to a friend is not formal and interoff is memo need not be formal. A skilled writer matches the level of formality to the audience. Here's one of my favorite examples of a writer trying to be more formal than necessary. This is from a real technical report. The writing on the left I call the professor style and the writing on the right is the plain English style. It's the same content, the same message, the same meaning. One will give you a headache, one won't. Sometimes your writing is not a problem. Sometimes the big boss has certain ideas about writing. Writing should always be formal. Sometimes the writing process becomes an arena for the exercise of power. Make these changes and do it because I said so. All I can say is learn to live with it. Finally, remember that writing was invented so that people far away in space and time can hear what you have to say. Sometimes the best writing strategy is to write what you would say. I hope you enjoyed this presentation. If you have any comments or questions or if you'd like to learn more about our workshops or writers, contact us at Red Plow International or Red Plow's corporate agent Vantage CM for more information. Thanks very much and good writing.