So Many Writing Media Choices, But Are We Saying Anything?

I was sitting outside behind the office yesterday writing a letter to a friend (yes, I was actually writing a letter longhand) when it occurred to me that we have so much variety in media for writing now compared to 50 years ago, or even 25 years ago.

In a single day,  I used several different media for writing. I wrote by hand (the letter, notes at meetings, quick post-it notes to myself),  I used the computer for many tasks (email, evaluation projects, grant work, web content, blogging, tweeting, Facebook posting),  I journaled using an application on my iPhone (yes, I have become quite accustomed to using that teeny-tiny keyboard), and I dictated some notes (both dictation onto a tape for real-person transcription and dictation using Dragon software directly onto the computer).

The choices 50 years ago were to write by hand or to write using a typewriter.  There were some folks who used dictation machines, but dictation was not nearly as widespread as it is now with all of the great voice recognition software that's available.

I know I write a lot more than I did when fewer tools were available. The fact that the amount of written material has increased dramatically and exponentially in recent years tells me that the same is true for many other people, too.

It makes me wonder, with all this additional writing, are we really saying anything?

As far as grant writing is concerned, it seems we are required by funding sources to write more and more (yet they still complain about having to read and score so much), and the nature of the current scoring processes, combined with the intensive level of competition, makes grant selection processes more random than they should be (read my post The Federal Grant Selection Process: Random or Fair?).

As far as email goes, I really like how it keeps me connected to folks, but there are some people who use it to process their thinking, rather than to communicate the thoughts they really want to communicate.  Have you ever read a lengthy email and by the time you get to the end you don't know what the writer was really trying to say?  If so, you know exactly what I mean.

I think we all need to think more before we write. This is particularly important with the rise of social media and instant communications.  It used to be that you had a chance to formulate your thoughts, cool down, reflect, etc. before you were expected to respond to someone.  Now, there is an expectation of an instant response, and that's where many of use get into trouble.  We write things that should not be written, and once it's out there in cyber-space, it's out there forever.

Don't get me wrong.  I love the fact that I can connect to so many people virtually.  I have developed friendships and working relationships that would never have been possible without the assistance of modern technology, but I have had to learn the hard way to discipline myself. Thinking first used to be natural because instant communication wasn't possible (well, it was never natural for some folks, but you know what I mean). Now it is a discipline that must be developed.

More people can get their writing out to the world now, but are more people thinking about what they write?  Are they writing anything worth reading?  Are they writing things that add to the positive development of the human race and improve the human condition? Are they lifting people up with the written word or tearing people down?

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Check out the whole blog - A Writer's Journey at http://veronicarobbins.blogspot.com

Within the next few days, we'll be unveiling our new Online Learning Center at GrantGoddess.com. The Online Learning Center will be home to a variety of grant writing and program evaluation seminars and online courses.  Stay tunes and keep checking GrantGoddess.com for more information!