advertisers = bad writers?
From Direct Creative Blog:
“Some of the worst copywriters are ‘writers’ who enter the commercial copywriting profession. Why? Because they’ve learned the formal rules of writing so well, they can’t break free of the grammar and style shackles. They’re forever obsessing about what is correct rather than what is effective.”
I agree and disagree with this article. On the one hand, copywriters do need to be flexible about rules/style. Sometimes it’s OK to start a sentence with “and,” even though traditional rules dictate otherwise. It’s all about usage, with advertising, I’m learning. On the other hand, I know from experience that it’s harder to train a “free-thinker” in grammar than to train a “grammarian” in letting go.
To read the rest of the article, and learn what other grammar rules are up for grabs with ads, click the above link.
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2 Responses to “advertisers = bad writers?”
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Interesting point. Though I’d say it was the other way around.
My experience is that it’s harder to teach rigid grammarians how to communicate in the commercial arena than it is to teach “free thinkers,” as you call them, acceptable grammar.
Free thinkers are well, free thinkers. They’re not tied to any set of rules. On the other hand, grammarians are locked into the rules and have trouble breaking free.
I’m coming at this as a recovering English teacher, by the way.
Most of my grammar/writing students do fairly well with free thinking. Structure and technical things are their biggest struggle.
It’s not that I care so much about the nitpicky stuff; I really just want them to get into the habit of writing what they write for a reason, not just because it “came out” that way. They have good ideas, but they need to learn to put those ideas into a structure that makes their presentation effective and understandable to others.