Question on Essay Writing

[TMA_1]

It can be about any basic form of writing for that matter, but I was curious.

WHile in college my writing was much better. It seemed sharper and less incoherent. After fading out of college for awhile though because of my own personal faults, I have noticed that my writing is much duller and even my spelling is worse. On top of that my punctuation is terrible. Thankfully I am starting up again this fall on the 18th, financial aid cleared and I am set to go. What I am wondering is this. Does writing do that to any of you guys? Meaning if you dont work on the craft of writing does it get less and less sharp for you guys? I am just concerned because I dont want it to stay this way and I am wondering if any of you guys have had any similar experiance. Is writing the kind of thing that you always have to work on in order to keep it working in good order? Or is it the kind of thing that you can pick back up at any time with the same efficiancy? I just hope it doesnt have to do with my personal abilities is all. Odd post, but feedback would be much appreciated. :)

[ExSPlug]

Same experience here currently since I'm off from school for already 3 months+, espically for the spelling part.

Luckily for me it's not something that's permenant, about 2~3 formal letters/essays and I got the "feel " back.

Having reading as a habit does help also, it somehow reduce the frequency and time required for me to edit/paraphrase.

[Mihail]

I read alot and write alot on the 'Net, so it isn't a big problem for me. However, I've noticed that yes, spelling deteriorates with less use. For example, I used to be an almost perfect speller in the States, but now that I'm back in Latvia and don't use English much I make embarrasing mistakes, etc.

[lowzeewee]

Practice makes perfect.

[Dante]

I've found that anything involving language, namely reading, writing and speaking, will deteriorate over time if not used. If I don't write for a while, my ability will be slower and inferior when I start again. The same goes for reading, but that to a much lesser extent. If I avoid human contact for extended periods of time (which I am wont to do), I find that when I meet them again and try to talk I stumble over the words and generally make a right mess of it. Perhaps this has something to do with language centres in the brain. It would certainly explain why I was never good at German and forgot it so very quickly. Then again, perhaps I'm developing dyslexia. After all I've spent the last year or so in a job that involves talking to people every day. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. And I've noticed that I'm making different mistakes than the ones I used to. Inserting incorrect double letters, so I might spell the word leeters rather than letters, where an 'ordinary' mistake would perhaps be switching them round or hitting a key out of sequence. Eh, I'm rambling. You've got nothing to worry about. :)

[TMA_1]

Thanks a bunch Dante, Helps to know that it isnt just me, and that it isnt somehow perminant. :)

[Andrew]

My writing gets messier in the summer, as I write very little. My writing is messy to begin with.

Quite frankly my signature on the VISA are getting more and more like scribbles.

[gunner154]

Leaving handwriting out (which is a huge issue for me), writing is generally okay. For me, what I write really just depends on what I would be influenced by then. Or what inspiration I have. My style varies between inspired and uninspired, though the uninspired style is quite static.