Help with a writer's burdens

I'll be honest: I feel added burdens whenever I write something. (Might that be sort of problematic since I'm a writer?) Any other writers out there feel the same way?

First off: Because I've worked for years as a writer, I always feel squeamish whenever it's time to sign a greeting card. I'm afraid that people are expecting something really clever or profound or interesting. Something that when they see it smacks of how incredibly talented I am. Ha. But really, how many ways can you say, "Happy Birthday.  Have a great day!"?  And, if it's a group card, someone has probably already said, "Happy Birthday. Have a great day!" before it gets to you.

This is some high-level pressure, I tell you.

And, second: The other burden is that my grammar should be correct. I can spot a rogue or missing comma, a wrong use of she/her/me/I, or a bad you're/your a mile away in someone else's writing. But it's a lot harder to find it in your own writing when you're so close to it.

Well, burden #1 will always be with me, but burden #2 does have a solution. It's called Grammarly and I've been using it for a while now.  The World's Best Grammar Checker

Grammarly is an online proofing system that checks for more than 250 types of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.  It's simple to use. You just sign up for an account and download the app. (You can sign up for free with the basic account.)

Then, you can use it in two ways: 

1. When you type.  Right now as I am typing this, there is a little green or red G in the lower right corner of the text box. When I make a mistake, it highlights the mistake or question in red. I can click on it to see what the mistake is and make the change. This proofing works in any document you're producing, whether it's a word document, an email, or even if you're completing an online form.
2. Insert the whole document. You can also open the Grammarly app and cut and paste an entire document or text block into it for proofing.

Seriously, it's that easy.  And, did I mention that you can sign up for this great peace of mind
for free?  (You can always upgrade to a premium account for even more benefits.)

If you're a writer, Grammarly is a no-brainer. And, even if you're not a writer, Grammarly can help you appear professional in your emails and other written communications. It's a perfect resource.

So ... now that grammar's been taken care of, I'm off to compile a list of catchy greeting card messages for future reference.  Wishing you an error-free day!


This post was proofread by Grammarly

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