The Dying Art of Formal Writing

The Dying Art of Formal Writing

I am new to the blogging world but I am an email junkie. Most of my communication is conducted through email, text messages or instant messages. I have occasionally dipped my toes into the cool waters of the chat rooms but I found it to be less than gratifying and sometimes teetering on the cusp of frustrating. For the sake of this post I will skip the semantics.
If one only visited the chat rooms or communicated through instant messages the idea that a new form of writing has evolved and has conquered all would pervade. I suppose in some realms it has. People are now writing in cryptic messages and using virtually indecipherable symbols to express thoughts and ideas. This lends credence to the idea that the art of formal writing has begun to traverse the same paths as the Empires of the Ancient Worlds leaving behind fragmented details which allude to a society that has long since slipped into the icy depths of the forgotten.

However, I have spent some time introducing myself to the world of blogging and although some of the sites are not encouraging. Others caress my aching intellect by their skill and grace with the electronic quill and parchment akin to that of the most noble of laureates. To my delight I discovered literary elements present in many of the sites I visited. This discovery has affirmed my belief that the art of formal writing is not dying. It is thriving and surging through our societies on the electronic tide that is known as Internet blogging.

Tantalizing my literary taste buds is the blog site known as 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' http://asliceofcherrypie.blogspot.com. Julia Parsons is the author of this site devoted to ‘food, friends and life.’ Well, that is what the title bar reads. Now, I am not big on cooking myself, contrary to my southern upbringing but I found myself intrigued by the posts. The authors’ style of writing provides smooth transitions from one idea to the next creating palate pleasing entertainment. Subtle humor, irony and other literary elements are tastefully interwoven into the body of the posts inviting the reader to relax and enjoy the gentle simmer of the story line.

Now, that was only one example of the treats I discovered on my voyage across the electronic oceans. I would provide more examples but this is after all a blog right? This post is not intended to be a review of the sites I visited it is only affirmation that formal writing is not dead nor is it in its final stages of life. It is evolving as life itself does by adapting to a new world.

As the younger generation matures and their familiarity with the tattered and torn form of writing flowing through text messages, instant messages and emails engrains itself in their minds. We may all see formal writing skills slip below the surface. As for now, it is a refreshing and encouraging discovery to find formal writing gracefully dancing atop the electronic waves persistently lapping at the shores of illiteracy.
Sharon