If you can think, you can write

I was going to name this post, "If you can talk, you can write," but that's not true. Just listen to some of the people around you. If we're going to be honest, they really should keep their mouths shut. I'm sure this doesn't apply to you, however.

Good writing is conversational in style. It should speak directly to the reader without the impediments of complicated words or sentence structure. It should be an honest, from-the-heart attempt to reach another person. Or at the very least, it should sound that way.

Good writing should sound like an informed, honest, reasonably smart person talking. It's really a monologue. If you can think in an orderly fashion, you can write.

Conversational standards, text messaging and e-mail -- not to mention semi-literate contemporary slang -- have degraded the spoken word. Many, many people take so many shortcuts in their communications that they cannot rely on their ears to tell them if their writing is effective. But I'm being an old crank. My audience requires standard English in a casual style. Perhaps yours wants to be asked, "Whassup, Dawg?"

Know who you're writing for, think through what you're going to say, and write in the language that your audience understands.