The Levels of Writing

There are three levels of writing.

The first is very informal, personal writing. This is done daily. Grocery lists, brainstorming, notes, and so on are usually in this category. This is written for you or someone close to you. Hence, there's no real reason to proof it. As long as you understand it, great.

The second is less informal. This is done more frequently. A second draft would fall in here, as would Facebook messages, texts, and email messages. A little revision might go in here since the audience isn't just you, but a quick glance or maybe some editing software will do the trick.

The third level is publishable prose. This should be done every couple of weeks. A final draft submitted for a grade, a letter to the editor, a memo going around the office, or some form of report - all are third level writing. You'll want to polish this up. Have someone else look at it. Put it through a few drafts. Read it a loud. Don't rely on simple editing software for this stuff.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that road signs and anything stenciled in paint on a road should fall under the third category.

Guess not, though!