1. I know no one but me likes just typing directly into the compose/HTML but on a word processor beforehand. With coding and editing sometimes copy + paste changes the format and in between every sentence is two spaces instead of one. It also doesn't leave a space in between paragraphs. I read it all while I edit but could you make it a little easier for me by my double checking before you hit save.2. This piggybacks off of one. I wouldn't call it a pet peeve but you guys do not have to indent your paragraphs. This isn't your college research paper. You don't have to follow MLA format but AP (Associated Press). I promise it's okay if you delete that from your memory you won't need it unless you are writing a novel. Read any article in your favorite magazine and I promise they don't indent either.
3. Everyone, absolutely everyone makes grammar mistakes. Me too. Sometimes I go back into something I've written two years ago and fix something stupid I wrote. It's inevitable so don't beat yourself up. The one I see everyone tend to do is little stuff with punctuation. "When putting a quote of a lyric or whatever into your writing, always capitalize the first word. When finishing the quote the punctuation mark comes first then your end quotation marks."
4. Parentheses, parentheses, parentheses. It's an interesting style I've used and I see a lot of you guys picked that up yourselves. It's kind of like saying something under your breath after an aloud thought. We just have to do it right. I have an example in bold on number two on this list. Open your parenthesis, first word is capitalized, finish your sentence or thought then close your parentheses. The period, question mark, exclamation mark comes after it's clothed.
5. We are products of our environment and generation. It's the 21st century and millennials grew up in a different age where we are used to exchanging information faster than ever before. So we type in shorthand whether its social media, texting, anything. Sometimes we forget that our writing here has to be grammatically correct. That means our I's have to be uppercase. We have to spell out our words and can't use acronyms (with a few exceptions).
6. Niles this one is for you. We are professionals man. There are better ways to get your point across without profanity. I'm no little boy and we all know I cuss in my everyday speaking. I do in my writing sometimes. Let's try to do that as little as possible, and if we do just blurt out the first vowel h*es. I'm sure the lyrics will have enough cursing that we don't need to I promise.
7. Something I don't know if everyone knows: Numbers one through ten have to be spelled out. Annoying I get it but the good news is we can use numerals for 11 and up.
8. The basis of this writing business is meeting deadlines. I know I'm asking a lot of you all. It's because there's a bigger picture that I want you all apart of. I promise we'll reap what we sow very soon. In the meantime it's grind time and we cannot part time our movement and expect full time results. I expect everyone to be able to write at least one piece a week. We all get busy with work and school but I think one piece is reasonable. Even if it's something short that we assigned or you just wanted to cover. There's always going to be something to write about. The industry doesn't stop and if it did we'd have countless throwbacks to cover. Another thing is to have something chilling for a rainy day. It's always nice to have a safety blanket and umbrella to post a write up when someone else can't get to a computer.
9. Feel free to be vocal. I asked you all to contribute because I love your ears and opinions. I respect what you all have to say and view you as family. Of course Niles and I going to assign writing but I still want to know what's filling the space between your ears too. I only pass the writing to you guys because I think you'll enjoy listening to new stuff like I do. Feel free to pass me new music I'm sure there's something you are listening to that I never heard of and will love, and vice versa. You are welcome to write about whatever. At the same time don't be so quick to just shoot something down. Listen to it, really listen. If after you got through it and you have nothing good to say about it, don't lie. Don't try to make something of nothing but actually take the time to process it. You might find something you missed that you just might love.
10. Have fun. I say this all the time. If you don't have fun doing this, it'll turn into a job really quick. Always make sure you listen to music on your own leisure too. Sure you want to listen to the music you are reviewing or writing about but don't be scared to put Young Thug and Fetty in your earbuds.
Thank You family.
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