Talking vs. Writing

[Sup2u]

Something I've noticed. I seem to be really really good at writing reports. For any class. I think part of it is the stutter. I have all these words boggled up in my head that I don't get to use because of my stutter, or I feel afraid to use them, or I don't have the opportunity to use them. And when I pick up a pen they just flow out. Its very interesting. Comments.

[Asif]

Yes yes yes :)
My own command of the english language is way above average. But of course, using the spoken word, I rarely get to excercise it.
I edit out 90% of the words and substitute similes, metaphors and vocubulary simply to get the message across with as little trouble as possible.
This often causes people to misinterpret me as brusque, taciturn, or simply plain rude.
People have said that I am the most honest person they have ever met, and this is probably largely down to my stripped-down use of the spoken word.
But language is a wonderful thing: it is what we use to communicate our view of the world to others. Language allows us to share what we dream and what we know.
One thing has bothered me lately, in my wanderings around the internet:
The way people write is becoming almost unintelligible. For example:
"w8 a min ur taklin liek to fast"
For those as confused (and appalled) as I, this might mean:
"Wait a minute, you are typing faster than I can respond to it".
And yes: this happens here, on this very forum.
We - as stutterers - might as well try to at least make the effort to TYPE fluently. Don't you think?
But I digress :)
Writing is a way we can express ourselves as we would LIKE to.
Writing has to be good for us.
Like singing: it's another thing that - thank God - stutterers can usually do quite well.
Asif.

[Sup2u]

Lewis Carrol stuttered...

[Sup2u]

We type that way because its faster. Sometimes it bothers me but then i think its not that big of a deal. If I really wanted to I can use very precise vocabulary. I do in school.

[Asif]

Quality versus quantity. The timeless question.
I see language as worthy of respect, and so I go for quality.
I am annoyed when I see and hear language being abused / misused.
This is an interesting view in itself, since it is language that has caused me (and you) such terrible problems in our lives.
But writing has never been my enemy, and so I respect it.
Writing has allowed me to communicate when I would not otherwise have been able to.
Do schools (or parents) teach the meaning of "respect" any more?
It would appear that the very concept has all but vanished from the face of the earth.
Some concepts we can do without, but respect is not one of them.
Asif.

[Sup2u]

I guess your right. We shouldn't abuse writing. What has writing ever done to us?

[coercion]

I'd certainly agree. The most obvious example, for me, was in an English GCSE assessment a few years back; I got A*s for the creative writing & comprehension sections, but got a nice fat D for the oral part.

I've always made the most out of written words (I've probably typed hundreds of thousands more words than I've spoken) to make up for not being a fluent speaker. People who I meet in person always seem to get blown away when they chat to me on, say, afterwards. I come off as who I really am, rather than some incoherent fool.

[JustKeisha]

I thank god for writing lol. Back in school, when I wasn't that confidence with my stammer, I use to go to a support teacher, and she asked me, what method do you want to use, of course I chose the writing method on the comp to communicate with her, I was fustrated, because it is alot faster to talk, but I wasn't as confidence, so I use to write everything down on paper, and present it to someone.
We are very smart people indeed, it's just that with a speech difficulity, ppl think we are slow, because we take our time to answer questions, or often take the easy route out with ' I dont know' if we are being asked, knowin damn well 9/10 we know the answers. I find that as i get more confidence, I dont rely on writing too much now days.

[cotton]

I am also one who was told by many people that I should take up creative writing seriously. I never had the finesse for writing until my stutter worsened. And those medications that helped me speak fluently, my writing started to suck. If I was a writer I'll stutter all I want. Oh yeah and I met a lot of stutterers who are GREAT at debating though slow at the tongue. They are way above average intelligence.

[Dug23]

The difference between the way i write and speak is really different. If i have to do a presentation i write it all out perfectly and then go through and swap all the words I think i'll find hard for easier words... Its annoying but i'd rather sound less intelligent than stutter :(