Because I write and possess a degree in English Literature people are surprised when I admit to knowing next to nothing about subjects like spelling and punctuation. The notion that in order to write publishable material one needs to be able to spell and punctuate correctly is nonesense, probably put out by English teachers and grammarians.

Shakespeare couldn't even spell his own name the same way consistently. And so what? Here's how much sense spelling makes. "Phonetically" can't be spelled phonetically.

Rules of punctuation are almost as useless as spelling. I just write sentences the way they sound, using commas and periods. The way I figure, a period represents a full stop, while a comma is a momentary pause.

I never use semi-colons. A semi-colon is a punctuation mark that can't decide whether it's a period or a comma. It's a mark of dithering and confusion. An apologist for run-on sentences. The mark of the writer for whom a simple, straightforward sentence is not good enough. (On the other hand, someone once said, "A writer who uses semi-colons is not a hack.")

You think I'm going to spellcheck this before I run it? Ha! I laught in the face of spellcheckers!