Today, the thought of having to write a novel, or even an article or essay, without being able to move about it freely, correcting errors, plugging in new information – writing with one eye, editing with the other – seems ridiculously inefficient; perhaps enjoyable, but nonetheless archaic, a romantic practice.

And yet some things haven’t changed that much. Since the age of the Roman Empire – a society that lived and died by its paperwork – writing has been an industry. For hundreds of years, businessmen, politicians, and other professional people weren’t expected to know how to read or write. They just took the writing assignments they needed completed – everything from legal documents to love letters – down to the local market or center of commerce where they could choose from a host of scribes to do their writing for them. This practice began to peter out at the end of the middle ages, as the literacy level of the individual increased dramatically. Now, however, as we enter a new age of specialization in the realms of language and the written word, the role of the scrivener comes into play once more.

Most adults in first world countries can read and write with little trouble. However, with the evolution of business, industry, and human thought in general, language has become a sometimes monstrously overwhelming and mysterious creature. Different fields of specialization require different languages, even if they all claim to be speaking plain English. We use complex terms to refer to simple things, or simple terms that take on vastly different meanings depending on their context. Furthermore, the arrival of information technology onto the ancient scene of written communication has caused a jump in professional expectations as to the quality of documentation. When we communicate, we are expected to do so clearly, effectively, persuasively, and even charmingly, or amusingly.

It is thusly that writing itself, the art form, the passion, the lifelong commitment, once again becomes an area of specialization, and once again the role of the scribe becomes a necessary part of everyday life.  Individuals learning the intricacies of their own art form – whether it is law or business, music or fashion, carpentry or cooking – do not necessarily have the time and energy to become masters of their own professions as well as that of writing. This is why the professional writer has a necessary and large role to play in the fabric of today’s technologies and communications-driven society.

Luckily, the revolution in information technology has not left us up the inky creek without a pen-like paddle. As businesspeople, lawmakers, and lovers could once seek scribes in the local markets, seekers of today can find independent, freelance professional writers online at marketplaces such as Guru.com. The medieval scrivener, ink-stained fingers flying over parchment as he composes an Assurance of Good Character letter for a traveler, or interprets a complicated legal document, is not so different from the online freelance professional, fingers flying over the keyboard, generating copy for a website or editing business documents for clarity.

Because language is such a vital and omnipresent aspect of our existence, it is easy to overlook its importance and its difficulties. However, an improperly chosen word, or absent-minded slip of the tongue can make all the difference when it comes to the success of nearly any endeavor. The ability to master words and use them properly, effectively, and ultimately, deliciously, is a lifelong study. Language is woven into every aspect of our lives, we cannot succeed as human beings without it, and not despite this, but because of this, the collaboration of a professional in all our most important communications is invaluable.

I am a professional writer. I have dedicated my life to learning this art. I believe my specialization is a necessary part of everything happening today in what fails or succeeds as a global human community based purely on our ability to communicate with each other.  I feel that my role in this global community is to facilitate and clarify its communications. That is why I am so happy to be getting online, getting involved, and setting up my little desk in this metropolis of the imagination, this greatest marketplace in the history of human society.