This column is not for you kids out there, unless you plan on getting into journalism.

Teachers won’t like what I have to say because the few times I’ve been invited to teach at young writers’ camps they cringe. Maybe that’s why I haven’t got any invitations in the last 10 to 20 years.

As rrspin celebrates National Grammar Day, coming up this Monday, I’ll tell you what I tell the kids — throw everything you’ve learned in English classes out the window, well, everything but grammar.

These few lessons I’m about to give may serve those in the business world well because, like in journalism, you don’t have time to write, edit and rewrite. Journalism is about getting information out to the public as fast and accurately as you can.

It doesn’t excuse poor grammar or sloppy writing, however, that’s why planning on the fly is necessary.

In the time after I’ve left a city council or county commissioner meeting or even a feature assignment, I’m thinking about what to write, starting with the lead and then working the rest of information in the story. By the time I get home I pretty much know what I’m going to write and then it’s just a simple matter of using my notes as a guideline.

It becomes pretty easy after you’ve done this for as long as I have and my only handicap is I never took a typing class so I’m using a two-fingered version of what is called hunt and peck only I’ve done this so long I usually have no problems watching the screen and not the keyboard.

The lesson here is to always think about what you’re going to write before you write it, even if it means scribbling notes on a pad or in whatever word processing program you’re using.

When you start writing just relax and start with the main idea first. The inverted pyramid has served journalism well for years and it can serve your business writing just as well.

Try to keep your sentences structured in a way where commas are kept to a minimum. Never use exclamation points no matter how urgent the matter is. It tends to put off the reader and may make them anxious. There’s also no need to put certain words in bold face type or all capitals. The reader will know your message is urgent by the information you’ve written — not by the style or fonts the words are written in.

This style, in my opinion, should apply to letters mailed via the postal service or letters sent via email. People in the business world will appreciate your attention to detail even though it seems letter writing has become a lost art.

Spell check is a great tool but use it with caution and have a hardbound dictionary handy or at least a good online dictionary handy for tricky words. Grammar check is my favorite part of Microsoft Word because I tend to get caught up in writing in the passive voice and the program is very observant when I do that.

When you’re done print out a hard copy and read it carefully, a pen or pencil in your hand to mark typos or missing words. My printer is on the fritz right now so my self-editing is done onscreen and that’s an iffy proposal at best.

When you’re done editing, make the corrections and send or publish what you’ve written. That’s how you edit on the fly when time is crucial.

I’m not sure how much I’ve helped but the key to remember is even when the pressure is on, write like it’s not and remember you’re not writing a text message or commenting on a Facebook post where you write “puter” instead of computer or put in a bunch of emoticons and abbreviated terms for laughing out loud. Try writing your Facebook posts and Tweets in complete sentences for a couple of weeks. It will help you more than you realize — Lance Martin

Lance Martin is editor and publisher of rrspin.com