The most annoying writing convention in the world is, well, well.

Um, I'm pretty sure I'm using the most irritating writing convention.

 

Mystery Meat II using the most irritating writing convention? Mystery Meat II using the most irritating writing convention.

It's the most Mystery Meat II thing ever. There's a non-zero chance of that.

 

Worst. Convention. Ever.

 

Words in all-caps for emphasis.
Capitalizing phrases as similar affectation.
If you need to do this to dress up a point, you can't write.

 

Maybe if people learned how to, you know, write, they wouldn't be so prone to irritating conventions.

 

You know what I'm saying?

 

Grammar is not a value set for everyone.
You can save yourself a lot of frustration as an editor by coming to terms with that.
I'd rather handle copy of a person who can write and has shitty grammar than vice-versa.

 

I would, too.

I would never criticize a writer for bad grammar provided they don't criticize me for fixing it.

 

That's the problem.
Many of them don't know the rules.
Makes them look like clueless asswipes when they protest a fix.
I think someone paid to build things with words should know the rules governing usage, but that isn't a fight worth having anymore.

 

But when the writers don't learn style, you end up making the same fixes night after night. That sucks on the desk.

 

They can't be bothered with that.
They're the talent. That mundanity is for "the help."
I think a master craftsman should have command of his tools.
Can you really respect a writer who regularly misspells the same words?
I know my answer.

 

Styles are no longer the sacred things they once were, and some writers have worked (or are working) at multiple places with different styles. So I can forgive them for needing reminders from time to time.

When they can't be bothered, though, and clearly disregard you again and again -- or worse, blow you off, flippantly -- that's, well, when I get upset. But it's a writer's world. Or, rather, it's a content producer's world.