Words: Friends or Foe? How can writing help you.

[quirkywords]

People can be afraid of words as they have no confidence in what they write. Maybe at school teachers have said negative things about their writing or their parents have said they don't write well.

Some people are anxious to write their first post as they wonder if they will make sense to others.

I believe words are your friends and everyone who can read this can write in meaningful way.

I want to look at how writing can help you

1) by helping you to explain and express your feelings to others

2) allowing you to connect to others through your words

3) by keeping a journal or starting a thread here and learn from your own writing and read others.

4) by helping you work out how to change certain behaviours

and many more we can share with each other.

To start at the beginning : Are words your friend or foe?

When you see a blank page or screen are you filled with fear or are you excited at the challenge.

Does writing words down help you more or in a different way to speaking them?

Everyone is welcome to contribute, first time posters , regulars, people who don't like writing , people who find they go the character limit for the post every time.

Write on

Quirky

PS writing in this context is same as typing , or using voice to text.

I want to look at how words can help you express your thoughts and emotions?

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quirky

Your radio play sounds awesome and I love the way you involved your children in the endeavour. Writing can be a very lonely pursuit, don't you think? So good on you for finding a way to use it connect withe others. I bet the audience loved it!

[Quercus]

Hi everyone,

Two good questions..

What makes a good thread?

Check out do you love yourself by Blondeguy (Paul). This thread has the two key parts...

1. An excellent caretaker

2. A topic which many relate to

I think the caretaker is more important than the thread itself. Paul's thread works so well I believe because he allows every member to experience the thread for the first time and be able to join in.

How? He keeps bringing the conversation back to the original/key question. The thread goes on tangents and discussions but then he will bring it back "on topic".

I think this is more important than the topic as it creates an atmosphere where both new members and old are wecome. Long threads can be intimidating to jump into.

And Quirky's question...

When is writing a chore?

Responding to multiple text messages.

Some of my family want to have a conversation via text. Rather than picking up the phone or sending an email or a letter.

I find it exhausting. Can easily get tied up for half an hour with my phone going off. Beep beep beep. It makes writing a chore. It makes communication in general painful. Especially when I'm trying to write a reply and another text comes through. I loathe it.

Ok so I'm useless on the phone but sometimes I think texting has made life more irritating.

[quirkywords]

Everyone ,

I actually like texting as I don't like talking on the phone so that is interesting.

Nat, I agree with what you said about choosing thread topics and managing a thread. I wrote something very similar but think I may have forgotten to post it or I imagined it!!

Once the only way to write was with pen and paper, quill, pencil etc but now we have so many different options of sharing words. Are there too many, enough or not enough choices?

Quirky

[Tams20]

I agree Nat that Paul’s ‘do you love yourself’ thread is very well managed, he’s a constant presence and interacts with everyone who contributes.

Quirky you also do a great job of managing the ‘this Bipolar life’ thread...

I’m also a fan of texting because I don’t like talking on the phone unless I have to. But some people are better at texting than others, so it can be frustrating. And some things get lost in translation 😬

Tams

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quercus

Thank you for your tips on crafting a good thread. I've never joined a thread with more than a handful of posts because I find it intimidating and I'm always scared to jump in and be out of the loop. I checked out the post you mentioned and I see what you mean. It's like a little light bulb went off in my head ... going to practise now on a thread I started. Thank you.

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quirky

I like the question you posed ...

I think there are just the right amount of writing choices and it gives us great flexibility. I use a handwritten letter when I really want to show someone I care, text strictly for functional communication (e.g. Where are you? When will you be home? Please pick up some milk), email for business and Messenger to talk with family and friends overseas.

The problem with some of these communication tools, email for example, is that sometimes tone can be misinterpreted. I used to use email to talk with friends but it is such a blunt tool that I gave it up. As Tams pointed out, meaning can get lost with texting, which is why I don't use it for conversations. I guess I'm old fashioned but I would prefer to talk on the phone than text or email someone.

[quirkywords]

Hello writers of words,

Summer Rose,

like the way you have a different use for the different devices.

am glad the computer came along and even though it may be more impersonal than writing a letter, as I have explained before no one can read my writing not even me, so I am grateful for computers.

Text is good for items left off a shopping list, for meeting up with people, for exchange of short information, for saying just seeing how you are? etc

I am wondering if having illegible handwriting has a label ending in sia. Long story!!

Quirky

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quirky

Interesting point about illegible handwriting. I have two types of handwriting. I can write legibly but reserve this effort for when I'm writing something somebody else will have to read. A letter, note or card. As a young journo I always used short hand and over the years I've developed my own shorthand. I have steno books full of writing that no one but me will ever be able to read. This practice has crept into anything person, even my grocery lists!

Do you want to tell us your "long story"?

[Tams20]

Summer Rose, Quirky,

I don’t like my handwriting... you can read it, but it just has no character... some of my friends as family have really interesting looking handwriting that is pleasurable to read, my neatest version is just like looking at ‘Arial’ font... would put you to sleep! It’s very much like me - gets the message across, but doesn’t show any character. The outward appearance of an efficient and organised mind... which couldn’t be further from the truth!

Tams

[quirkywords]

Tams,

I would like your handwriting.

In my first post I had a list and I thought we could start discussing the points.

How writing can help you

1) by helping you to explain and express your feelings to others.

I am interested in how everyone uses words to explain feelings, can you share your tips.

how do you compose your ideas when feeling down?

How do you make sense of the jumbled thoughts in your head?

I find I ramble and repeat when I am upset so I end up confusing myself and others.

Doing a list

1.

2.

3.

4

can help.

Quirkywords