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?

[quirkywords]

Hello all

Summer Rose you wrote

”words hurt. They can be devestating”

How do we sto our words hurting others or wing de Estate Games?

Has anyone like me said or written something quite innocent to another but had those words interpreted in a totally different way than intended.

i have a sense of humour at times that others can misinterpret. Sonwords cab me my friend but then interpreted as a foe.

Quirky

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone,

I think every time I listen to the radio I hear people saying words to hurt, annoy, or anger others. Obviously not everyone but lots of the sound bytes have language that is not friendly.

Does anyone notice this? I often have a news free day because it be overwhelming and annoying.

Quirky

[spacemountain]

I love writing! Both for necessary communication and for fun. I like writing essays. I journal a lot. I used to write poetry often, but I haven't been manic enough for a long time for that 😉

[quirkywords]

Sapcem ountain, welcome to this threa,

I am so glad you love writing.

Have it is ever helped you with your mental health to understand your thoughts and behaviours better.

I used to write poetry when I was very depressed so was very dark. I was too distracted when manic.

What type of writing do you enjoy the most?

Quirky

[PamelaR]

Hi all

I used to dislike writing. Mainly because of my past experience from school. My English teacher didn't like my interpretation of 'stuff'. Everything I did was corrected. So it left me feeling awful, that I couldn't write, that I was useless.

But you know, I challenged this view and when I went to uni some 25 years later, I chose the courses where I had to write! Of course this increased my anxiety no end,but I did it. I also took on jobs where I had to write. So I kept on learning, kept on writing.

The naturopath I used to see suggested I write a book. A book about how my hubby and I lived with one another, not having children. That book is still humming away in the back of my mind, but there are so many other things I write about these days.

Thank you so much Quirky for starting this thread. It's so useful to all of us! You are a gem you know.

Kind regards

PamelaR

[Lici]

Hi quirky (and everyone else)

In reply to your question about the radio (and news in general)

I know exactly what you mean! I stopped listening to the radio and stopped watching tv because I found the news to be so depressing and dividing all the time. They only report the bad things anyway and it makes it seem like nothing good ever happens in the world. These days it's even worse with some stuff. I now read news articles that I see online and that's it. I'm just so tired of all the hate in the world!

I hope everyone is doing well 😊

Lici

[quirkywords]

hello everyone,

Thanks Lici for your post.

It can be upsetting when all the news on the radio is very negative and or violent.

Pamela thanks for your post. I am sure when you find time you will write that book.

Quirky

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone

I wonder if there is a middle road to the art of editing. I either want to delete everything I write or I think it is fine and don't edit much.

I think self doubt really comes out when I write.

Can anyone relate or help with ideas for editing without tears.

Quirky

[Lici]

Hi quirky!

Editing certainly is an art! One thing I learnt in my creative writing major was to go through your writing looking at one thing at a time. So if it's a story, look at one character and see if there's anything that needs to be fixed, then edit that and only that for that edit. Then repeat for the other characters, for the setting, the plot etc. Then in the final edit you look at grammar and punctuation. I find this helps me focus without self- doubt getting to me too much.

When it comes to other forms of writing, I mostly just look at spelling and grammar. The process for an email or forum post etc is way less complicated lol

Hope you're doing well 😊

Lici

[quirkywords]

Hello word lovers,

lici, thanks for your helpful words about editing.

inlike the advice to look at one ting at a time and not to be overwhelmed and to try to do everything at once.

Thanks for that.

Quirky