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

I like some of our less used words too. Hackneyed, claptrap and forlorn come to mind.

I like pretty words too. My favourites include ripples, jewel and enchanted. Melodious tops my list.

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for your selection of words.

The word ripples reminds me of summer holidays and walking and throwing a pebble into a creek and watching the ripples.

Is there one style of writing people like or don't like.

I find descriptive or formal writing difficult.

Quirky

[AndyR]

Hi Quirky and Summer Rose.

Claptrap! Oh yes, what a word. Love it, must think of ways to incorporate it into my everyday conversation.

And Frock - it is a great word because it has the stiffness and formality of the article being described. Dress doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

I dislike 'business writing' - structured with so many rules and overuse of language. I wish it could be plain English rather than a grab-bag of jargon terms.

My preferred writing is authentic writing that doesn't over do the descriptive, 'too much icing, not enough cake'.

And I love writing where the author plays with language to create something almost musical with a rhythm.

[quirkywords]

hello everyone,

AndyR,

I like onomatopoeia words like claptrap, sizzle, and words like bamboozle.

Business writing I too find hard.

Yes I like musical writing and writing with rhythm. Do you have a favourite author of that genre?

Quirky

[AndyR]

Hi Quirky

What a challenging question. Colm Toibin and Alan Hollinghurst and Patrick Gale come to mind as authors I enjoy for how they create a sense of musical reading. Some works are like sonatas or concertos, some full on symphonies. Its something I feel more than consciously recognise, if that makes sense.

And it is all about the words and how they are combined. I really get the notion of words being both friend and foe; the same word can be both depending on context and tone. Words have been integral in my life, reading writing and speaking them. I know how they can cause laughter or bring tears, stop a room in its tracks or inspire a riot, inflict pain or hold with safety, enable celebration and console grief. Words are truly the most powerful invention of humankind. One only needs to look at the threads here to recognise that words inspire hope, lighten dark ways, give purpose to life and nurture the wounded. Where would we be without them?

[Allera]

Hello everyone

I am new to this website, so excuse my lack of cyber grace should I be making mistakes in where I respond.

Anyhow, words: friend or foe, indeed. I’ve been thinking about that ever since I have read The Book Thief (which, incidentally, is a beautifully written book to read at any age). I believe that words are neither inherently ‘pure’ nor ‘evil’; rather they are a medium or a tool wherein their user may manipulate them to induce the desired effect.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me,” says Little Johnny.

*Throws Mein Kampf at Little Johnny’s head *

*Laughs and pats oneself on the back for the double joke*

*Cries because the only person present to hear it is unconscious*

Yes, I think it is safe to say that although the words themselves are no foe, they may certainly be used as a tool to harm others. My favourite example is propaganda (good ol’ champ). Words may also be utilised as a source of refuge - in comforting others, through telling stories and in writing to express ourselves; a disorderly mind plagued by nightmares is insidious, and writing is the manner through which we may correct this pandemonium, the manner through which we may make the unruly ruly. In saying that, an absence of words (or the ability to express oneself) will always be the downfall of humans - think collectively or individually (the disenfranchised persecuted or the asphyxiating feeling of loneliness from not being able to cry out for help everyday for whatever reasons). As seen, words can empower, but their absence is correspondingly disempowering (oh the scandelous nature of words).

then there is the purely egotistical side: creating something clever, or beautifully.

Personally I find that words influence my mood as opposed to vice versa. Whenever I write I get consumed into this subconscious sensation of relief in being able to impose some sort of control over my messy life. If you run you will understand this sensation.

Words which I am particularly fond of? knackered, phlegmatic, nullify, ransom, ephemeral, frippery, iridescent, yoghurt, what, Raxacoricofallapatorious, sleuth

- A

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone,

AndyR,

I like your choice of authors, especially Colm Toibin.

I agree words can be friends and foe depending on the context and the emotion in spoken words.

Words have given much hope to humanity but they have been used for hatred and discrimination.

Thanks for your post.

Quirky

[quirkywords]

Hello all,

Allera,

Welcome to this forum. What a wonderfully ell written and fascinating first post.

I too loved the book thief.

The absence of words can disempower but the words can also be used to hurt others and for evil intent.

I agree words can influence a mood as well as a mood influencing ones word.

Thanks again for your post. I look forward to reading more of your words.

Quirky

[Allera]

Thank you very much 🙂

[Tams20]

Hi Allera, Quirky and others...

I’m currently writing a technical report for work... forget business writing - if there’s anything that can destroy your soul it’s writing technical reports... but in my profession that’s about as exciting as it gets.

Regarding the ‘absence of words’, when I read that I thought of the ‘short form’ of writing that has replaced conversations and letters: emails, messages, texts... more frequent exchanges of short messages. I sometimes struggle with these because I am not good at ‘succinct’ communication... I find it quite rude actually. I can get annoyed with friends and family for the brevity of their messages... but it’s gotten to the point where calling them would be strange (I have friends that I rarely speak to on the phone) so I suppose I just need to get used to it, right? Very dissatisfying...

Tams