The Power of Words

Two years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to work with a rehab shelter for young women, most of them under twenty-one and many pregnant, who were recovering from drug addiction.  One of the most powerful things we discovered for all of them was their inability to use words to express their emotions.  We worked on this for many months with poetry writing, letter writing, and finally they wrote a play which they produced and put on for family, friends and their children.  It was a wonderful experience and one I miss and hope to repeat in the future.

Words are our most powerful weapon.  We use them to convey our love, our disapproval and sometimes to manipulate people.  As a motivational speaker we use words to change the thoughts, beliefs and sometimes the actions of the people we're speaking to.

In writing, authors use words to convey the emotions and sometimes the personalities of their characters.  My sister-in-law commented that I sometimes used "bad words" in my novels.  I laughed and stated: "It's hard to write a hard-core FBI agent who comes upon a brutal murder scene and have him say "sugar-beads.'"

So what gives words their power?  Basically they're hooks.  And the power lies in the meaning of the word to the persons who hear them.  Powerful weapons, or meaningless manipulations.  Words trigger emotions and emotions trigger actions.  I could say "I love you", but I don't know who is reading this post so if I don't know you, how can I possible truly love you.  I could say "I hate you", but the same would hold true.  I don't know you, so how can I possibly feel strongly enough about you to hate you?

Words without an emotional attachment are usually meaningless to the person reading or listening to them, and basically in time will bore a person to tune them out.  So how do we write exciting words that keep our readers turning pages?  We have to combine those words with emotions and meaning.  We do that with body language and punctuation.

Carrie turned back to the sink and continued slicing vegetables. "I said no."
Carrie turned back to the sink and continued slicing vegetables. "I said no!"
Carrie turned back to the sink, sighing deeply as she slammed the knife into the cutting board. "I.. said... no."

Each of these basically say pretty much the same thing, but express a different emotional state.  In sentence one, Carrie is basically just telling her listener that the answer is no. She's said it before, but she's still calm, and conveying the message without anger or frustration.  In sentence two Carrie is getting angry and frustrated and shouting "I said no!"  Her body language is still controlled and she's expressing her anger through her words only.   In sentence three Carrie is basically losing control as she slams the knife into the cutting board, taking her anger out both in her words and her body language.

As a method of power, sentence one might be enough for someone who was simply asking a question, like a child who wants a cookie.  Carrie says no, end of it with a well mannered child or someone listening who is willing to take no for an answer.  Sentence two goes further and could be the mother who is tired and has a  child, or adult for that matter, who repeatedly asks the same question. It insinuates she's said no before and more than once.  Sentence three is basically a woman who has pretty much reached the end of her rope.  Emphasizing each individual word I...said...no.  She isn't shouting, but using what is actually a more dangerous tone of voice.  Most likely deep, bitter and controlled.

With writing, as with life--emotions run the show.  Love, joy, pleasure, anger, fear, pain.  The only way your reader can possibly feel these emotions is if your character is feeling those emotions.  Jacody Ives said it best in The Gifts--the impact of words was in direct correlation to the emotions of the reader. Words could be twisted, knives to open up wounds long hidden. Maneuvered to evoke buried nightmares. Bare the soul, expose the wound, and you had a best seller.  Make them laugh.  Make them cry.  But above all, make them feel something.

A good writing habit is to set aside what you wrote this morning and come back to it in several hours.  Look at the scene, the words or conversation between characters.  Have you conveyed what your character is feeling?  Do you feel it?  Have you conveyed what your character is thinking?  Do you feel it?   If you feel it, then there's a good chance your readers will feel it, making their reading experience far more enjoyable.

Have a wonderful day!

Stop by my new website and say hi.  http://www.lindasprather.com

Interview with Al Boudreau - In Memory of Greed

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Independent Author Al Boudreau, author of In Memory of Greed.

LP: Good morning Al, and thank you for being my guest today.

AB: Good morning, Linda. Thank you for having me.

LP: Let’s jump right in. Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you live now, and where did you grow up?

AB: I grew up in Southwest New Hampshire and moved to Southern Maine about eight years ago.

LP: Do you feel that the environment you were raised in has any effect on your choice of genre?

AB: My environment allowed my creative spirit to grow, as I spent a great deal of time hiking, canoeing, and camping with some very colorful characters.

LP: Sounds like a perfect life to me. When and why did you begin writing?

AB: I started writing about eighteen months ago in order to begin a new adventure in my life. Ultimately, writing will become my second career and life’s work, if all goes as planned.

LP: Share with us what inspired your first book.

AB: My first book, “In Memory of Greed,” was inspired by observations pertaining to big business and bigger government taking advantage of the middle class. Members of the middle class are people who really make our country great. To eliminate corruption and wrong-doing, I feel there must be a chorus of voices. I consider my writing to be a voice in that larger choir.

LP: As member of that middle class, Al, I’m even more interested in reading your book now. I personally love book titles, and I’m often amazed at how well a title fits the book. How do you come up with your titles?

AB: The title is a summary of the plot subject matter. It also represents a hope; that by making our voices heard, greed and power, for powers sake, can have a spotlight focused on them, making it untenable for those who abuse their positions to continue.

LP: I hear comments all the time that readers “just didn’t get it” when describing certain books that attempted to convey a message. Is there a specific message in your novels that you’d like the reader to grasp?

AB: My specific message to my readers is, take a good, hard look at what’s going on all around you. Don’t believe all you read in the papers or see on tv. Rather, dig deeper and seek the truth. It’s there, if you choose to see.

LP: How much of your book is realistic or based on real life issues?

AB: My book is based on real life issues. I feel, if I’m to achieve my goals as a writer, my readers should be entertained and enlightened about important issues which adversely affect us all.

LP: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

AB: Writing is something I’m passionate about. I will feel like a true writer when I am able to do it full time and balance everything it takes to do so successfully.

LP: Do you have a specific writing style?

AB: I don’t feel I have developed a specific writing style, as my experience is limited. Hopefully, I will grow into that as my body of work expands.

LP: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

AB: Though I read many books by authors I admire, I don’t necessarily have a mentor. Amanda Hocking provides me with inspiration. She is so successful and talented, yet grounded and approachable. She is a true professional and I am so proud of her.

LP: I believe Amanda is an inspiration to all Independent Authors. I’m picked up on the fact that, like me, you’re an avid reader yourself. What book are you reading now?

AB: I am presently reading ‘Sankofa,’ by Wyatt Bryson.

LP: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

AB: I am highly anticipating all three of L. M. Stulls works, and an upcoming novel by Marni Mann, called ‘Memoirs aren’t Fairytales.’

LP: If you had it to do all over again, would you change anything in your first book?

AB: In my humble opinion, any author who says they wouldn’t change things in their first novel is not being critical enough … a resounding yes!

LP: Are you currently working on a new book, and if so, can you share some of it with us?

AB: I have begun a detailed outline of my next novel. The title is yet to be determined. The plot deals with social unrest and the governments nefarious plans to deal with it.

LP: You’ll have to keep us updated on your progess. What has been the most challening part of writing your current work in progress?

AB: Time is the most challenging part of writing my current WIP. As an indie author, promoting takes up the bulk of my time lately.

LP: Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

AB: I don’t have a favorite author. Someone who I respect a great deal is Dan Brown. The research required to write a novel like ‘The DaVinci Code’ is truly staggering. My hat’s off to him for that reason.

LP: Do you actually travel to the places you write about?

AB: I feel I must travel in order to convey the true nature of the locales in which my characters do their thing. I feel it provides color and richness that research alone does not.

LP: Do you design your own covers?

AB: I only have one cover and I did design it. I took the cover photo in Africa and completed the cover design as well.

LP: You did a great job. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

AB: The hardest part of writing my book was re-writing my book three times. It was a painful, but necessary process.

LP: I hear you there. I’m getting ready to start the first rewrite of my current WIP. Do you feel that you learned something from writing your book, and if so, what?

AB: In the process of writing ‘In Memory of Greed,’ I learned what to do differently with my next novel. As I write, I feel there should be a tremendous amount of growth from one book to the next.

LP: Do you have any advice for other writers?

AB: I don’t feel nearly experienced enough to be doling out advice. For myself, I try to read other authors works and learn from their talents.

LP: Is there anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

AB: I feel that we should all try reading genres outside the ones we generally gravitate toward. You never know what you might like until you try it. I hope a large percentage of female readers will give my Mystery/Thriller a chance, as the women in my novels are smart, savvy people who get the job done, despite the obstacles they encounter.

LP: Love smart/savvy women. Thank you, Al, for sharing with us today. I look forward to reading and reviewing your book in the near future. I hope when your new book is ready for publication you’ll drop me a line and stop by to update us.

AB: Thank you, Linda, for the opportunity to share with you today and I’ll definitely let you know about my upcoming releases.


Don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m looking forward to reading In Memory of Greed.

Ready to download a sample or buy now?

http://amzn.com/B004L2LJ94
http://tiny.cc/2d76v
http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B004L2LJ94

Excerpt - Sacred Secrets

Your plangent cries permeate my dreams
Lest I forget
That which I have become
Slipping into the verisimiltude
I have created
A myrmidon of evil
Panoply of secrets
Pulling me down
Into the brackish water of my dreams
‘Tis but a simple deed
To expiate my sins
Simple as life
Or death
I chose this cup
Now I must drink.

8

Father Michael felt the chasm widen. A vast wasteland of emptiness. Nothingness. He had nothing. He was nothing.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Father Michael?”

Father Peter’s words were a mere whisper, his hands longing to caress the parchment stored beneath the thick glass.

“Where . . .”

Father Peter turned to him excitedly. “A gift from your sister, Claire.”
Father Michael nodded. He’d recognized the painting immediately as one of John’s beautiful fakes. The Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden. Two beams of light shone down from the hands of the Virgin and Christ, enthroned on the heavenly plane, joining into one single stream entering the eyes of the seated saint. Images were powerful in medieval times.

Father Michael lowered his head, closed his eyes. “Please . . .,” she whispered.
Images were still powerful.

Father Peter gushed on, his excitement uncontainable. “Of course, I know it’s a reproduction, but its beauty, its message is invaluable.”

A beautiful fake, just like me, Father Michael thought, the riving pain opening, surging. A raging river in which he was going to drown.

The words came from the midst of the chasm. Words he’d not intended to say. “I’ve lost all hope, Father.”

The words echoed in the small study, coming from all four corners, dowsing the sun streaming from the window, fading the colors of the parchment. Gripping the heart of Father Peter with pain.

He turned, excitement of the gift still etched upon his wrinkled face. Gasping as he gazed into open wounds, vivid pools reflecting suffering. Never before had he seen such agony. His hands fluttered in front of him, mind sifting through eighty years of life, searching for words to breach the chasm. Words of comfort.

“There is always hope, Father Michael. God is our hope.”

“I no long hear His voice, Father.” He glanced at the painting. “No longer feel His light.”

“We must pray, my son.” Father Peter walked around the desk, placing his hand on the young priest’s shoulder. “We must pray that God will guide you in your hour of need.”

Father Michael sighed, placing his hand over the knotted arthritic joints of Father Peter’s fingers. “I have prayed, Father. I pray daily that God will take this cup from me.”

Father Peter felt the trembling in the hand covering his. Felt the despair. His words came unbidden. Words he knew not the source. Words he would ponder and regret in the days to come.

“Perhaps you must take the cup and drink from it.”

Father Michael embraced him. He had the forlorn feeling of being alone in the world. And that loneliness threatened to crush him. He whispered the words that sealed his fate. “Perhaps, Father. Perhaps I must.”