Use Your Words

Earlier today I was reading an article for my writing class that told me to “Stop envying the words that fiction writers use, and start using them.” I’ve always wondered how my favourite authors managed to make me care so much, to keep me glued to every line until a scene would end abruptly at a chapter break. And I am envious– very. Like, I know that they spend years perfecting their work and there are a lot of other people involved, compared to me who sits down alone every day to punch out some mush just for the sake of it, but still. After reading the writer’s advice, I immediately thought, “It’s not that easy!” But now that I’m thinking about it… maybe it is. I always enjoy a post where the blogger nonchalantly throws in a word that astounds me (and I have to look it up because I can’t stand reading a cool word that I don’t know how to use), and I think that’s partly what this woman was getting at.

In the past seven hours alone, I’ve read about William Carlos Williams ‘The Red Wheelbarrow’, being lost in your twenties, feminism on Youtube, concepts of childhood, magazine writing and interviewing. Some things captured my interest more than others (because some were for interest and some were for school), but isn’t that quite a variety?

Have you noticed how much I write about writing, and then complain about having nothing to write? It’s a vicious cycle for me. Maybe I’ll write a book entitled “How To Write a Book About Writing a Book Without Actually Writing Much Else.” Top seller.