Words illuminate my mind like lighting bugs glowing in the summer night. I reach out and capture them until I have enough to fill the page, choosing each word with care, just as an indecisive child chooses a new toy.

 

I have a love affair with words. Nothing is more satisfying than finding the perfect words to illicit the exact intention. One word can make the difference between good and unforgettable.

 

In my writing world, finding the right word to complete a sentence is like finding the perfect pair of shoes. To find a pair of shoes that have the perfect combination of fashion appeal and comfort is divine. More importantly, is to have the desire to find the perfect word that escapes the lips-the word that gives the sentence awe potential.

 

Author Janet Evanovich claims to sit for hours dwelling on the perfect words to complete one sentence. Before I became so in tune with my writing voice, I didn’t understand how this could be possible. Why would a writer stress that much over a few words on the page? In my transformation from a reader to a writer, I made a discovery. When you read books from a writer’s perspective, you understand the brilliance of word choice.

 

I admit that I have a pocket Thesaurus and dictionary that I carry everywhere. I’m addicted to a source for synonyms. I don’t want just a word, I want the perfect word, and I want three other choices for examples. When I find the perfect word to finish a sentence, I experience word euphoria. I grin from ear to ear with my articulate high.

 

Writing a WIP is like working a gigantic picture puzzle. We use words to make an illustration in the reader’s mind. We have a dictionary full of words to choose from, and more than one word can fit in an open space, but the conscientious writer searches for the best word. The importance of a writer’s conscious is having the determination to find the words that will make a difference. The beauty of the right words makes descriptions come alive on the page. The best books I have read are from authors who understand word placement. They execute gestures, emotions, and dialogue with the precision of a maestro.

 

I always try to execute words so they hover above the page and encase the reader in the cocoon of my story. I want them to empathize with my characters. I want them to use my words as an escape, and remember them as if they made a difference in their lives, if only for a moment.

 

Writers use many tools in creating their work. We’ve often spoke of our fetishes for highlighters, pens, and Post It notes. Unlike these tools, words cannot be bought, but they can become an infatuation.. We must exercise our minds, and embrace our language. As writers, we should acknowledge the power of words on the page, and use them to our advantage.

 

Words are a writer’s sustenance, they can make us, or break us, never take them for granted.