Because Words Matter
- At June 23, 2025
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
4
Some time ago, while editing, going through the so-so manuscript of my novel and trying to make it better, a friend emailed to ask how things were going. Before responding, I thought about how I’d describe my process. “I’m whipping it into shape,” I thought. And immediately, I took myself in hand. No. Not “whipping.” That was too harsh a word for the time I spent with each chapter. And in any event, not very effective.
Words matter. How we talk to others and how we talk to ourselves. How we talk about our art. So no, I didn’t want to whip my manuscript into shape, flog my poor story into some sort of submission. First of all, I don’t believe that works. And the process is entirely different.
So, when thinking and speaking about our work, let’s use different words. Let’s:
- Refine to make our work “finer,” as writers do–instead of referencing “trees” in the distance, substitute more specific words–“ash and cottonwoods.”
- Enhance to add nuance and depth as a painter might, adding detail to an oil painting of a young girl so that we see a scratch on her arm, a speck on her shirt.
- Revise, meaning taking the time to re-vision a manuscript, looking at it from different angles, peering into characters’ backstories to see what’s been missed.
- And lastly, nudge works of art to their best, capturing the emotion in a painting, the passion.
When I was a little girl, I lived on a farm. We had a quarter horse, Fudge, and while my three sisters were superb horsewomen, I wasn’t. Fudge took me beneath the low-hanging branches of the locust trees. Another time, on a little canter under the clothesline. He went wherever he wanted to.
Sometimes that’s what editing is like—trying to hang onto a huge beautiful animal and coax it along, make for a glorious ride. A work of art has a heart that makes it what it is. Our jobs as artists is to help it along, apply a gentle rein, and take care with its heart. And when “tough love” is required, and a need arises to eliminate words, whole paragraphs, or scenes, let’s not think of it as “cutting,” or “slashing” but clearing away obstacles, making things better for the heart.
Maybe this is just playing with words. I like to do that. But making art is difficult, and anything that eases it along, we should do. Have a wonderful creative week!–Lucy
Carolyn Zeisset
So many words are general, with a whole spectrum of meanings. I experienced that in a medical issue when single words were given for symptoms I was told to watch for. I finally asked the doctors to distinguish between where on the spectrum the word meant a symptom, and where it was a sign of anxiety because I’d been told to watch for it. I pull out the dictionary often when I’m refining a manuscript to search for just the right word.
Write in Community
Carolyn,
You are SO right. I like the idea of a spectrum when selecting the just-right word for a poem or novel. Where on the spectrum is the character’s strength of feeling? Where on the spectrum is the depth of worry or feeling of happiness? Thanks for your close reading, and your thoughts. And as always, good luck on your writing.–Lucy
Gordy Maness
Thank you for this article. I wholeheartedly agree that our choice of words is crucial to conveying and communicating precisely what we’re trying to say. I recall when I began to realize the importance of word choice. I was 12 and I was listening to Dr King deliver his “I have a dream” speech. I was mesmerized with his words, especially near the end when he talked about letting freedom ring from every village and hamlet. It was the only time I had heard anyone use the word “hamlet” in modern day language. To me the use of this word was a subtle way of bringing the past to the present and emphasizing how long the civil rights struggle had been going on. (Mind you I probably didn’t think this deeply about it at that moment, I just know how profound the word was and how it made me truly feel his message.
Write in Community
Thank you, Gordy. I think it was Mark Twain who said in speaking of the difference in the “almost” right and just right words that it could be likened to the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. And thanks for your remembrance of the “I have a Dream” speech. That has to remain one of the best speeches in history. I think you’re right about his use of “hamlet” in linking the past and present. What a stroke of genius for him to select that word! I so much appreciate your comments.–Lucy