The Power of Words

English was always my favorite subject in school. I liked reading, spelling, phonics (if you remember that), and even grammar! I enjoyed learning about those things, but I didn’t understand then that words have power and it is important that we learn to use them well.

Words are used to communicate our thoughts, to tell others what we think and also how we feel. So, it’s important to use words correctly, so that others may understand us, and come to know us better.

It is important to spell correctly. It is important to use the correct words. It is also important to use the correct order in wording. And it’s even important to use the correct punctuation when you write, if you want to get your message across to others.

There is a danger with using words incorrectly. Sometimes it can be funny; sometimes it can be embarrassing if it wasn’t intentional. And sometimes there are serious consequences for the incorrect use of words.

Here are some examples from church bulletins where we see what happens when we use words incorrectly.

• “Visitors are asked to sing their names at the church entrance.”

Obviously, this should be “sign their names.”

• “Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m.—prayer and medication to follow.”

And here, it should have been “meditation.”

• “Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double doors at the side entrance.”

I don’t need to explain what is wrong with that one.

• “Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.”

It should have read, “Remember in prayer the many of our church and community who are sick.”

• “Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.”

This could have easily been fixed by saying, “Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some of the older robes.”

Punctuation is also important if we want to get our message across correctly.

For example, the Oxford comma, or as it is more commonly known, the serial comma. When you have a series of things in a sentence, each of them is usually followed by a comma, and the serial, or Oxford, comma is the one right before the “and” or “or.” Some people use the Oxford comma; others do not, and the rules of the English language say that either way is acceptable.

I, however, am a firm believer in ALWAYS using the Oxford comma, because when you don’t use it, you can sometimes cause some weird misunderstandings…or worse.

Here is an example of using the Oxford comma that I recently saw on a chat website:

• “I love historic novels, eating mushrooms, and my family.”

Think about that for a minute without the Oxford comma.

• “I love historic novels, eating mushrooms and my family.

You get a whole different meaning without that little comma. And not a good one either.

The Oxford comma is often used in legal documents and for good reason: it offers clarity and avoids any confusion of meaning.

Here’s an example that was taken from the will of a very wealthy man who had no children but had four nephews and nieces.

• “And I bequeath my entire estate to be divided evenly between my nephews and nieces, Bob, Sally, Dan and Judy.”

So, how do you think it was divided?

Bob received one-third of the estate; Sally received one-third of the estate; and Dan and Judy each received one-sixth of the estate!

Had that one little comma been included in the text of that will, the results would have been entirely different! And I expect Dan and Judy will always remember to use the Oxford comma from now on.

When we use words, it’s not only important to pick the correct word, it’s also important to pick the “right” word. And by that, I mean the word that best describes what you want to communicate.

For example, “I was happy when my parents surprised me with a new puppy” is far different from “I was ecstatic when my parents surprised me with a new puppy.”

We use words not just to communicate our thoughts. We also use words to persuade, to encourage, to incite, to make people laugh, to make them cry.

In the book of Proverbs, it says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Think about some of these famous words and how they make you feel.

• “I have a dream…”

You, of course, should recognize that as the famous speech of Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered in August of 1963.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

How about this one?

• “Four score and seven years ago…”

This opening line is from one of the shortest speeches ever given by a president, spoken during the Civil War after the battle of Gettysburg by Abraham Lincoln. He was dedicating the cemetery there for the soldiers who had died in battle. It is incredibly powerful in its memorable words:

“We can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it…”

One of the best ways to use words to communicate is to tell stories. An important thing with telling stories is that we don’t just use words that tell facts, but we use words that paint a picture of what we want to share with others. And our stories, if written well, can make others think in new ways, can move them to tears, can touch them deeply.

Here’s a classic opening line from a story that doesn’t show much at all:

• “It was a dark and stormy night…”

Of course, you should recognize that from the Peanuts comic strip as the opening line to Snoopy’s novel.

But, how about this instead, to paint a picture and evoke a feeling:

• “The wind moaned through the dead tree branches and the frequent flashes of lightning created grotesque shadows that danced across his path.”

No offense, Snoopy, but I would suggest you don’t quit your day job.

I love to tell stories, especially mystery stories. And I find them fun to write. When I am writing a mystery, I consider it like trying to solve a puzzle. I begin by creating an outline; the bare bones of what the story will be about. I have to determine the type of mystery—what kind of crime is committed—and then I have to figure out the clues my characters will find as they investigate the mystery. And, of course, I have to throw in all the harrowing experiences they will have as they investigate, plus all the twists and turns in the plot that make for exciting, page-turning reading.

The important thing to remember when creating an outline for a mystery is that you actually have to start at the solution and work your way backward. You also have to keep in mind two storylines: the storyline of what the “detectives” are doing to solve the mystery, plus the parallel storyline of what the criminals are doing to thwart them.

Once the outline is completed, I will begin the initial draft of the story. When I am writing the individual scenes, I often imagine I am watching a movie and I write down what I see.

Characters must seem like real people. They should have strengths but also weaknesses. We also want them to be likable, so that we can empathize with them.

I often create backstories for my characters: the history of what has happened in this character’s life that has brought them to this point of the current story. This gives me an understanding of how the character thinks and why they react the way they do. Very little of the backstory may make it into the novel, but it is invaluable information for me in order to write a believable character.

I have learned that we base our characters on ourselves. I can see things in many of my characters that are parts of my personality. So, while the character may be different from me in many ways, in some essential ways, they are exactly like me.

I have found that well-defined characters can sort of take on a life of their own. It has happened every once in a while, when I am envisioning my “movie scene,” a character will say something that totally amazes me. I say to myself, “Where did that come from?” What I think that shows it that this character has become so familiar to me, so much a part of me, that I have almost an intuitive understanding of how they would react.

Writing can be fun. But it’s also a way to share your heart with the world and to let others know what you think and feel, and you do that all through the power of well-chosen words.