Face the Page

“I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.”—James A Michener

In addition to my fetish for stationery, I have a passion for words. Written and spoken. Language is like music to me, like a puzzle, like a secret code. Dialect, syntax, colloquialisms, inflection, slang, romance languages, Germanic languages, Latin roots. Sometimes I can sort of unfocus my mind a bit and step back into a place of amazement at how language works. How we can convey complex thoughts and ideas with some sounds shaped by our breath, lips, teeth and tongue.

This love of language then morphs into wonder at how fluid reality is, how each of us can interpret the same event through different eyes and different contexts. Then there’s the granddaddy of all paradoxes – how sometimes fiction can be more true than facts.

When you have a love affair with words and language, explore it all. Write about everything. Write to discover how you feel about something. Let your subconscious lead you across the page. Let your imagination carry you away to dance with words and ideas.

Sometimes when I read, I want to read slowly, to savor the language like rich chocolate. “All the Pretty Horses” (Cormac McCarthy) is that way to me. Sometimes, language is fun like cherry cream soda – like Dr. Seuss or Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky.

Whether you’re reading or writing, stop once in awhile to enjoy the language.

If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it.”—Anais Nin