They're Only Words...

I've been writing and editing lately, typing words into the computer, rearranging them, deleting, re-typing, to shape a story that will hold the reader's attention while, in the end, conveying a lesson of sorts. Sometimes I get so caught up in the writing that it's hard to tell where the story ends and reality starts when I finally get up from the computer. At other times, each word seems to be forced through a tiny pipe before emerging at the other end. This may not make sense to you if you're a reader, but if you're a writer, you're probably saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

At night, I turn on the TV to watch the news, and see images that, in a twenty- or thirty-second clip convey a message that is clearer than several hundred words could accomplish. That's when I ask myself, "Why am I writing? The visual media can do it so much better." Then the answer comes to me, most recently in the lyrics from a song by the BeeGees (and I'm really dating myself here): "They're only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away." For better or for worse, I've chosen (or been chosen, depending on your view of predestination) to be a writer at this stage of my life. So, although I appreciate the messages of painters, cinematographers, and others working with other media, I'll continue to string words together, hoping to accomplish something with the end result. Because, in the end, words are all I have...

Have you read a book, poem, or story whose words touched you deeply? I hope you'll share. Thanks.