The power of words; Blog Hopping

Welcome to another blog hop. Here’s this weeks prompt –

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

It’s funny, probably the greatest of illustrations of the power of words comes when we hear something that we weren’t supposed to; at a time in our lives when we may feel that we have little power of our own.

It can mean the end of a relationship, the shattering of illusions and can also lead to a life of misery. It doesn’t matter what happens afterwards, if a person is too frightened to repeat what they heard, or it’s never publicly admitted; there will be no apology or explanation. Nothing can erase the knowledge that someone thought what they did, nor can any passing time dull its impact.

You may be wondering why I’ve said that, or perhaps you understand straight away.

In those circumstances, you have a choice; you can let it define you. Or you can use the power of the words to drive you. For example, if someone says, you’ll never be any good, prove them wrong. If you hear lies, tell the truth. Rise above it. Believe that you’re better.

Oh yes: words have power, an infinite amount, after all,

Words can inspire or frighten. They can persuade, indoctrinate and stir every emotion. When it comes right down to it, the deeds of the sword are only remembered by the words that come after them, told by the survivors, in whatever form they might be recorded. And the unfortunate thing is, they don’t have to be true.

That’s well beyond the scope of this post, I’ve digressed enough (as I tend to) already.

A writer; anyone who uses words in public, they are in a fortunate position, they can create a world, start a revolution. That’s the real power of words. You only have to think about how much people will try to suppress them to understand that.

Ultimately, words will never die, just consider the lessons of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and the attempts to destroy books by various regimes in history. They all failed, now with the internet, it would be a lot harder to try.

I tell stories, I know how to use the power of words to create emotion in my readers. Before that, I must create the emotions in my characters, make them so real that readers will emphasise with their lives, their triumphs and tragedies. More than that, the reader needs to CARE about them. It goes without saying that, as a writer of fiction, I’m lying with every word I type. I’m creating an illusion but for benign purposes only, not to take over the world. At least, not yet!

Another important thing that life’s experiences gives you is the ability to create stories based on what’s happened to YOU. That’s a great tool and a valuable part of turning negative comments into a positive outcome.

A final thought for you. Words are like most weapons, they can point in both directions.

If this post has got you interested in any of my novels, you can get more details by clicking the Portfolio link. Or, to receive a free short story, The Orbital Livestock Company, just join my team of subscribers by clicking here.

I’ll be back on Thursday with another Showcase post, featuring an Indie Author with something to say. Please click the links to see the other great blogs on this hop.