Words and Worms · 2:59am Oct 26th, 2014
I have been... fortunate(?) to have taught. It's nothing formalized or even paid, but I teach 5th graders once a week. (Not English or composition, so don't fear for the state of education when you see how crappy my writing is.)
One of the things I tell them, which I'm sure goes in one ear and out the other, is to pay attention to words. The words we use have meaning. What we call things says a lot about how we feel about it. You may not simply be 'happy', you might be elated, or joyous, or ecstatic. That person might not be called a 'politician', but rather a bureaucrat.
Words have meanings.
Obviously, I hope, as a wannabe writer I'm sensitive to this. Mark Twain said the difference between the right word and the almost right word was like that between lightning and a lightning bug. I choose words for both the meaning and the impact they have.
Luna avoids certain words. We haven't seen it in action yet, but we will soon enough. The words have power over her. She dares not utter them aloud.
There is one word, one powerful, defining word, which never gets used at all in this story, at least not in the context of what this story is about.
Words have power. Some should not be used casually. You never know what might be summoned when you use them.
