I. Cherish. You. Just saying these words out loud feels so different than saying, I love you or I value you or even I want you. ‘I cherish you’…it’s rooted deep in one’s heart and has the power to create a true connection with the person upon whom you bestow this gift. You can feel the emotion of the words. These are the kind of words I seek out.
I believe every word matters when writing stories because stories should seek to create connections with others. Before I start writing anything, whether it is for a customer-facing marketing piece or a story I am hoping to release like a butterfly that has been hiding inside my heart for a while, I stop and think about how the readers want to feel. Not how I want them to feel but how they want to feel. Then I get all of the words out on screen or paper without analyzing them too much. I step away, shift to another task or just sit with the story for a while (sometimes minutes, other times days). With a fresh perspective, I read it again as the intended reader and I ask myself, “what do I feel”? I continue to wind my way through the story, word by word seeking expressions and words that could be more emotive or spark that connection we all deeply desire.
Moral of the story: When writing, remember that every word matters. And when you combine your words with your deepest, truest emotions, the relationships you seek to establish will blossom into these beautiful and ever-changing mosaics that you will cherish. I promise.