Levels of Writing: Words

The next step up in this series is words. Sounds, when put into the right order, create words. Words express ideas in their simplest form. Sometimes those ideas are very simple ones (like 'iron') and sometimes they are quite complex (like 'irony').

Writing has been known as "putting words on paper." Letters simply record sounds (which is why I skipped them), but words record ideas. If you've ever sat down and thought about all the thoughts you've had, you may be surprised to see how many there are. As such we have a lot of words so we can express them all.

If English is your native language, consider yourself blessed. We have more words than any other language on Earth and have new ones being made all the time. And because we have so many words, we can express very subtle differences in meaning. Even our synonyms don't mean exactly the same thing. Big, large, and huge indicate different sizes, but they all mean that something's size is more than normal.

A writer has a duty to learn as many words as possible. Of course, it is possible that you will know a number of words that you will never use and that's ok. Knowing that these words exist is good for you. For one thing, it will give you a specific thought that you can hold on to. If you have never heard of the word 'membrane', it is difficult to come up with the idea of a membrane. Knowing more words also gives you more tools to play with. It is possible that you will live your entire life never needing to use the word 'fluoresce', but the one time that there is no other way to describe a glow, you will be glad that you have it.

Words are like atoms. Although they stand on their own, it is when they are combined with others that their true power comes in. Words are mere building blocks. The most important thing to do with them is have as many as you can. When we move forward, that is when the tools to use them will start coming into play.