I’ve been wringing out my language like soaked towels.
I saturate my writing with syllables. Somewhere along the line I decided that if it sounds difficult, then it is good writing. But lately, there’s a new feeling, something enticing: what if I just chilled out?
Accuracy is more important than flourish. A clear sentence is better than a paragraph dripping in style, although an excellent writer can contain all of the above. I’m trying (very hard) to simplify my language. To let go of my sweet “justs” and just get to the damp meaning of things.
But some words capture my whole attention. I pick them up in social media posts or conversations I used to hear in coffee shops, and I flip them over in my mind until I find a home for them on paper. These aren’t the “beautifuls” and the “lovelys” of the world. These are words so special that I can only get away with using them once (I’m looking at you, alluvial). The wedding dresses of words.
In fact, I have a secret: I’m seeing a new word right now. It popped up on a high school crush’s Instagram and ignited my brain. Do I want to use it in a metaphor? Or as a way to describe the way my brain has quieted in the wake of a lockdown? Do I want to use it to conclude the visual of the soaked towels I mentioned earlier? Not yet.
But I’ll keep it, like a surprise dollar in a coat pocket, until the exact moment I need it. Now, I’m just going to focus on making my point and making sure the world can hear the smile I’m wearing through my words.
Next Steps: Drink a glass of water, write down your current favorite word, and remember to not take yourself so seriously.
In a word, simplify