Write into Experience

You've heard from friends after an experience, "I just don't have words for it." As writers we discover words for experiences.  We explore with our senses to capture the unreachable.

English has words for expressing ideas that feel lost to expression.  The prefix "in-," meaning "not" teamed with Latin enarrare (to explain in detail) to give us "inenarrable," and the same prefix joined with Latin effabilis (capable of being expressed) to create "ineffable."

Ineffable found its way into the language in the 14th century.  Inenarrable came into English from French in the 14th century.  "Indescribable" arrived late in the 18th century.

Avoid using modifiers such as "indescribable."  Explain and express life in details.

If you feel a strange sensation, compare it to a sound, temperature, scent, texture or color.

How would an insect reveal  it?

Creative Write:
Write with your senses to reveal an experience or place.

Redesign Words in Menus

I edit menus, shaking my head when reading "fresh" to modify eggs and "freshly brewed" to define coffee.  Do they need to tell us it's not stale or old?  

A sign reads, "Great bread for everybody."  What is great bread?   If you wanted an item "homemade" why go to a restaurant?  Food should sparkle with taste. Why add "tasty" to an item?

Stacked adjectives confuse readers.  So many added unnecessary modified words get in the way of the message.  Whew, breathe. Can you hold your breath long enough for: a roasted turkey Fuji apple salad.  But wait . . . The wording continues - Tossed with white balsamic Fuji apple vinagrette.

What if Fuji apples danced with turkey twirled in vinagrette?

If adjectives appear on the menu, they must excite or astonish the noun.  Let them add spice.

Another menu item I've seen: artisan bread baked fresh.  What does that mean?  Bread with designs on the crust?   "Simply delicious" adds nothing.  What's the meaning of baked fresh? Fruitcakes are the only breads that age with grace.

Creative Write:  Just for fun, choose a menu in need of enchantment.  Discover ways to revitalize it with nouns and verbs. Add imagery with scents and tastes.  Describe the swish of celery when chewed. Cinnamon and nutmeg your sentences.  Unroll a sauce or pudding like satin to the palate. Show how the texture tingles the tongue bumps.

Omit the obvious: fresh, tasty, homemade, just baked.  Go outrageous with description to tempt the reader's appetite. Revel in outrageous to make the reader salivate.

How would you energize:

Almond chicken salad on sesame semolina with all natural antiobiotic free chicken, diced celery, grapes almonds and secret sauce.  Let these ingredients out to play!

Grab the taste buds with a chicken dizzied by dijon with a dapple of almonds.  

Tempt with mozzarella and tomato on focaccia bread.  Do they melt in a tango?

Soup in a bread bowl definitely needs attention. Let the peas sail among potato clouds.

Go ahead. Play with your food.

Ways to Begin to Write

"Every day you must say to yourself: Today I am going to begin."

- Jean-Pierre de Caussade

A writing practice requires daily commitment. Then it turns into a habit that energizes you to write at that time each day.

What do you need to write?  If you write by pen or pencil, find a notebook to keep with you.  If you prefer the computer, set up a file on the desktop.

Start with ten minutes a day. Discover your prime time. You may have to experiment with several scenarios. Does your fire spark just upon awakening in the morning? Do you like to write ten minutes just before slumber?  Will a lunch break inspire five minutes of words? 

Locate a friendly space to stimulate writing. Vary the scene to add inspiration. Try a walking write.

Take the time to let the words fall upon the page. Bring in the senses and feelings. Write about the process without judgment.

Make a pact with yourself to begin anew each day.

Effort brings a heart to the habit that will cement your commitment to writing. Begin your write revolution today!