Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." Remember that saying from when you were a kid? Who were they kidding? Words are powerful tools and have a very profound effect on us. Words of praise make us happy; words of love fill us with warm emotions; words of criticism can make us sad or defensive, and angry words can hurt us deeply.

When you are creating articles, newsletters, press releases, etc., it is critical to choose your words carefully. You want your articles to be interesting as well as informative. If you are selling a product or service that you love, you want that passion to be evident in your writing. You want your readers to feel your enthusiasm and get excited over the product or service that you are offering. If you are trying to promote something that does not thrill or make you happy, you should probably think about your options. Life is too short not to love what you do.

Where do you find those "expressive" words?

1. A Thesaurus is a good place to start. The really great thing about this resource is that it is only a mouse click away. If the word you have chosen does not quite give you the punch you are looking for, check the Thesaurus for alternatives.

2. Look in the Dictionary to make sure you really understand what the word you are using means.

I had to write a marketing letter in a business communications class that I took several years ago and decided my product would be chocolate chip cookies (now you know what I am passionate about!). I thought I had written a great article. My mouth watered just reading about those cookies; just one little problem...I described the cookie as decadent. My professor noted, "You should make sure you know what a word means before you use it." Apparently he had never listened to chocolate commercials or used a Thesaurus. He went straight to Webster's New World Dictionary where decadent is described as, "a 19th century writer or artist living in a period of decline," not even one mention of self-indulgence! I still was able to argue my case thanks to the Thesaurus; however, maybe I should have looked the word up in the dictionary as well. I might have come up with a better description and avoided confusing the poor man.

Keep it simple.

1. Even though you want your words to be powerful, make sure they are not the latest "increase your vocabulary - word of the day." You want your readers to relate to what you are saying, not have to get a dictionary out to interpret every other word you wrote.

Words are wonderful, especially written words. So go ahead and express yourself; after all, there ARE enough words to describe!

Happy Writing!

Having a passion for writing, along with 30 years of administrative experience, has allowed Laura to become a top specialist in her field. As a public speaker and administrative consultant, Laura shares her vast knowledge of executive administration with others who share her desire to go beyond the ordinary and excel at what they do. http://www.LetsTalkOrganizing.com