Write Team: The power of words

Words are powerful! You can make someone’s day with just a few words — or you can ruin it. People remember your words.

Writers love words — that’s one reason why we write.

I love the English language. It was my favorite subject in school. Words express what we think, what we desire, how we feel, what we believe.

Have you noticed many are eliminating adverbs these days? Often we hear, or read, “he did that quick!” I am waiting — for the “ly.” It’s often left out when the verb comes at the end of a sentence — seems unnecessary, I guess. It makes me feel sad.

Writers have the privilege of stringing words together to inspire, challenge, comfort, share, inform and so much more.

If you you are a writer — you are a powerful person!

I love being with other writers, that’s why I’m thankful our local bookstore, Prairie Fox Books, holds specials events like the recent Lit Fest at Washington Park.

I began writing in grade school and I was co-editor of The Buccaneer, the school newspaper at Ottawa High School.

A number of years ago, I took a creative writing class at IVCC. There were writers of all ages and we were free to create stories and share them. What fun!

About that same time, I attended a Day of the Writer event at IVCC and we were invited to bring a recent story and share it. The winner’s story would be read aloud to the group.

I wrote a story about a woman who was planning to escape from a nursing home — not a topic you would expect to create any excitement — but I was thrilled when the reader began to read:

“Anna was planning to run away!”

It was my story!

I was the winner that day. It was a thrill to know my story had won. I suppose that’s how a runner feels when he is the first to cross the finish line in a race.

Again — words are powerful!

If you are writer, I want to remind you of the power of your words.

You are a privileged person — you get to share your words.

Some people think we don’t need books any more. After all, we have the Internet, television, cellphones, 4G, 5G, whatever — let’s get rid of books!

I love a book! Just to settle down for an afternoon, or an evening, with a cup of coffee and a book that grips my attention.

Writers know that first lines can grab you and you will want to find out what is going to happen next.

From a recent survey, here are some reasons people buy books: 82% buy books by an author they already know and love. 72% of readers said a friend had pointed them toward a book they loved. Other reasons included seeing the book mentioned on Facebook (35%), Twitter (28%) and Instagram (12%) and librarian recommendations (11%).

I’m talking about a book you can hold in your hands and turn the pages, one-by-one — in suspense and wonder. Books you might inscribe to special people, gifts that last through the years and might even get passed on to others.

Kind of like having a “real” person to spend time with, rather than going to a Zoom meeting.

Some researchers say book reading improves cognition, not that people read because they’re smart, but rather they become smart because they read. The Yale team wrote, “This finding suggests that reading books provides a survival advantage due to the immersive nature that helps maintain a cognitive status.” (Quote from A Chapter a Day — Association of Book Reading with Longevity)

That study didn’t look at what types of books people were reading, but a national survey found 87% of book readers read fiction.

Here’s a quote from publisher, Lee Euler: “So if you’d like to keep your brain sharp, extend your life, and want a healthy excuse for avoiding exercise, you might want to head to your nearest bookshop or library and curl up with a good novel.”

I hope you will stop by our local book store soon!

• Carole Ledbetter of Ottawa is the author of two books, “Carole’s Columns” and “Who Am I Now? Growing Through Life’s Changing Seasons,” and is a speaker consultant for Stonecroft Ministries. She can be reached at dbarichello@shawmedia.com.