I'm guest blogging at 10 Minute Novelists today. Not sure why the repeat of that phrase, “what's in a…” from yesterday, but it is an entirely different post. We're celebrating National Poetry Month, so this is all about the power of a single word in a novel–or in your speech, for that matter. Here's an excerpt.
Does a single word matter that much to your book? Sure, a poet will pour over every letter. And according to a recent blog on this very site, reading poetry will not just make us better writers, but better people. But for those of us penning hundred-thousand-word novels, can a single word make that big of a difference?
Absolutely.
Words are more than just letters on a printed page. Words can summon images and scents and sounds and feelings. They can be musical or plodding, lyrical or barbaric. Speak aloud the word lyrical. Do you hear the music? And barbaric sounds just that.
I had fun writing this one. Stop by 10 Minute Novelists to read the rest.