By Miko Johnston
My late father co-founded a non-profit organization dedicated to Scandinavian philately. In addition to translating and publishing educational books on the subject, the group held monthly meetings as well as annual exhibitions where members could present their best work. Dad served as their president for many years; his name and phone number appeared on all contact sources.
He wasn’t home the day a young man called for more information about the organization. I offered to answer as much as I could. His first question: “Can you join if you’re under eighteen?” Yes, I told him, there is no age limit. “Can I bring another guy to the meetings?” Sure, I said, but something told me he had something, um, different in mind. I then said, “You do realize that philately is stamp collecting.”
“Oh.” He promptly hung up.
We spend a great deal of time writing about words on this blog. If you hunt through our archives, you’ll find many posts on the topic, which should come as no surprise. Words are the most important tool in a writer’s toolbox. We think about them, which one to use in any situation, whether a particular word or one of its cousins (aka synonyms) would be more precise, more distinctive. Can we convert that verb/adverb pairing into one verb? How many descriptives can we edit out without losing the image, the rhythm, or the voice of a character?
Words convey and put into context images, thoughts and ideas, especially when they’re carefully selected. We have non-verbal ways of communicating as well, but unless there’s some established pattern to it, such as sign language or Morse code, their subtlety makes them less effective for interpretation – is she slouching because she’s humiliated, or her back hurts?
Whether spoken or written, signed or signaled, we rely on words as the basis of communication. Misinterpretations may cause embarrassment, as my earlier story shows, but in the right hands they surprise in an entertaining way. Writers can inform the reader without the character’s knowledge, a technique I relied upon in my first novel, when my protagonist was a child. Or they can make the reader wait – ideally with keen anticipation – for information the character already knows.
We can use words to assure clarity of thought, or to deliberately deceive. Red herrings in mysteries fall into the latter category, as do ambiguous phrases meant to mislead the reader into thinking something the author intends to prove wrong later. I’ve done this so often in my writing it might be a hallmark of my style.
Words have the power to calm and reassure, to encourage and inspire, or to agitate and inflame. Think of all the influential speeches you’ve heard or read, or the memorable phrases culled from them. Whether by actors reading from a script, politicians addressing their constituents, or activists crusading for their cause, their words, carefully chosen with deliberation, hold the power to move people. To bolster their spirits, or shock them. Convince them they’re right, or maybe, just maybe, they’re not.
All have one thing in common: Someone, or some ones, wrote those words.
Not to equate a frothy page-turner with The Gettysburg Address, but I celebrate writers who celebrate the written word. I commiserate with writers who agonize over the best way to express their or their characters’, thoughts. I respect writers for what they try to accomplish whenever they put pen to paper or fingers on the keyboard.
That’s why we deserve a formal representation for what we do.
The practice of medicine has a symbol – a caduceus with two snakes coiled around it. The symbol of law is the scales of justice. No formal symbol of writing exists, although if you Google it you’ll find cartoons of a hand holding a pencil or pen.
What do you think would make an apt symbol for writers?
Miko Johnston, a founding member of The Writers in Residence, is the author of the historical fiction series, “A Petal in the Wind”, as well as a contributor to several anthologies including the recently released “Whidbey Island: An Insider’s Guide”. Miko lives in Washington (the big one) with her rocket scientist husband. Contact her at mikojohnstonauthor@gmail.com
The Writers in Residence 
Miko, quite a brilliant post. It was great to immerse oneself in your words, each one, and each conclusion a gem. Certainly got me thinking, wondering, and almost savoring the sound. Through the ages the pen has evolved from a stone with which I imagine primitive man made his presence permanently known with cave markings. Who knows where technology takes the writer next? Although narrative programs now make it possible to hear one’s writings read aloud from computers, it seems to me that the physical at of putting pen to paper or typing on a keyboard is a very satisfying action indeed.
jill
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Yes Jill, the physical act of writing, regardless of the implement used, is very satisfying. Sometimes when I’m reviewing an earlier draft of my work, I’ll find a scene and shake my head in wonderment – where did that come from? At times like that, a lightbulb over the head seems to be an apt symbol of the process.
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I liked your post, Miko, and so true. But, having been in musical theater for many years, this song came immediately to my mind —
Words! Words! I’m so sick of words!
I get words all day through;
First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?
Don’t talk of stars Burning above; If you’re in love,
Show me! Tell me no dreams
Filled with desire. If you’re on fire,
Show me!
Here we are together in the middle of the night!
Don’t talk of spring! Just hold me tight!
Anyone who’s ever been in love’ll tell you that
This is no time for a chat!
Hahaha. For singers/actors and not for writers!
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Yes, but actors have their symbol – the two masks, comedy and tragedy. I suppose we could stick a pen behind their ears… 🙂
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I love words, Miko, and I really enjoyed your post. I used to be fluent in French as well as English, and right now, thanks to the Olympics, I’m reminding myself of some of those French words as well. I don’t intend to use them in my writing, but I definitely like to use a good, appropriate variety of words in my stories.
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Good point, Linda. The Olympics has a symbol – five interlocking circles. If we added letters to each circle, corresponding to a keyboard, that could be a symbol of writing.
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I love words and enjoy poring over dictionaries and thesauri (I just had to look up the plural of thesaurus). I’m editing a story right now and like to come up with ways to improve a sentence. The prevailing symbol for writing does seem to be a hand holding a pen, often a quill pen. Personally I think we need an updated design with a word processor
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I can’t imagine being a writer without loving words. And if you love them you must also respect them, their purpose and meaning, which brings us to the dictionaries and thesauri.
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Such a wonderful post, Mike. I think in order to be a good writer, one needs to be in love with words. Savoring the sound, the meaning, the nuances – and the affect they have on our readers. That’s the delicious fun we have when we let our muses guide us.
An interesting thought about a symbol, too. A pen – but what sort of pen? A heart would be a bit ‘cheesy’ – signifying our love of words, the passion with which we write – and the love we feel when our readers love what we write. So that’s out! Much food for thought…
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We English-speakers are blessed with an extraordinary assortment of words, thanks to our language’s Anglo-Saxon roots. It gives writers a lot of latitude in choosing words as well as possibilities for the precise word you need.
As for an apt symbol, I’ll chime in with my suggestion after everyone else comments. Stay tuned….
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Words are my life. That’s why editing what I write is so necessary. Sometimes there is a better word out there and I rewrite the sentence. And you are so right about leading the reader in one direction only to surprise them with something unexpected later on. As for the symbol for we writers, a typewriter still says “writer” even if most young folks wouldn’t know how to use one, but I think it might work. Or maybe a stack of books. Now we just have to convince people to read…
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Gayle, I know you’ve added twists in your stories that surprised me – the subtle clues were there all along but I didn’t catch on – which always delights me as a reader. And any serious writer knows books aren’t written, they’re rewritten (by editing).
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Here’s my suggestion for an apt symbol for writers – a progression of writing tools through the ages, from stone chisel to computer keyboard, laid out in a semi-circle like an open fan.
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