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I'm a writer. It's as simple as that. I use my written word to change my world and the world around me for the better. "The pen is mightier than the sword." Although a classic and often overused quote today, it is actually very true.
Despite the fact that I am passionate about all forms of communication, writing is my favorite and most preferred. We may learn and use all forms of communication, but most individuals will always have one form that they favor and are the strongest in. I've been writing for a long time now, and I quickly realized that it is a powerful way to change the world for the better, both for yourself and others. Here's some ways I send strong positive messages in my writing:
1. Write Stories
Storytelling is a strong tool to make effective positive change. I use it all the time both on this blog, and in my books. Whether it's stories about ourselves or others, people are drawn to narrative above all other types of written word. Readers want to make a personal connection with what they are reading, and when doing this, they absorb the message in a stronger way. We might write stories about ourselves, or others, but either way they are sure to make a huge impact.
2. Write with Passion
This one sounds kind of obvious, but many people get caught up putting their thoughts onto paper. Use your feelings to fuel your words. When I’m feeling a strong emotion, such as extreme happiness or sadness, I go right to my laptop and start typing. It doesn’t just mean having strong emotions, but any emotions. My best work comes out of being aware of my emotions and tapping into those. When you sit down to write, take a moment to become aware of what emotions you are feeling at that moment, and use those emotions to fuel your writing. Put your all into your writing.
3. Be Yourself
One of the biggest weaknesses I see in new writers when I read their work is in-authenticity. We as writers take what we see from other individuals’ work and absorb it into our own. However, there’s a fine line between inspiration and mimicry. What we as writers want to do is take different stylistic aspects from various prose we enjoy and practice until we make them our own. The more we practice, the more our writing becomes individualistic and true to ourselves. I would encourage you to explore your writing until you find your own style, in your voice. Readers will know when you are being fake and they are reading your work because they want to hear your unique voice.
4. Paint Pictures with your Words
If we want to send a certain message to our readers, we want them to be able to picture this message in their heads. Many call this “show don’t tell.” I heard this all the time in my college writing courses. I heard it so much, I started to block it out. But over time, I realized that it is so true. Readers truly understand the message you are trying to tell when they can create a picture of it in their minds. For example:
“Carly looked across the room and saw her brother staring into thin air.”
“Across the room, Carly’s brother stared into thin air.”
Which one sounds stronger? The first sentence is an example of telling, and the second one showing. I suggest practicing showing the reader exactly what you want them to see.
5. Use Active Voice
“Don’t use passive voice” is another phrase I heard constantly in college writing classes. By passive voice, it means that the subject of the sentence is acted upon. However, if we want to move our readers towards a certain direction, we want the subject of the sentence to act. This creates a new sense of motivation and understanding to our readers. For example:
“Sam was blasted by a cold gust of wind.”
“A cold gust of wind blasted Sam.”
I used passive voice in the first sentence and active in the second. When using active voice, it adds a sense of power to your words that would otherwise not be there.
It takes time to master these, but anyone can do it with consistent practice. Every single one of us can convey positive messages with our written prose, no matter how strong we believe our writing skills are.
QUESTION: What are some other ways you have used written words to send a positive message to others?
