The Importance of Words

I learned how important words are in writing. It is not just a matter of using the first word that pops into our mind. We should strive to use the best word for that particular sentence.

In the book Stein on Writing by Sol Stein he states that Diction involves the choice of words for their precise meaning and sound, the arrangement of those words, and their selection for effect. Excellence in diction is the most important characteristic of fine writing.

There are two types of writers:
Commercial writers and literary writers. You as a writer will most likely write for the audience of which you are a part of. If you read commercial than you will write commercial.

Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying one is better than the other...they are just different.

I love playing around with different words and interchanging them to get the best effect. I do care how the sentence sounds and will spend hours and weeks perfecting each sentence until I get it exactly the way I want it. 

You can have several words that have the same meaning but are individual when it comes to which one would serve the sentence more accurately.

I would define a writer's "voice" as being the use of words in constructing sentences.
I continue to study the use of words and how they relate to the sentence. It does take longer to write but it's worth it in the long run.

Pamela