Does it Matter Which Word I Choose?

Let's have a raise of hands for all you writers out there who never use a Thesaurus. I bet you if I were to walk into a RWA conference or

any writers' conference for that matter, and mention the previous statement, very few hands— if any—would go up. Why do you think that is?

The more I write, the more I understand why writers become increasingly meticulous about the words they choose to put in their works. And

going through pre-edits—let's just say I wish I had come to this understanding before I started writing. Then again, that's not the way it works.

This past week, I heard one of my favorite bands, Maná, on the radio singing Lluvia al Corazon. Now I'm not a native

Spanish speaker, but when I learned Spanish in school, Maná became a long lost friend. Not only are their songs catchy but many

times they are meaningful, tackling such topics as abortion, political struggles, social and environmental issues and love. The Mexican group has been around from the mid to late eighties and they are still going strong.

In my opinion, Lluvia al Corazon, translated literally as rain to the heart, is a song about not giving up and having hope, even in the most difficult of times.  As I listen to the poetic lyrics, I can't help but wonder if song lyrics are so different from our novels or novellas. Sure they're shorter but each word only counts that much more. Quite simply, its efficient writing and it makes me want to put that much more effort into my

works. But then, I'm sure even Maná took a few go rounds before they came up with the perfect words and songs for their first album.

Have a listen to one of their latest songs, Lluvia al Corazon, and happy writing this week!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life