Sure. Sure, there are things for which “there are no words.” Words are a tool, a stick we use to gesture with. We can’t forget that they are the finger pointing at the moon.

Words are not the moon.

But they also give us something to play with. Once we get words to the page, we have something to get our hands on. We’ve got our material.

Writing Prompt

Have you ever just played with a word? This morning, I heard the word “selfless” spoken on a podcast, then I found myself staring out the window and wandering around that word.

Selfless… selfish. Shellfish. Shelf. Shelf-life. Shell of life. Selfless.

It was a funny little tumble I took! Some of the floating ideas related, some didn’t, and then I looped back around somehow. Words, huh?

Grab a book from nearby or click to a tab you recently had open. Pick a word that jumps out, for whatever reason: the sound, the sharpness, the breadth, the annoyance, whatever. Set a timer for 5 minutes and tumble around with the word on the page.