Words are important. I was recently reading one of my older books and I kept noticing unnecessary words. It’s a tendency of mine. What are the words and why do I use them? That’s an issue that’s bigger than just editing. It gives me insight into my creative process.This is an area of writing I spent more and more time on. I just prepared a new workshop about it; what I view as going from the craft of writing into the art of writing. It’s what my wife and I work with people on during our Writing Scenic Workshops. That’s the best bang for your time and energy because a lot of if is subconscious but if we become aware of it, we can change it.

Am I qualifying statements? Is my point of view ‘floating’?

In life we do the same. We qualify. We use words like “maybe” “some day” “if only” “try”.

The saying from Ray Bradbury cuts to the core of this. It’s also what we called the “wanna-be” syndrome in Special Operations. Lots of people want to wear a Green Beret or the SEAL trident. But do they want to actually BE a Green Beret or SEAL?

The other day I got asked: “What is the best preparation I can do to survive Special Forces training?” My instinctual response was: If you phrase it that way, you won’t ‘survive’. The question should be “What is the best preparation to succeed at Special Forces training?” There is a profound difference between the two questions. It’s the standing wave front of our conscious and subconscious mind that we’re propagating. Which affects our reality.

I see it in query letters by authors. They’re “Hoping”. They phrase things in the negative. They’re backing into their future instead of striding face forward into it.

So instead of saying “I’m going to try . . . ”

Say “I’m going to do . . .”

Nothing but good times ahead!