I recently finished reading The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie (affiliate link) and one of the things that intrigued me about the book was the author’s focus on the power of words. In the book, the gods have to be careful what words they speak, because if they speak something and it’s not true, it drains away their power, because their power is trying to make it true. Whereas if they speak the truth, then the words channel their power and makes what they say real.
It’s an interesting rule for that world, but it made me think about the power of what we say and write. My next non-fiction project is The Magic of Writing, which explores how writing can be used as a magical tool, but also explores the power of the word in general. One of the ways I have explored the power of the word is through how what is written or said does have an effect on one’s life.