Creativity Tips: Quick Writing Lesson

Here's a Sunday special ... because it just occurred to me that my "status update" on Facebook today could serve as a quick writing lesson.

I posted: Jan Sokoloff Harness is sending a Jewish mama's hug to all my friends who are missing their mothers today.

My phrasing exemplifies why writers aren't normal people: We think about every word. For example, this started as my way of reaching out to the many friends I have whose mothers have died. Then, I started thinking about other friends -- some who don't live close to their mothers, others who simply aren't close to their mothers.

The phrase "missing their mothers" encompasses all these friends. And starting the sentence with a positive hug keeps it as upbeat as possible, especially for those mourning mothers gone.

Words matter.