This could be fun!

Ohhhh good question. Yes, I'm probably going to hop on every lit crit thread on here. LOL.

I think it's possible that words can have an emotional memory that imprints with us. In a way, that word can become a symbol of that emotion to us (don't remember which theorist discussed signs and symbols...sorry, it's been a few years since my classes!).

Association is a powerful thing. It can apply to situations, to smells, to memories, to places, so I don't see why it can't apply to words, too.

The best thing about language in writing (er. apart from it being the bit you need to HAVE writing) is that if you're willing to occasionally break it, you can really grab the reader's attention.

One of my favorite short stories is Harlan Ellison's "'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktock Man" for the sheer emotional power of the story.

The story has a series of scenes that show how time slips away from us. It goes something like this (and I am paraphrasing.)

You are seven minutes later for the beginning of your shift and immediate action will be taken and so it goes.
I'm just running a little bit behind but I swear I'll be there in just five more minutes and so it goes and so it goes and so it goes goes goes goes tick tick tick tick tock tock tock tock.

His scene works much better. I just love how language and punctuation falls apart in the sheer force of narrative and emotion. I think that's worth quite a lot.

I think that emotion is more important than grammar, and storytelling more important than mechanical correctness. I think grammar and the hard rules of writing are important, but I've known some writers who absolutely will not deviate from ANY of them, resulting in perfectly readable stories that are nevertheless a bit stiff. I think that if it's necessary to break them, they should be broken.

I do know that I see patterns in text without meaning to, that I'm not looking for them, they sort of leap out and shout "Look at me!"

I did this with words long before I learned to read. With practice, and study, I can put a name to those patterns, but I knew them and loved them long before I could name them.

giftedrhonda said:

(don't remember which theorist discussed signs and symbols...sorry, it's been a few years since my classes!).

Click to expand...

Saussure!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_in_General_Linguistics

this sub-forum really scares me.