Celebrate the sixth annual Words Matter Week with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) and other friends and sponsors! As always, it will be held during the first full week of March.
The quote we have chosen for this year is from Don Juan by George Gordon, Lord Byron.
. . . Words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think . . .
George Gordon, Lord Byron; Don Juan, Canto 3, Stanza LXXXVIII
There are many ways you can celebrate Words Matter Week. We offer a page of suggestions, and we welcome more. If you or your group is planning a special celebration, we invite you to share it in the comments below. Also, please share the event with your friends, family, and colleagues. One way to do so is to print copies of the Words Matter Week 2014 poster, and share them anywhere you like. You’re welcome to use the poster image on your website, too.
Blog Challenge
The second thing we would like to invite you to do is to participate in the blog challenge. There will be a prize of a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com for a blogger who blogs on one of the challenge topics; then comes back to this post to leave a comment and link so that we can read your post. As in previous years, the winner will be randomly chosen from the bloggers who write a post, then comment below during Words Matter Week. You may win an extra entry into the drawing by posting a link to http://WordsMatterWeek.com
Here are the Blog Challenge Questions for Words Matter Week
Monday
Writers craft words into memorable phrases, stories, poems and plays.
What writers make your heart sing? Why?
“To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the inner
music the words make.” ~Truman Capote
Tuesday
What word, said or unsaid, has or could change your life? How?
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wednesday
Communication breaks down when words are misused. What is the funniest or worst
break-down you’ve ever observed?
“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.”
~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Thursday
What person in your life helped you understand the importance of choosing words carefully? What would you say to them if you met them today?
“Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Friday
If you had to eliminate one word or phrase from the English language, what would it be? Why?
“Words are loaded pistols.” ~Jean-Paul Sartre
Give Books to Children with First Book
As we have in previous years, we invite you to spread the love of words by donating to the charity, First Book. They provide new books to children in need, and by contributing to their work, we are encouraging a new generation of readers and writers. Please consider sharing; even a tiny gift makes a difference. At least, visit the web page and watch the delightful video of children’s book authors telling the story of First Book. We think it will make you smile.
Finally, once again, please share Words Matter Week with your real life and social media contacts. Words are important, and once a year, we dedicate a bit of time to pondering them. If you participate, please comment below, and tell us what you’re doing. We would enjoy hearing more creative ideas!
It is time once again to focus on words! During the first week in March, we invite you to consider the importance of carefully crafted language. Words Matter Week is a time to focus on banishing slop and drivel from written and spoken communication. If you choose to blog about the holiday, please leave a comment below with a link to your post so others can read it.
(nothing better than books for a word-lover!). The winner will be announced in the next issue of The Edge, NAIWE’s e-mail newsletter (if you don’t receive it yet, you may subscribe at 