On Language

I’m between books at the moment, and haven’t yet figured out what the next one is going to be about. Not that I’m lacking for ideas. Like most writers, I’m sure, I have a swirl of possibilities and images and fleeting bits churning like a dust storm in my mind. It’s just that none of them has become the idea, the one that separates itself from the maelstrom and asserts itself, demanding to have the rest of its story told. In the meantime, I’m doing what I can to fill the well so I’ll be ready to write, and looking for inspiration and reminders about why I love this job and this language of ours.

As often seems to happen when we open ourselves to the universe, what we need comes along, somehow. My great friend anovelwoman posted this wonderful video of Stephen Fry on language.

That, of course, sent me to YouTube to look for more. Stephen Fry again, this time with Hugh Laurie:

And as a bonus video, a little on swearing, too.