Oh, the sheer, unadulterated pleasure of words! The way they twist and twirl on a page, the way they seduce and pull at the senses—there’s something inherently, undeniably sensual about a well-chosen word or a perfectly structured sentence. As I’ve journeyed deeper into the world of writing and read more expansively, I’ve developed a rather intense fascination—a love affair, if you will—with the power of words.
Consider the eloquence found in the works of authors like Pip Williams and Simon Sebag Montefiore. Their mastery over language isn’t just impressive; it’s downright arousing. In Pip Williams’s The Bookbinder of Jericho, for instance, there is a dialogue so tender, yet so charged, it could make your heart skip a beat:
‘Don’t stop,’ he said.
I didn’t realise I had.
‘My mother, she would do this when I was a boy.’
‘I’m not your mother, Bastiaan.’
His eyelid’s fluttered. I touched it. Calmed it.
‘You are something I have no words for,’ he said.
‘Your friend?’
‘Of course. But also, something other.’
Oh, my god… Thats sexy talk right there. This isn’t just dialogue; it’s an intimate dance of words, drawing us closer into their world with each line. Nothing garish, yet undeniably provocative and stimulating. This kind of writing embodies what I aspire to achieve as I pen my non-fiction books—it’s about crafting a narrative that doesn’t just inform but entices, tempts, and seduces the reader.
The magic isn’t just in what is said, but how it’s said. Language can be an intoxicating lover, choosing its attire from an expansive wardrobe—each word carrying a different shade, a different promise of pleasure. The joy I find in reading the dictionary is akin to a treasure hunt, where every page turned is a new delight, a new thrill.
As I’ve grown older and my experience as a writer has deepened, my appreciation for the nuanced power of words has only intensified. Words are not mere carriers of meaning but vessels of emotion and thought, capable of dividing a society or uniting hearts. The choice of a single word can reveal where you come from, or perhaps, more importantly, where you wish to go.
In the verbose displays of Montefiore or the delicate prose of Williams, we see the spectrum of language’s ability to evoke and provoke. From them, I draw not just inspiration but a palpable desire to emulate their skill in my work. The right words can dress up an idea to make it irresistible, turning even the most mundane concept into something utterly bewitching.
And isn’t that what we yearn for? Not just the blunt delivery of facts but the tantalising tease of narrative, the slow build-up, the climactic revelation? In the grand seduction that is writing, I aim to leave my readers not just satisfied but longing for more.
Forget the plunge bras, the short skirts, and the stilettos—tempt me with your expansive vocabulary, speak to me in the luscious lexicon of a seasoned wordsmith, and you’ll have me, heart and soul. After all, what’s sexier than a mind that can enthral you with nothing but words?
