I love words. An editor told me that to really love words is to use as few as possible. It maximizes the impact of the focus word in each sentence.
He said true logophiles work to find one perfect word instead of three good ones. He was right.
It’s hard to love words with dignity. At first, we’re like a boy in love with a girl. Too eager to do too much, sacrifice his identity, and throw everything at her, hoping something sticks. Pathetic.
Confidence. No neediness. Those reveal a deeper kind of love on a firmer foundation. Movies praise desperate grand gestures, but that guy is too unstable in the real world. He doesn’t get the girl. He’s too excitable.
Focus your words. Respect them and yourself enough to reign in the crazy. Don’t spatter the page. A scalpel is better than a shotgun.