The writing prompt for my students was:

**How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?

Broken, but what does that really mean?

Do I just mean empty?

Scared? Bruised?

Fractured?

This is why vocabulary is so important. Just like music, the notes come together and create a melody that you feel.

It moves you.

And then you think, how can I use words to accomplish the same type of transformative experience for my reader?

I am seeking to move somebody’s soul in a way that marks his or her memory. 

To be intentional about word choice, and challenge its limitations. 

To embody even a fraction of our shared human experiences. 

To create sense from chaos.