The TED Talks Every Writer Should Listen To

A recent TED Radio Hour should be required coursework for all aspiring writers out there. Although it never addresses writing specifically, it does address language. How language evolves, how it affects our understanding of the world, how it provides a construct in which we can communicate and, by extension, tell stories. If you are a lover of language (and if you aren’t, what business do you have as an author?) then you’ll find these talks enlightening and elucidating.

The talks include John McWhorter on how texting is changing the language and how we communicate. Mark Pagel asks whether language brings us together or pulls us apart. We get a light-hearted but grammar-heavy look at the dark side of the subjunctive tense from Phuc Tran, followed by Mark Forsyth discussing the way language changes over time. Finally, Amy Cuddy talks about how body language can shape how we perceive ourselves.

The full show can be listened to here.

Check out Decater's novel, available now at Amazon. Plus, don't forget his other books: They Both Love Vonnegut, Ahab's Adventures in Wonderland, and Picasso Painted Dinosaurs.