Creative Writing – Word Choice & Vocabulary
Descriptive Prose and Dialogue is Heavily Influenced by Vocabulary
Sep 24, 2008
Attempting to write a piece of any considerable length such a short story, novella, or novel without having the requisite vocabulary will inevitably lead to frustration and ultimately, failure.
Repetitious use of common words is a very common mistake in fiction writing that immediately thrusts a spotlight on the author, illuminating a poor grasp of the English language and a definite need to look further for more accurate and descriptive words to fit your style and meter.
Cultivating Vocabulary
The first step in stepping up your literary game is to read, and to do a whole lot more of it. Reading the work of other authors not only introduces you to new words that you may not have come across before, but it also provides a relevant context in which to use those newfound gems.
Another nifty idea is to make it your goal to learn at least one new word a day, and to make sure that you understand the definitions of that word and the correct context in which to use it.
There are several different sources that will send you a daily word via e-mail, the most popular sites being the Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Day, as well as Merriam-Webster's online resource offering nearly the same service.
The OED is most likely a better choice for more sophisticated or intricate words, while the Merriam-Webster word of the day is more apt to be something more pragmatic or practical. Further, the Merriam-Webster web presence is complimented by a podcast and other resources for the technophile amongst us who might want to listen to proper pronunciations while on the go.
The Thesaurus, Your New Best Friend
There are two primary ways in which to use a thesaurus – creatively and correctively.
When using a thesaurus creatively, one is searching out synonyms for a word they are already familiar with and would like to see other words that they might be able to use to impart a similar meaning or feeling.
The benefit to using the thesaurus in this fashion is that it is expanding your vocabulary directly, without having to sift through tomes of literature in order to slowly gain a greater grasp of the English language through osmosis.
For those of us who perhaps do not have the time to follow the earlier suggestion of reading habitually to enrich the vocabulary, using the thesaurus creatively to find both synoynms as well as antonyms provides us with concise information. Beware of taking the thesaurus too literally – just because something may be listed as a synonym does not mean it is a perfect replacement for the word you are sourcing.
What is meant by using the thesaurus correctively is that the thesaurus is being used as an aide to editing and proofreading. Even the most experienced writers will tend to rely on words they are particularly fond of, or words for which they have not internalized a great deal of interchangeable synonyms.
When read aloud during the proofing process, either yourself or your assistant will begin to notice the overuse of certain words, most usually verbs and nouns. By using a thesaurus correctively, you are both understanding the value of constructive self-criticism as well as learning which words you have problems with regarding prevalence of use, and some wonderful synonyms that can readily fill in for them in future narratives.
Expanding your vocabulary will prove to be one of the most worthwhile endeavours that any writer may seek to undertake, so crack a book and have a seat by the fireplace for a few hours!
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