Most writers have encountered the frustration of being unable to find the perfect adjective, verb or noun for their sentence. Many a novelist has been forced into using some of the most hackneyed words around after exhausting all possible synonyms. Crossing the minefield of word choice can be irritating, but with these quick tips on which words to use, and which to avoid, emerging with the narrative intact is a whole lot simpler.
Don’t Overuse Common Words
There are some words that all writers just cannot escape using in their work; say and go are perhaps the most glaring examples. It is inevitable that characters will go places and say things, what is not set in stone is the verbs used to express these actions. Be more specific – a character says something, but how is he or she saying it? In what context? What is the comment’s role within the conversation? For instance:
‘But-’
‘No buts!’ she said, ‘To school with you, young man!’
The mother character is interrupting her son. So it’s less vague to say:
‘No buts!’ she interrupted, ‘To school with you, young man!’
Or if interrupt has already been used, there’s:
‘No buts!’ she interjected, ‘To school with you, young man!’
Go is a more difficult verb to get around. If the characters are travelling try alternatives for the particular action. Instead of walking, use words like trudging, limping or struggling. Otherwise, the best course is to use go as sparingly as possible.
It may be impossible to completely avoid using say or go, but if enough synonyms are used, the banality of these words will go unnoticed. Common words are not bad words – indeed properly utilised they can provide great clarity of expression. It is overuse that makes them seem tired and boring to the reader. The key is providing variety to the audience.
Need a Word For...
There are plenty of sources for synonyms. Word processing software such as Microsoft Word has a thesaurus that can be easily accessed over the course of the work. But such programs are often missing the more unusual and original words, which are precisely the kinds a writer needs most. Purchase a hard copy thesaurus; Roget’s Thesaurus is excellent, though somewhat daunting in its size.
Use the index to find the word currently in use, select the sense which is closest to the intended meaning, and then scan the page given for the most fitting replacement. Furthermore, the Internet is littered with sites offering synonyms to the frustrated writer. Any of these three methods will help; however a hard copy thesaurus has the greatest range of alternate verbs, nouns and adjectives and as such is really an investment in quality writing.
Choosing the Right Synonym
There are roughly two hundred and fifty thousand words in the English language; the difficulty in choosing one to write with is not so much about finding an alternative as deciding which to use.
First of all, consider the context of the word. What are the connotations the replacement needs to have? The reason there are so many to choose from is that they intended to be specific to a particular situation. Figure out exactly what image will be expressed by the word, and then match the new verb, adjective or noun to that idea as closely as possible.
Try to find two or three; how the word looks and sounds with the rest of the sentence is important. No matter how good a fit the word is for the idea, if it doesn’t fit the sentence, then there are two options: change the word, or change the sentence. The former is often the easier road; completely overhauling a sentence can create a ripple effect on the surrounding narrative, making nonsense of previously expressive prose. Besides, chances are if the new word doesn’t fit, it’s because it wasn’t the right choice in the first place.
It’s Synonymous With Bad
The danger of searching for and selecting synonyms is that word-obsessed writers can and will discover hitherto unknown verbs, adjective, nouns, etc, and be tempted to use them, in some cases with complete disregard for context or sense. A word is only powerful as long as its meaning is intact; obscure words will cloud the thrust of the work and confuse readers.
Learn exactly what the word means if it’s unclear; there’s nothing wrong with using an unusual adjective as long as its meaning is conveyed by the sentence it is used in. In short, synonyms are vital for giving fiction its clarity and originality, but care must be taken first in choosing them, and then in how they are put into practice.
