Years ago, I was hiking with someone around the Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska. A bird flew over our heads, black against a metallic July sky. A lover of all things beautiful, my hiking partner was the first to point it out. I shaded my eyes. “Cool. What do think it is?” He […]
November 8, 2013 by 20 Comments Editing Your Novel5 Key Ways to Choose the Right Word (Without a Thesaurus!)
Figuring out how to choose the right word is probably only the second most difficult writing trait to master (right after ideas). Your word choice is a crucial part of your writing that directly correlates with your readers’ reactions to your content. Sure, you could have a spectacular idea, but without the appropriate words, you’re […]
October 20, 2013 by 39 Comments Writing Life5 Signs You’re Hiding Behind Your Writing
Writing, as an act of personal creation, tells us things about ourselves—but if we’re hiding behind our writing, it may also reveal what we’re afraid to face. That can be scary! Even scarier, writing will tell others things about yourself. Every word you write becomes your testimony of yourself to the world. Putting your heart […]
January 25, 2012 by 33 Comments DialogueHow to Choose Between a Big Word and a Small Word
The debate between the worthiness of 25-cent words versus 100-dollar words is ongoing among authors. Some argue that simplicity is always best, if only because we can’t risk confusing readers with unfamiliar language. Others want to embrace the full scope of the English vocabulary and utilize impressive and specific big words. This is an argument […]
July 4, 2010 by 69 Comments Prose5 Pros and Cons of Using the Thesaurus
Writers are surprisingly divided over the value of using the thesaurus. Some consider it their secret weapon; others regard it as a crutch. So which is it? Stephen King’s opinion, from his 1988 essay “Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully—in Ten Minutes” is now well known: Any word you have to hunt for […]
June 21, 2009 by 60 Comments ProseWhy Authors Should Be Using the BIG Words
I’m a vocabulary nut. I admit it. I love words. Little words, big words, unusual words, archaic words. In high school, I kept a piece of paper in the front of whatever book I was reading, so I could write down unfamiliar words and look them up the next day. Whenever I looked up a word, I underlined it, and […]
