In a post on the Killzone blog, PJ Parrish offers advice for finding the just-right words for your fiction. “When you hit upon just the right word, your sentences and scenes take on a vibrancy and alive-ness,” she says. “When you settle for the merely adequate word, your story becomes mundane and bloodless.” Her tips include:
- Write with the character in mind. “Nothing will yank a reader out of your story faster than ill-fitting words coming from your characters mouths or brains,” Parrish says.
- Listen to how others speak. People come with a stock of unique idioms they learned from family, friends, and regions.
- Be aware of your tone. “Humor demands a different vocabulary than hardboiled,” Parrish notes.
- Beware the Thesaurus. A thesaurus can be useful sometimes, but it’s not substitute for listening and building your own voice.
- Don’t overwrite. “Pick your places to punch things up and don’t overdo it because you’ll just end up looking silly,” Parrish adds. Keep tone and action in mind when you want to use metaphors or flowing language.
- Don’t sweat the first draft. If you can’t think of the exact right word or phrase, come back to it later. Don’t stop to search for it.
- Have fun. “Don’t be afraid to make up words or use them weirdly,” Parrish says.
