Just an added note: Running to a thesaurus often means that the writer is only considering replacing a word instead of what they should be doing - Re-writing the sentence or even a whole paragraph. Laziness should not be tolerated, especially by a writer looking at a mirror.
Thanks guys! very helpful. I always pull out a thesaurus, and now I realize that's not always necessary.
As a foreigner, I sometimes don't know a particular word and use then more words to express myself. For instance if you say "The water came in small droplets out of a little hole in the wall" there is a more to the point way of saying the same by using "to seep" or "to trickle down". The same problem is imho underlying to the advice to use those cursed -ly words. HTH
I do not know if you clearly understand but here let me help you by breaking the line: walk --> advanced abstract --> whimsical lighten --> illuminate I guess the commas really confused readers. Thank you minstrel for clarifying this. My page did not load quickly.
Unlike some in this thread, I don't think a thesaurus is evil, just that it is easy to misuse. Substituting a word in an attempt for variety just because it is in the thesaurus will get you in deep trouble. As some have said, the proper uses of a thesaurus are to A) remind you of a word you know that better fits the sense of what you want to convey, and B) to suggest words that you can look up and add to your vocabulary. The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. ~Mark Twain
Yes, while a thesaurus can be misused it's not hard to use as long as you have an iota of common sense. Lets use the walk example. Each of these provides a different cue as to what's going on. He walked across the fields. -Very bland and tells us nothing He advanced through the fields. -Implies military/stealthy movement He strolled through the fields. -Implies a leisurely pace and also gives us an idea of his mood He ran across the field. -Again, generic and boring, why is he running? He hoofed it across the field. -Implies being in a hurry because of something exciting or an emergency. Choosing the right word depends on the context. How is the person walking? How is the thing lightening things up? Give us an idea of mood etc.
A thesaurus is no substitute for a good vocabulary. It can be helpful in achieving a good vocabulary, but... it can make stuff sound really cheesy too.
Always remember, the most important thing is for a reader to be living in your story, not reading your words. So whatever method you choose, make sure you come back to that section a few days later and give it another read. If the word catches your eye so that you're focused on it rather than the story, get rid of it, whether it is the "perfect" word or not. Example from one of my stories" "He sat, arms trembling in fear, looking at the newly enfleshed being." (never mind the use of participles!) In my professional background, that is a very natural word to use. However, some others came across that word and ripped it to pieces, because it just felt awkward to them. It caught their eye and pulled them from the story. Just my 2 cents -
I really like this. At first I thought you had to show of your vocabulary to be a better writer but most novels do use relatively simple language.
