hiya. i'm not too sure if i'm using this site correctly, as i never really use forums like this, so i apologize if i'm doing this wrong. i've been wanting to up my writing, as one does, and i figured my problem is word choice. in my opinion, my diction is terrible and needs to desperately be worked on, but i'm not sure on exactly how to do that. i've tried using thesauruses and looking up similar words to the more "dry" ones i usually use, but i just seem to either overdo it or the sentences don't have a very good flow to them. so my question is: how exactly do i go about improving my diction in a way that sounds natural? if any background info is needed, i primarily write fiction, and have recently picked up writing fanfiction. i also write poetry from time to time. but anyway, any comments would be highly appreciated, and, again, i apologize if i am not doing this correctly. lol.
Read a lot of authors who have good diction, and emulate some of them for a while. Maybe before emulating copy a few paragraphs (or a few dozen) that are really good. If you read enough of it you immerse yourself in it and it soaks in. It will pass, unless you use it, by writing in that kind of language. That will fix it in there. And hey—how's it going?
Hello and welcome! Yes, lots of reading, and lots of writing, too. One of the ways to improve your diction is to find your own writer’s voice, your unique style and tone. This also involves building a vocabulary and playing with words, so the more you write, the more you hone in on it.
Welcome. You pose a great question and those commentors above gave you a path to take. I only add that do not give up on it easy, because changing your writing style takes time, practice, a lot of trial and error because in the end any changes have to occur in 'your voice' or they will stand out for the wrong reason in your writing. So, Read, read and read, different genres will help also. Practice, practice and practice, until you use those new words comfortable. Then it is time to use it in a story. You'll get it. The first step is wanting to change. Careful about making it too flowery, were you're new use of new words over shadows the story around. Best writing to you. Good luck.
Thst doesn't matter if you're in your early learning period. If you're not at a pretty good level yet, and not ready to publish, you can and should do whatever you feel like. Play around. It needs to be fun. Your style can change twenty times in the same story, it doesn't matter. The more of that kind of stuff you do (playful, experimental) the more you'll learn and the faster you'll grow. If you're afraid of letting your style change (in the middle of a story or whatever) you're holding back your development.
The thesaurus is your friend. People will tell you not to use a word you don't already know. I suggest instead getting to know that word. There are several fantastic dictionaries online. I use the Merriam-Webster site most often. You can switch back and forth between dictionary and thesaurus without having to look up the word again, and they have good example sentences, so you can get a feel for how a word is used. If you're testing out more sophisticated vocabulary and it sounds awkward to you, play around with the sentence. Rearranging the structure can improve the rhythm and flow immensely sometimes. Lastly, and most importantly, know that you don't have to prove anything to anyone. Many writers believe that it's more important to be clear and accessible than it is to show off your vocabulary. Yes, it's fun to say "surreptitious" instead of "sneaky" or "verisimilitude" instead of "the appearance of truth" or "callipygous" instead of "having a nice butt" (that's really what it means. Great word, right?) Still, with synonyms, there's a danger of changing your meaning due to minor connotations or using a word that just doesn't fit at all. If I recall, Steven King's example in On Writing was something like "Never say 'perambulate' when you mean 'walk.'" Synonyms usually don't have the exact same meaning. Like I said, get a good feel for the word before you use it. And remember, it often happens that the simplest word was the correct word all along. If instead of "It was a pleasure to burn." Ray Bradbury had written "It was a delectation to deflagrate." it wouldn't be one of the all-time great opening lines.
