How to Use Better Word Choice in Stories
Focus on tone in your diction., Pick words that cater to your tone., Consider your age group to adjust your vocabulary., Use alliteration to add spice to your prose., Think about sound as you are writing., Use metaphorical language to add interest...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Focus on tone in your diction.
The tone is just the mood of a story, how it feels, and your word choice plays into setting it up.
For instance, “surly” and “morose” are listed as synonyms.
However, “surly” focuses more on irritability and gruffness, while “morose” focuses more on sadness.
They have very different connotations.
A connotation is the meaning or the feeling that goes beyond the dictionary definition of the word. -
Step 2: Pick words that cater to your tone.
When choosing words, pick ones that play into your tone, rather than work against it.
A dark, noir-type story needs dark words, not ones that bring to mind rainbows and sunshine.
On the other hand, a cheerful story needs cheerful words. , Focus on the group you’re writing towards.
One way to tell what kind of vocabulary you should use is to read in the genre you’re writing in, as it will help you to develop a sense of the vocabulary level.
You don’t want to use extremely long words for 6-year-olds, but that doesn’t mean you can’t throw in the occasional long word in a kid’s book, as it helps them improve their vocabulary.
The same holds true for adult books.
Certain genres (such as romance) have simpler vocabularies than other genres (literary fiction, poetry). , While alliteration (the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words) isn’t used as often in stories, it can still be beneficial to your writing.
It can make it sound more poetic.
Try using it in places where it is not forced. , The sounds of the words you choose should reflect the mood of the story.
Is this a harsh story? Then your word sounds should reflect that with harsh, guttural consonant sounds, such as “kick,” “punk,” and “puncture.” If it is a softer story, try softer sounds, like “hush,” smoothing,” and “wash.” , You don’t always need to use a literal word to describe something.
For instance, you don’t have to say “The sky was blue.” Instead, you can say, “The sky was the color of the ocean just before dusk.” It’s longer, but it gives the reader a better picture of what the sky actually looked like at the time. -
Step 3: Consider your age group to adjust your vocabulary.
-
Step 4: Use alliteration to add spice to your prose.
-
Step 5: Think about sound as you are writing.
-
Step 6: Use metaphorical language to add interest to your word choice.
Detailed Guide
The tone is just the mood of a story, how it feels, and your word choice plays into setting it up.
For instance, “surly” and “morose” are listed as synonyms.
However, “surly” focuses more on irritability and gruffness, while “morose” focuses more on sadness.
They have very different connotations.
A connotation is the meaning or the feeling that goes beyond the dictionary definition of the word.
When choosing words, pick ones that play into your tone, rather than work against it.
A dark, noir-type story needs dark words, not ones that bring to mind rainbows and sunshine.
On the other hand, a cheerful story needs cheerful words. , Focus on the group you’re writing towards.
One way to tell what kind of vocabulary you should use is to read in the genre you’re writing in, as it will help you to develop a sense of the vocabulary level.
You don’t want to use extremely long words for 6-year-olds, but that doesn’t mean you can’t throw in the occasional long word in a kid’s book, as it helps them improve their vocabulary.
The same holds true for adult books.
Certain genres (such as romance) have simpler vocabularies than other genres (literary fiction, poetry). , While alliteration (the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words) isn’t used as often in stories, it can still be beneficial to your writing.
It can make it sound more poetic.
Try using it in places where it is not forced. , The sounds of the words you choose should reflect the mood of the story.
Is this a harsh story? Then your word sounds should reflect that with harsh, guttural consonant sounds, such as “kick,” “punk,” and “puncture.” If it is a softer story, try softer sounds, like “hush,” smoothing,” and “wash.” , You don’t always need to use a literal word to describe something.
For instance, you don’t have to say “The sky was blue.” Instead, you can say, “The sky was the color of the ocean just before dusk.” It’s longer, but it gives the reader a better picture of what the sky actually looked like at the time.
About the Author
Peter Stevens
Creates helpful guides on home improvement to inspire and educate readers.
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