Q/t: The Right Word

Quips & Tips

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” —Mark Twain

The right word injects dynamic energy into your writing. The almost right word waters it down. If you type “distressing” when the situation was “agonizing,” you’ve lost the power of your message.

Don’t edit as you write. But when you go through the first edit, circle all of the bland words – usually nouns or verbs, and search for a more specific, energetic word. You might spend half an hour finding just the right word. But you’ll know the time was well spent when you read the revised sentence.

If you're not in the mood to haul down your Roget's International Thesaurus (an essential for any writer's bookshelf), log onto http://thesaurus.reference.com/, and keep that window open as you write for ready reference.

~ Linda