Word Power: The Secret To Writing The Right Words

1. 1 Word Power Intro: Did you know that most of us have a vocabulary of over 40 thousand words. Fair enough, we might not know how to spell them all, but we do know the words and their meanings. But, on average, most of us only use around 20 thousand words. Which is fine on an everyday basis because we say them and they drift off into the ether, never to be seen over again. But, as a writer, things are slightly different. It's important that we don't just use the words we're familiar with. It's important that we use the right words. Not just for what we're describing, but also for the setting of a book, for the location, for the characters, for what we're trying to say. It's important that we use one word instead of waffling on for a sentence or two. It's important that we use language that our characters would use. It's important that we describe things in a way that our readers can understand. I think, as writers, it's always easy to just use the words we're comfortable with. To use the words that come to mind straight off. But there is no doubt that our writing is improved by expanding our vocabulary. So if you would like to improve your use of your vocabulary, stay tuned whilst I go wherever my recommendations on how to improve the strength of your writing by the words that you choose. Because believe me, not all words are created equal. 2. 2 Word Power Repetition: So my first recommendation would be to try to avoid repeating words. Obviously, if you're using words for impact, that's a totally different matter. If for example, you were saying, 'My feet were cold, my hands were cold, my nose was cold. It was a cold day,' you're using the word 'cold' for emphasis. You want people to understand just how cold it was, and repeating a word like that is fine. It has its strengths. It works really well, and it's an important skill to have. However, if you're using 'cold' purely because you can't think of a better word, because cold is one that comes to mind first off, then it's worth reconsidering what words you're using. For example, if it was cold, is it freezing? Is it icy? Is it bitter? And that's straight off the top of my head. There were so many words that we can use. There was so many words in our English language that say similar things with slight variations. And the variation is the important part because that adds extra depth and meaning to what you're writing. So that's the first thing I'm suggesting. Look back over your work and underline or highlight words that you continually use . And when I say about continually, do you use the same word in every sentence? Do you use the same word in one in every three sentences? If you're describing something, is your description always using this word? If you are hearing something, is this your response? Which if it's a character, than that's fine because it's your character's automatic response. But if you are using the same word in your writing purely because it's easier to use that word than find a better word... That's when I would recommend you re consider and have a look through your thesaurus and see what other words you can come up with. Because let's face it, now that you've can have a thesaurus online, on your computer, it's so much easier just to type in a word and see what comes up. See if there's a better word. You might not want to do it in your first draft. You might just want to put the words on the page. But when you go through your second draft or your third draft and when you're doing you're proofreading, it really is worth having a look, seeing what other words you can find that are perhaps stronger and more suitable for what you're looking for. So that is my first suggestion. The project to backup this concept is to write, 'I took the dog for a walk.' But don't just write, I took the dog for a walk, find at 3, 5, 7 different ways of writing, I took the dog for a walk. As I've mentioned earlier, there are lots of words that mean the same thing. And in the case of walk, there are over 40 different ways, different words, different phrases you can use that mean 'walk'. So, coming up with different ways you can say, I took the dog for a walk, hopefully won't be that difficult. Anyway. once you've got that done. I look forward to seeing you in the next video. 3. 3 Word Power VeryNice: My second recommendation is to avoid words that are non-committal words, words that are purely clarifiers. And again, words that are used out of habit. And when I'm talking about this, I'm saying words like 'very' 'truly', 'really', 'something is very nice.' It was a very nice day. What does that say? That in itself says nothing. It says you probably enjoyed yourself. You had fun. You might have met people you liked, you might have like socializing. It might have been a restful day. There were so many things and different ways that you could describe that says more about why you liked the day. Some 'very nice' might fill in the page, it might cover it, but there's more depth that you can add, and quite often, just with a few different words. It's not like you'll need to write a whole paragraph. It just means that you need to pick different words, to be specific, to look at what emotions you're covering, to take the time to actually decide what it is that you want to say. In this recommendation. I would suggest avoiding words like 'very', 'truly', 'really', those kind of words. Because if you need to include them in your writing, if you need to include them to strengthen the word that comes after them, the word that comes after them is the wrong word. And your project to backup this recommendation? It's quite a simple one really. Rewrite this sentence in three to five different ways. The sentence being, 'His sister seemed nice.' As I said earlier, it's really just a case of putting more thought into why was she nice? Was it the way she looked? Was it the way she spoke? Was it her behavior? Was she polite? Did she make you laugh? It doesn't matter what you pick. The fact is, it's simply a case of rewriting the sentence and not using the word 'nice'. Well there you go. Have fun with that, and I'll see you in the next video. 4. 4 Word Power Characters: For my third recommendation, I am going to say, make sure you use the words that reflect your character, the location that you're writing about, the era that you're writing about. All different aspects of writing, but all important, because there's no easier way to shake a reader from the picture that you're painting, than from the story that you're trying to absorb them into, than use a word that makes them think, 'That person doesn't know what they are talking.' For example, what if you're writing about somebody in America and you say that they are driving a car on the wrong side of the road. Now, if you're writing for, if you're English, or you're writing in England, and you're driving down the road and you are driving on the left-hand side of the road. Of course, in America, they don't drive in the left hand side, they drive on the right-hand side of the road. I think I got that right. Either way, it's different. It could be easily overlooked, but it does make a huge difference. It can jolt your reader out of your writing. It makes it look like you couldn't be bothered to get the details right, the basic details right. And it's the same with words. You could be talking about Christmas holidays. Now if you were in England, you'll be talking about Christmas, in America you'll be talking about The Holidays. In America, they gave gifts. In England, they give presents. And if, in fact, you are writing for a different country, or your characters are from a different country, or your story is based in a different country, it may well be worth getting somebody found that country to proofread your work, because they will obviously see the mistakes that we, as a person who's writing from a different location, might overlook. But the important aspect here is to be aware that it's not worth taking shortcuts. It really is not. Find out the right words. Find out the right action. But it might not be that the location is different. It might be that the time frame is different. For example, imagine a story that was written based today. The language will be quite different from a story that was based 50 years ago. Because, as we all know, words change, explanations change, exclamations change. I mean, for example, if you think about somebody who was surprised today, what would they language be? Chances are it's a word that my mother would not have approved off. It's probably a very unladylike word. Unless you are an extremely ladylike person. But if you think back 50 years, what would somebody have said if they dropped to hammer on their foot? Chances are it would be a much politer word than would have been used today. But what if that person was in Australia as opposed to England? We've got that standard thing, really, an Aussie's response is 'struth' which I don't think anybody else uses anywhere around the world. So if you have a person who says that, it quite clearly indicates where they come from, where their heritage is. Again, if you use the wrong exclamation, you're gonna jolt your reader out of your story, which is not good. So simply put, make sure that you use the correct vocabulary to suit your location, your character, and your timeframe. And the project to back that one up is... write a paragraph about a 17-year-old walking into a surprise party. How would they react? What would they say? Then write about a 40-year-old walking into a surprise party. How would they react? What would they say? And finally, writing about a 90-year-old, believe it or not, walking into a surprise party. What would they say? How would they react? Remember, don't take the shortcuts. If possible, visualize somebody, somebody you know, a character on a TV show, somebody from a movie, somebody from a book of that age range, of the appropriate age range. How would they react? Because as we all know, if you can put somebody you already know into a situation and write about how they'd react, what you write, is going to be more realistic and more consistent. So there you go. That is the project to back up this concept. And I'll see you in the next video. Bye. 5. 5 Word Power Emotive: Now earlier I mentioned the importance of using specific words, of avoiding a non-committal words. But have you ever noticed how some words are not just more specific they actually have a meaning that goes beyond the actual word that you're using. For example, if I was to say, 'This is my home,' and 'This is my house,' they both have different meanings, don't they? Yes, they are both houses. Yes, they're both homes. But a home is warm, friendly, cozy, inviting. A house? Not so much. So by using the right word, you're actually negating the need to have a whole descriptive sentence because the emotion is implied. And, of course, 'home' and 'house' aren't the only ones. I mean, you can look at pets and animals. I have a pet, I have an animal. I mean, one of the popular phrases these days is 'furbaby'. Now, if somebody says, 'I have a baby,' you know that person is going to be doting on their pet. If somebody says, 'Oh yeah, I got a couple of animals at home,' it's not quite the same thing. And somewhere in between those two words is 'pet'. So you've got a gradient of words you could use. They all say the same thing, but not quite, because they all have a different subliminal meaning. Now, fair enough, it's possible that not everybody will make the same assumptions and have the same subconscious reaction to a word. But they're pretty close. I mean, like I say, the difference between 'home', 'house', 'dwelling', 'accommodation', they all have different meanings. I mean 'accommodation' in itself sounds sounds temporary, whereas 'home' sounds permanent. 'House' sounds strong, so does 'dwelling'. But 'dwelling' doesn't sound as friendly as 'house'. And neither of them sound anywhere near as comfortable and inviting as a 'home.. But all three of them sound better than 'accommodation'. So when you're using a word, if there's another word that you can use that has more emotion, is more emotive, then use that one. Because that will enable you to, first of all, have less description. It will immediately add a depth to what you're writing. It doesn't mean that you always have to use the warmer, cuddly word. You can use the harsher, cooler word if that suits what you're writing. The main thing is that you use the. word that covers what you want to say. Because let's face it, if you can say it in one word rather than a whole sentence, that tends to be easier, doesn't it? And not just to write, but also to understand. The project to back up this concept is to pick a drink, any drink. It could be a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, cocktail, glass of wine, bottle of water straight out of the fridge. Really doesn't matter. Just pick a drink and write about it in three different ways. Each different way having a different underlying emotion. So you could write about somebody who is really cold and needs a hot chocolate to warm them up and how they feel about it. Or you could write about a child who is being forced to have a hot chocolate, so they'll go to bed, but they don't want to go to bed. Or, like I say, pick three different situations, three different emotionally varying situations, that all include this one drink, and see which words you find useful. Find different words to add impact, and just paint a picture around your drink. That is the project, and I will see you in the next video for the next recommendation. Bye. 6. 6 Word Power ForTheReader: Now earlier on I mentioned the importance of picking a vocabulary that suits the location that you're writing about, the characters that you're writing about, the timeframe that you're writing about. But equally as important is picking a vocabulary that suits your reader. In many ways, this comes down to knowing who your reader is. And if you're struggling with that one I have a course here on that specifically, which might help. But if you know who your reader is, you know what words they use, you know how they react, you know, what level of reading they enjoy. Knowing who your target market is... can be a bit of a pain to be honest, to go and find out who are you writing for. But it is important because it's easy to make assumptions about who's going to read your work. It's easy to make assumptions on whether they like long words or short words. It's easy to make assumptions on what kind of descriptive words they use. But assumptions don't really work. You need to know specifically who your target market, who you're perfect, ideal reader is. Because then you can use a vocabulary they feel comfortable with. For example, if somebody is a university student, it doesn't mean you have to use long words. Just as if you're writing for little old ladies, it doesn't mean you have to constantly use polite ladylike language. There's no room for assumptions simply put. There is no room for assumptions. So know who your target market is, find out who they are, and then write in a way that they feel comfortable with, that they just love listening to. So why is this important? Well, basically because you want your reader to be able to associate with what you're writing. You want your readers to go, 'I understand that entirely. You said something that I genuinely feel. You described that as if you were me.' That's what you want from your reader. You want them to be walking beside you in your story. You want them to be feeling what you feel, living what you feel, reacting the same way as you would react. And to do that, you have to know who they are. You have to know how they would react if somebody bumped into them in a shopping center and forced them to drop a dozen eggs. You need to know how they would react, what they would say if, someone cut them off on a roundabout in midday traffic. You want to know what they would stop and look at in a park. Would they look at the daisies that are just coming out into flower with the bright colors? Or would they stop to look at the roses that are just coming out into bud? Or would they be watching the dogs that are playing? Or would they be watching children on the climbing frame? Or would they just be quite happy sitting under a tree sipping on their takeaway coffee? These are the things you need to know because by knowing that you can use that information, not just to describe the part of the story that is relevant to them and to what they would notice and everyday life, but it also enables you to use the words that they can associate with. So, what's the project to back that one up? Well, write about a mother who has three children under the age of six going and buying a present for her mother. That's one. Your second paragraph is to write about a teenager buying a gift for her mother. And your third paragraph, write about a senior, somebody over the age of 60, going and buying a present for their mother. They can be in any location, male or female, except for the mother one. Doesn't matter. But just write a paragraph or two, maybe even a page of them buying, not necessarily going out to buy, but of them going and buying a gift for their mother, How would they feel about buying it? How would they go about buying it? Where would they buy it from? What are the thoughts whilst they're buying it? All those kind of things. Don't forget to use the appropriate language. Don't forget to use the appropriate descriptions. Paint the whole picture, and see how they vary. So there you have it, another way of seeing how different words paint different pictures. Have with fun with that one. And I'll see you in the next video. Bye 7. 7 Word Power Contractions: This recommendation is all about contractions. So in other words, should you use 'it is' or 'it's'? Should you use 'I am' or 'I'm'? Should you use 'should not' or 'shouldn't'? 'Couldn't or 'could not'? A 'contraction' is basically where a word is shortened by taking out a couple of letters and putting an apostrophe in in its place. I know a lot of people have been brought up with the concept that you shouldn't use contractions, especially when it's business writing or something more formal. A lot of people don't like using contractions because they're not entirely sure where to put the apostrophes. And, if that's you, I have a course on that as well. There's one on punctuation tips. But it's important to understand contractions and their place in everyday writing. In most cases, the places you'll find contractions written is in dialogue because you don't have to listen too many people talking to appreciate the fact that most of us use a lot of contractions in our speech. And chances are the only reason that we don't use them whilst talking is because we want extra emphasis in what we're saying. For example, if somebody said 'I didn't do that,' there's not a lot of impact to it. Whereas if they said, 'I did not do that,' immediately you know it's more forceful. It's more emotional and there's more backing behind it. So like everything I've covered in this course, it has its place. You can use it if you want to make your work friendlier and more realistic. But if you want to add impact then it's wise, sometimes, to not use it. The only time I would recommend not using contractions at all in your writing is if you are writing for picture books or for English Second Language. And that's purely because a reader of that kind of book or story isn't yet confident with the use of contractions. They might use them in their language, but not be confident with reading them on the page. But other than that, I would strongly recommend that you consider using contractions if you want your work to be more realistic, especially dialogue, or if you are writing a piece of work that is not a story, say for example, a profile or an article for a website or a magazine. I would consider again using contractions because it makes your work friendlier. It makes it easier to absorb. And it's more along the lines, in most cases, of the reader of your work. So contractions are an important part of writing and, like I say, if you need more help with those, have a look at my punctuation course, that will cover them. Write a dialogue scene between two people meeting at work, discussing their weekend. First-time round, write it using no contractions. Second time, write it using primarily contractions. Put in the contractions wherever you want to. Afterwards, having finished that, have a look over it and see how one resonates more than the other. See which bits work for you, and which bits don't. And just have fun playing with the contractions and seeing if they do actually add impact. If they do actually make it more realistic and believable. So there you go, that's the project for this suggestion. Have fun with it and I'll see you in the next video. Bye. 8. 8 Word Power List: And now for my final recommendation, equally as important as the others, but slightly different. Simply put, every time you write something new, make a list of the wording that you are using. Make a list of the phrasing you're using. Outline your target reader, Make a list of swear words, Make a list of descriptive words that suit. So that you know which ones to use. So that you can be consistent. Because I'm sure we've all been in the situation where we write one word in one paragraph and then half a page later, you need to rewrite it. And you're thinking, 'How did I spell it?' 'Do I spell it with an E and an R at the end, or an R and an E?' 'Did I spell it with a hyphen' 'Did I spell it as one word or two?' Language allows us to have many variations. And in many cases we can get away with whichever variation we like. The thing and place that we trip up is by not being consistent. So for example, if you've got to write the word 'bestseller', you can get away in most cases, writing it one word, two words, or hyphenated. What you can't get away with is writing it differently. Having it hyphenated on one page, two words in another and yet another time on the next page, one word. That really is where we trip up with our vocabulary. So make yourself a list every time you start writing of the important words. I'm not saying every word. But the important words. How do you write 23? Is it hyphenated? Is it two words? Is it numbers? How do you write the name of the street that the people live on? Do you write St or do you write street? These kinds of things. Like I say, it seems a minor, fiddly point that maybe isn't worth the time to write, but it is. It'll save you time in the long run. And when it comes to writing, the last thing you want to have to do is go through and proofread again to correct the little itty bits that got overlooked, or to step out of the flow of writing to go back over previous pages of your manuscript to decide and find how you wrote it before. So there you go, that is my final recommendation. The project to back that one up, look at the piece of work that you're writing on at the moment, or that you're planning to write on, and jot down some notes of your spellings. Whether it's going to be ER, or RE. What kind of language, are you going to use G rated language or are you going to use R rated language? Who your target reader is. The era that it's set in. Quick outline of who your characters are so that you can be sure that the words you use suit the people you're writing about. Well, there you go. I hope you found those recommendations helpful. As I said earlier, if you want to know more about defining who your target market is and understanding why you need to find out who your ideal reader is, please check out my other courses. There's plenty there to pick from. And in the meantime, have fun with your writing and I hope to see you soon. Bye.