Category Archives: Word Use
Oil And Vinegar, Not Oil And Water
Since April is National Poetry Month, it seems appropriate to discuss ways in which poetry can make fiction better. Continue reading
Filed under Word Use, Writing Style
Transitions
Transitions are nearly invisible, or should be, whether in fiction or non-fiction. However, they serve a vital purpose. They usher the reader logically from point A to point B. They are the guideposts that make your writing clear because they … Continue reading
Filed under Word Use
Word Discrimination, Part 2
Like adverbs, adjectives receive a fair amount of discrimination from writing instructors. Sol Stein, author of Stein On Writing, has a great deal to say on the subject. In fact, he created a little writing math formula for adjectives: one … Continue reading
Filed under Description, Word Use
Word Discrimination, Part 1
Are some words better than others? Are certain parts of speech to be shelved, or even banned from our writing? You’d think so based on some of the most highly recommended writing instruction books available. Not too long ago, an … Continue reading
Filed under Description, Word Use
Repetition and Redundancy
At first glance, someone might think the title to this post is redundant, but these two phenomena—repetition and redundancy—are actually different and therefore I am not truly saying the same thing using different words. Indeed, the one can sometimes serve … Continue reading
Filed under Word Use, Writing Rules
Vocabulary And Word Choice
An author’s vocabulary and word choice are closely associated, as I recently realized when reading Stephen R. Lawhead‘s newest release, The Skin Map, Book 1 of the Bright Empires series. Vocabulary is at the heart of language, and therefore, of … Continue reading
Filed under Word Use
Write Tight
I love contests. Besides reading and critique partners, contests may be the best means by which my writing has improve. For one thing, most contests give feedback, either through judges’ scoring sheets or through comments from other participants. Then too, … Continue reading
Filed under Word Use, Writing Rules
Fresh Writing
This week at my primary blog, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, I wrote several posts about “fresh” fiction. I started out thinking of the subject primarily from the view of the story premise, but soon realized there was a lot … Continue reading
Filed under Word Use
