Writing is about choosing powerful, interesting, and specific words to keep your readers engaged no matter what you are writing. Keeping readers engaged means making every word count. And nothing puts me more in the mood for a session of word-nerding than wisdom from Mark Twain.
“The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’ and your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
Keeping Readers Engaged, 5 Word Choices to Watch
Words can have more than one meaning (like grill—are you writing about an intense questioning session or cooking over flames?) and in the right context, a reader will understand what it means. But often, ambiguous words have no true meaning, and this word choice will add only mediocrity.
Take good, for an example. “They had a good discussion about politics.”
What does that mean? Was it friendly, did they agree, or did they present persuasive arguments, come to an understanding, solve any problems?
Specifics bring meaning to your writing and is one step towards keeping readers engaged.
Other ambiguous word examples are: awesome, great, amazing, sad, bad, looked, went… the list is endless. Seek ’em out and zap ’em!
Frozen ice? Ya think? Absolutely certain? Certain means the same thing. Suddenly exploded? Have you ever heard of anything slowly exploding?
Keeping readers engaged means throwing away, throw-away words.
Do a search for that and just, two commonly overused words (my own personal demons). If you can strike them out and the sentence still makes sense, do it. Also as, was, were, but, would, could, so, as if, now, then, still, the, looked, begin to, perhaps, seemed, started. Rather and somewhat add no meaning—rather boring and boring are the same thing. Completely, totally, probably, really, and very are useless modifiers (the room is completely empty means the same thing as the room is empty). Find stronger words for any you are modifying.
Word choice when it comes to verbs is probably the most talked about when discussing keeping readers engaged. And for good reason.
Verbs are the cornerstone of action in your writing, and when your reader gets an image from your writing, they experience it. Which paints a better and more active picture: She ran from him or She sprinted/dashed/lumbered/scampered/bolted from him?
Don’t turn verbs into nouns (called nominalization). Made a decision or decide? In violation of or violate? Submit an application or apply? Have a discussion about or discuss? Sometimes nominalization is warranted, so if you do, be sure you have a reason.
Adverbs and Adjectives
Use these sparingly. If you are modifying or describing a word, find a stronger word choice. Search for anything ending in –ly and rewrite.
Danger Will Robinson!!!
Do NOT use your thesaurus to find pretentious or little-known words. Purple prose will lose a reader too. Steer clear of word lists promising to make you sound smart. Just be sure to do a round of word-nerding before you hit “send” and keep true to your voice and vocabulary.
There you have it. Five word choices to watch and one warning for keeping readers engaged. Which is your downfall?
Looking for more on keeping readers engaged? How about common grammar mistakes that diminish your writing.
Award-winning novelist Kathy Steffen teaches fiction writing and speaks at writing programs across the country. Additionally, Kathy is also published in short fiction and pens a monthly writing column, Between the Lines. Her books, FIRST THERE IS A RIVER, JASPER MOUNTAIN and THEATER OF ILLUSION are available online and at bookstores everywhere. Check out more at www.kathysteffen.com