Right now, my friends and family are FREAKING OUT! “They’re PREGNANT?” “He’s in his fifties! How’s that even possible?”
Rest assured, folks, that the “new baby” is merely allegorical. As a writer, I’m always striving to grow, and one way I do this is by increasing my vocabulary. So when I discover a new word, for me, it’s like having a new baby (only without the stinky diapers, 3 A.M. feedings, and subsequent college tuition.)
If you’re still reading this, then I have to assume you’re a writer since everyone else thought: “Oh, this isn’t about a baby…” “Oh, it’s not about sex…”
So let’s continue…
Recently, I uncovered a plethora of gems in a fantasy I was reading and added them to my Excel vocab worksheet. Geeky? Yep! But I’ll be the first to admit where I’m weakest (vocab/grammar) and need to improve. Plus, with the spreadsheet nearby while I write, I have a handy tool and resource at my fingertips. If not, I tend to use the same tired word or phrasing, which is boring, and if I’m bored, my reader has to be too.
So when I discover a new word, especially one that sums up several words, I get excited. Honest, I really do! And you can bet your booty I’ll have these new tots dressed and ready to go, anxious to insert them in a page and watch them help my story grow up. The trick, of course, is to not be the obnoxious parent who shows off baby all the time!
So what tricks of the trade do you use?
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J.E. Lowder 
Ha! 🙂 I never go anywhere without my trusty Thesaurus (and, lucky for me, the Mac has a fantastic pop-up one built-in)! I agree about word repetition and find it boring (particularly within paragraphs) but I’m also cautious of using too many complex or rare words – I try to treat them a bit like condiments when cooking: just enough to bring out the flavour but not so much as to become overpowering…
(Nice post structure BTW…!!)
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I like your spice analogy. I also think of it in terms of audio (guitar) effects. Nothing worse than using your new stomp box on EVERYTHING! Plus, since my series is YA, I’ve got to keep it trim while at the same time challenging.
And thanks for the structure comment; trying to see lures folks in to visit.
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Naw… now you’ve said that, my muso’s having second thoughts… change of heart: just STOMP BOX EVERYTHING!!!! 😀 hahahahaha (to fade, amongst slightly ominous sounds of distant window panes rattling…)
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Hmmmm . . . I don’t have any tricks of the trade, yet. I guess I have to get some. I will add that to my growing list of to-do’s! ;}
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