Questions tagged [word-choice]
This tag should be used for questions about choosing the right words for the context of your writing. Questions about etymology and grammar are off-topic.
386
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91
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9
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Using real words from a foreign culture feels like 'Calling a rabbit a "smeerp"'
I'm working on a novel, that's set in pre-Islamic Persia, in the same general way that The Lord of the Rings is set in Britain. (Meaning, it's set in a world all its own, but there's this source of ...
46
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15
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If I'm writing in US English, am I not allowed to use the metric system?
For example, can I say this if my book is written in US English (in non-dialog):
The car was going at least 140 kilometers per hour!
Or should I convert them to miles or what have you?
It's for a ...
40
votes
7
answers
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How do I say that a character said something without resorting to "said Character" every time?
I have one big problem with my writing - when I'm doing dialogue, I find myself writing it and following it with "said Character" quite a lot.
I can mix it up sometimes by using a synonym or ...
39
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15
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Is it acceptable to use words like "heaven" and "god" when the narrator is agnostic?
The main character, and the person whose viewpoint the story is told from, is a scientist and subscribes to agnosticism.
And there are sentences in my story like:
"Trees stretched into the sky ...
39
votes
8
answers
31k
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How do I stop using 'the' to start sentences so much?
Something that always bothers me in my writing is how often I start sentences with the word "the".
A terrible nonsensical example:
The dog ran through the rain-swept streets, chasing a ball he ...
35
votes
13
answers
15k
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Should I use the words "pyromancy" and "necromancy" even if they don't mean what people think they do?
If you look up the exact definition for "pyromancy" or "necromancy" they refer to divination using fire and the dead, respectively.
However, if you were to ask a layperson what those words mean, they ...
32
votes
11
answers
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Using fake swear words without them seeming out of place to the reader
This is not a question about slang, but about swearing and word creation.
I have a character who uses swear words, and this is part of his voice. I do not use real swear words. I want the sense of ...
29
votes
13
answers
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Should I avoid "big words" when writing to a younger audience?
I was writing the other day and I used the word "ubiquitous".
While I don't think "ubiquitous" is the most egregious example of "Using Big Words To Sound Intelligent", and would be perfectly ...
29
votes
8
answers
10k
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Is it ok to use "aluminium" in an otherwise American English text?
I am not an American English native (I'm actually a German native speaker) but, when I write, I use the American style of words predominantly. However, I always use aluminium instead of aluminum, ...
28
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12
answers
5k
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Tiptoe or tiphoof? Adjusting words to better fit fantasy races
English is a language invented by humans, for humans. Which means some words don't fit well when you're writing about characters who aren't human.
For example: Suppose I write "The demon tiptoed ...
26
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12
answers
6k
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How do I define smells I have never experienced?
I am a lifelong writer, who was also born without an ability to smell. I have been trained to engage the reader by applying the five senses, or as many of the five as is practical without becoming ...
25
votes
9
answers
4k
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A torrent of foreign terms
I am writing a short story, about a particular field with multiple specific terms, none of which are in English. (Specifically, I'm writing about bullfighting, but the question could apply to other ...
23
votes
15
answers
7k
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How much swearing is TOO much? (And how much is not enough?)
I've noticed that some of the most successful writers refrain from using profanity, such as Stephanie Meyer and Norman Mailer. Are readers turned off by swearing in books?
More importantly, is it ...
21
votes
7
answers
10k
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How much detail is too much?
I've read a few amateur stories online and sometimes the author will include so much detail that the reader gets a little bored or distracted and forgets what the actual story is talking about. How do ...
20
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10
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Why are one-word titles so dominant in books, film, and games?
Something I talk about with friends when planning and sharing our projects & media we like is titles - and specifically my disdain for one-word titles. They seem to be more than dominant in ...
19
votes
7
answers
3k
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Pretty flowers with clunky Latin names
I am writing a fantasy novel set in the Middle East. For multiple reasons related to both plot and atmosphere, I'm using flowers and flowering trees a lot in both descriptions and dialogue. Trouble is,...
19
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11
answers
7k
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How to write realistic female dialogue
I just can't make my dialogue sound like it's being said by a woman. As a friend of mine pointed out, "This woman talks just like you, Jack."
I tried imitating the speech patterns of various females ...
18
votes
3
answers
36k
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Other options for "had had"? [closed]
Although the use of "had had" is grammatically correct, it doesn't read well and seems awkward to me. Take for example the following sentence:
I had had enough of this nonsense and was ready to ...
17
votes
12
answers
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How do expert writers avoid using "I" when they have to refer to themselves in their article?
How do competent authors, in a refined and perhaps (slightly) formal way, refer to themselves without saying I? I've seen the term "this writer" somewhere. How is it with a native? Are there other ...
17
votes
8
answers
7k
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Why does using this "-ing" verb construction make my writing weaker?
I had to write a scholarship essay, wherein I wrote this sentence:
Over the ensuing years I read as much as I could, trying to increase my knowledge and understanding of my own language.
I sent it ...
16
votes
5
answers
10k
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How to refer to siblings who are friends?
Two of the MCs in the novel I'm working on are half-sisters, and also great friends. Currently, when referring to them, I alternate between using "sisters" and "friends". A Beta-Reader pointed out ...
16
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4
answers
3k
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Is it typical to add variation to the words used for a character's name to keep it spicy?
A friend has asked me to read through a chapter of his story and give my opinion.
Lets say he has two main characters Mr John de Havilland and Mrs Sally de Havilland.
I've noticed that the author ...
15
votes
2
answers
998
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Preferred word for "preferred", "target", "chosen" in end user support documentation
I'm having trouble finding and sticking to one word to indicate whatever value the user intends to use with my instructions.
For example:
Select your preferred printer.
I'm wondering what ...
15
votes
3
answers
2k
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Historical Fiction: using you and thou
Generally speaking, English once used 'you' as the second person plural (equivalent to 'vous' and 'vós') and 'thou' as the second person singular (equivalent to 'tu'). When talking to a person in a ...
14
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7
answers
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Will using real-world cultural vocabulary in a fantasy setting disengage readers?
If I have certain minor rituals/garments/culture tidbits in a fantasy setting that mirror those of Earth, and I describe them using the real-world vocabulary, will that disengage readers from the ...
14
votes
5
answers
1k
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Using profanity
I'm working on a war novel (sci-fi). My initial plan was for my MC to start out with a very clean language, almost comically clean, and as the plot progresses and the situation gets more FUBAR, his ...
14
votes
3
answers
1k
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'Filling' up a school setting without making a bunch of new characters?
In a school setting, what is a way to allude that a school is full of students, without making new characters or overusing pre-existing ones?
A school is the main setting of a book. The main and ...
13
votes
8
answers
2k
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How is simplicity better than precision and clarity in prose?
Many recommend the Hemingway app, which pushes simplicity and the lowest possible reading level. Where I live, an illiterate person is defined as any person who reads below a grade nine level. The ...
13
votes
9
answers
2k
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How to expand my vocabulary? [duplicate]
I wanted to write something for a long time. But what I think is, in writing the choice of words plays a very significant role. From where I can learn this thing?
I think I don't have enough words in ...
12
votes
10
answers
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Character with two names
I have a character with two names. Well not two distinct names, but rather two forms of the same name. My story is set in the later Roman Empire, but the characters are Romanized easterners living on ...
12
votes
8
answers
2k
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How do I sound like Thanos when I write?
This is really a dumb question but as a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I have watched Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame so many times. One of the most interesting things that popped ...
12
votes
3
answers
3k
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Is there a word for something that is structured like a parody, but utilizes an idealized or improved version of the original context?
(Edit: title frames the question better thanks to @TheRubberDuck)
This has been bugging me for a while; enough to join this wonderful community - thanks for any help you can offer! Keep in mind ...
11
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4
answers
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Is calling a character a "lunatic" or "crazy" ableist when it is in reference to their erratic behavior?
I am considering writing a line of dialogue in which character A calls character B (not to their face) "a lunatic". In the context of my story, it is clear that character A has a simplistic ...
11
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4
answers
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How do you use the interjection for snorting?
How do you use the interjection for snorting? I was told that "snort" is an onomatopoeia, but I disagree. "Haha" and "Heh heh" would be onomatopoeia, because they are pronounced the way they are ...
11
votes
3
answers
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Are there situations where using an anastrophe is ill-advised?
I wrote a (unrhymed) couplet, because I couldn't find a good enough example:
She ran the comb through her hair ebony
As the night fell upon the land of light.
Is there a situation where ...
11
votes
5
answers
1k
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Swearing - Censor, allude, or include?
I was reading this thread, but it didn't quite the answer a question I had about creative writing and whether profanity should be used or not, in a way that is best for creative storytelling.
Here's ...
11
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5
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Should I use the terms "people" "person" "man" and "woman" in fantasy setting?
So I'm writing a story and the setting is that there are two worlds: the world of humans and the world of (insert species name here).
Now I'm wondering if it's okay to use the terms/words "people," "...
11
votes
3
answers
6k
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How to describe a diverse set of characters without falling into purple prose or exoticism?
In my setting, a city was founded by people from all over the world, and developed in almost complete isolation (long version here). The story in itself starts several generations after the foundation....
11
votes
2
answers
483
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Colloquial speech in pre-modern setting
Following this question, I'm struggling with writing the speech of pre-modern (in my case - 5th century) noble-born children among themselves.
Characters who are well-educated would not be making ...
10
votes
6
answers
5k
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Is there a word that can replace the phrase "said sarcastically"?
Suppose that,during a conversation in a book, one character says something sarcastically. As the author, I want the readers to know that the character was being sarcastic, but I do not want to say ...
10
votes
9
answers
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When does use of offensive language in a book go from a character trait or to convey emotion to bad use of English skills
I decided to included some offensive language in one of my novels as many novels do. I was wondering however at what point does it become poor dialogue or just plain bad English. Obviously I'm not ...
10
votes
9
answers
763
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Should a non-native writer try to use complex English words?
I am a non-native English user and whenever I write something is it better that I use simple words or some rare and seldomly used words? I mean native-speakers should surely understand basic English ...
10
votes
2
answers
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Alternative word for "she"
I am writing about a female person. I noticed most of my sentences start with "she". Is there a way to avoid using this pronoun too many times, and use an alternative word instead?
I have tried ...
10
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3
answers
3k
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How to have a character be nameless for the first few paragraphs of a book?
Let me first explain what is going in in the beginning of the story: My main character belongs to a tribal culture that requires their children pass a rite of passage to earn their name.
So I'm kind ...
10
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6
answers
6k
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Is P.S. (Post Script) still useful in the age of email?
"Post script is usually written when a writer forgets to write something on the main body of the letter and wants to add on to what he had written on the letter." But in this age of email and word ...
10
votes
3
answers
680
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Techniques to write for a wider audience
Many years ago, I wrote a short story that used specific information from my cultural background e.g. a belief that if you dream something, it is a form of a vision (superstition, some may say!). This ...
9
votes
9
answers
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What's a word for a person who took a very rough story and made it into a book?
I have written a book.
Well, actually, my mother-in-law told the story of her experiences as a German forced laborer in the Soviet Union after World War II. This was given in German and recorded ...
9
votes
6
answers
2k
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What is the proper way to use the pronoun "I" without too much repetition?
I found a new job in London and while emailing with my soon-to-be boss, I noticed something that drove me off: the constant repetition of the pronoun I. This is very different from my native language (...
9
votes
4
answers
911
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Sentence starters for summaries?
I'm writing a technical book (step-by-step sort of book) and noticed that all my summaries start with 'In this chapter we ...'. What would be some other sentence starters that I could use to make the ...
9
votes
5
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2k
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Acquiring vocabulary to write fiction [duplicate]
I am a non-native speaker, learning the English language, and I am already fairly good in reading and writing technical texts. I also enjoy reading fiction books much, but there's one thing that hits ...