What Word Will I Use?

So, you have an idea for a poem or a story. You sit down and prepare to write, now comes the hard part. What words will you use in your work?

He drove his red bike down the road as fast as he could.

Hmmm... not a bad sentence, but sort of boring, isn't it? Does it scream drama? Does it make you want to keep reading? Does it put you in the story or does it just make you yawn? Personally, if I was reading this I would find it boring.

Word choice is one of the most important aspects of writing. It can make or break anything that you are working on. Now, what if the sentence above was re-written to read:

He pedaled his crimson bullet down the dusty road, going so fast, the passing trees were just a blur.

Better? Does it bump up the drama? Does it convey the idea of speed? Take a look at the the words that were replaced, or reworded to enhance the sentence. Now, what if we took that sentence and tweaked it a little bit more?

His crimson bullet shot down the dusty road, the blur of passing trees giving him a sense of freedom.

Now the entire feeling of the sentence has changed. It has gone from hum-drum to exciting. The idea is the same, a boy is riding his bike down the road, but the feeling of drama is enhanced.

Sometimes common words are necessary for our stories and poetry, but even then you can bump up the drama just by how those words are placed. It's the power of being a writer. We are responsible for breathing life into our stories and poetry.

Don't go overboard!

Sometimes writers will go way out into left field to find words A few examples I have seen:

Happy - Eupeptic (this would raise my eyebrows!)

Bright - Numinous (Erm... okay, I have no idea!)

Generous - Eleemosynary (I was totally clueless!)

I love new words. I adore words that are uncommon. But when I write, I keep my readers in mind. I want to speak to them, not talk down to them. I want them to understand my words, not be so confused that they stop reading.

Exercises!

Check out the following sentences. How would you reword them to create more drama?

She was so happy, she laughed out loud.

He hit this thumb with the hammer.

In Fall, leaves fall from the trees.

She loved him very much.

She wore a purple dress that fit well.

Take some time and rework/reword each sentence. See what kind of imagery you can create.

The next time you work on a poem or story remember that the words you pick can create a yawn, or excitement. The choice is yours.