By Natalie Watkins
Perhaps you’re having a pretty decent writing day. You have hit your stride and your characters are animating and practically jumping off the page. The dialogue is catchy and incisive. All is well in your fiction writer’s world. Then, you pause at the end of your latest chapter. Deciding to do a little revising, you discover a problem. You have overused the same word so many times it is as tired as an old gym sock. Or maybe, your characters and settings lack a little flare. Do not despair! Like anyone who is honing a craft, it is a matter of accessing the right resources.
Choose your thesaurus
Time to open that trusty writer’s toolbox. You know the one. Maybe you are a traditionalist and your toolbox is literally a wooden box filled with Post-it notes, gel pens, journals, index cards, a dictionary and thesaurus. Hopefully, Angela Ackerman’s marvelous collection of descriptive thesauruses has made it into your box of old school hacks. For those in this camp, you probably think “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” You have a strategy that works. Keep at it and crack open that thesaurus for a universe of options.
Most of us scribes are familiar with the purpose of the classic thesaurus. If you are print disabled — don’t be alarmed — we’ll cover some accessible strategies as well. Back to wordsmithing, Angela Ackerman’s novel twist on the thesaurus concept is not as well known.
Say one of your main characters is small minded. This term has been used ad nauseum and you are searching for an alternative. Referencing your traditional thesaurus, you find the term “resentful.” A decidedly negative trait. Ackerman has you covered. Accessing her book, The Negative Traits Thesaurus, you encounter both the shadow and light aspects of your character’s negative trait. There are causes listed as well as traits in other characters that are likely to cause conflict.
Additionally, there are ways in which this negative trait is overcome. In short, there is a universe of options to get you employing strategies of showing, not telling. Her thesauruses span from emotional wounds to settings. Accessible to those with print disabilities, they are available via the Kindle app to be used on iPhone or Android. In addition, you can learn more about Angela Ackerman’s complete list of descriptive thesauruses by checking out the link below. Your writing world will be the richer for it.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/thesaurus-collections/
Accessible digital tools for finding synonyms
Whether you find paperbacks or ebooks tough to use, or you happen to prefer more familiar digital interfaces, there are plenty of other electronic ways to find that perfect synonym. And of course, nothing is more familiar than Google. For example, say you are searching for synonyms for the word “small.” Google will return many options for both small in physical size and small minded. Google’s results come from dictionary.comm, and is accessible to writers using assistive technology.
From the Google search results page, you can then go to the number one Google hit, thesaurus.com. Navigate by heading and you will find a list of synonyms to arrow through. That word that delivers the perfect punch is at your fingertips!
So, whether it is simply accessing a synonym or completely retooling your setting, you will find the right thesaurus to meet your needs.
Thesaurus sites vary widely in terms of accessibility. Many have paid and free options as well as a variety of features such as word challenges, word of the day and a plethora of options. One accessible choice is Merriam Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus.
Using a smart speaker, such as the Amazon Echo, opens the door to synonyms, antonyms and definitions. All that is required is asking her what is on your mind. For example, a simple “Alexa, what are some synonyms for small?” will return three results. In the case of a word which has multiple definitions, she will give synonyms for each meaning of the word. Ask her to do the job.
Are you interested in expanding your working vocabulary? Try asking trusty Alexa “Alexa, enable word of the day.” Like any good English teacher, she will tell you the class of word as well as its definition. She spells the word slowly and clearly in addition to using it in a sentence and providing an example. This can be a fun addition to your morning routine. Grow your brain as you enjoy your morning coffee or tea.
Like most of the major thesaurus websites, Alexa offers some fun too. Just ask her to “enable word game” and you will find yourself dueling with another player. She presents word scrambles and your neural networks will be on fire.
Are you unsure of how exactly to use that new synonym in a variety of contexts? Ask away and she will use it in a sentence. If you would like a quick, simple way to enhance your writing, the Amazon Echo cannot be beat. There are no website accessibility challenges as is the case with so many of the thesaurus websites. A new Amazon Echo Dot can be purchased for just under thirty dollars. It will replace both that dictionary and thesaurus that occupied the old school toolbox. You are not limited to English either, she is multilingual!
As you’ve noticed by now, there are many ways to enhance your writing through word choice. And with just the right term, you can hook your reader.
I never knew these even existed. What a tremendous resource. Thanks for putting this out there.