| Creating images in a reader’s mind is what | | | | to accomplish this—when used effectively, |
| writing is all about. But oftentimes, finding the right | | | | they create an image in your reader’s mind |
| words to express the meaning we want our | | | | that resonates beyond what a regular old word |
| readers to gain can be tricky. Writers toil over | | | | can ever achieve. Simile is a comparison using |
| their words and nothing seems quite right. And | | | | “like” or “as,” such as: that boy is |
| this problem can have several different causes. | | | | as lanky as a loblolly pine. “Loblolly” is such |
| Perhaps your vocabulary isn’t broad | | | | a great word a reader doesn’t even need to |
| enough—in other words you don’t know or | | | | know the tree is tall and thin to understand the |
| don’t feel comfortable using the words that | | | | simile. “The boy was a loblolly pine amongst |
| mean what you want to say. Or maybe | | | | shrubs,” is an example of metaphor. |
| you’re unknowingly writing in the passive | | | | 3. Active versus Passive Verbs |
| voice and so your sentences come out awkward | | | | If your sentences don’t seem to say |
| and your meaning is lost. If any of these | | | | precisely what you want them to, then the |
| challenges sound familiar, consider the following | | | | problem may be with your verbs. Consider the |
| tips for finding the right words for what you want | | | | following sentence: “There is a girl walking |
| to say in your writing. | | | | slowly down the street.” The verb in that |
| 1. Vocabulary Builders | | | | sentence is “is walking.” “Slowly” is |
| Heading to the thesaurus to discover new words | | | | an adverb meant to describe the way she was |
| can be risky—it often results in misuse and | | | | walking. Now compare the effect that sentence |
| confused meanings. But a thesaurus, when a | | | | has with this one: “The girl sauntered down |
| word’s meaning is double-checked against a | | | | the street.” “Sauntered” does the |
| dictionary, is a good way to build your vocabulary | | | | work of both verbs and the adverb from the |
| and give you confidence when selecting words to | | | | first sentence because it’s stronger. |
| use in your writing. To ensure you don’t | | | | Automatically the reader can see the girl on the |
| misuse any words when you refer to a | | | | street. |
| thesaurus, show your work to someone who can | | | | Finding Your Right Words |
| point to unwanted connotations and unintended | | | | Writing is a practice, and the more of it you do, |
| confusion. | | | | the easier it will be to find the right words to |
| 2. Simile and Metaphor | | | | communicate exactly what you want to say to |
| For situations when you need more than just the | | | | your readers. When you feel stuck, you can use |
| right word to express your thoughts, you need | | | | these three tips to write more effectively and |
| an image. Simile and metaphor are excellent ways | | | | find the right words every time. |