I know. You were all waiting for it. The Thesaurus Thursday post, BUT I do have some pearls to give you tonight. Some nights in my writing class, my professor passed these same pearls to us. I figured it’s a good way to remind ourselves of what we’re writing when we’re writing or revising. So without further ado, let’s begin.
1.) Say exactly what you mean. This may seem like a given, but everybody is caught in this trap.
2.) Be as concrete as possible. (Show vs. tell)
3.) Be specific rather than vague. Details!!
4.) Avoid ambiguous and abstract words. Again, specifics!
5.) Make writing sensual and picturesque. Use your 5 sense. They’re there for a reason.
6.) Don’t use a long word when a shorter word can be used and convey the same thing.
7.) Express parallel ideas in parallel form. (ie, Susan isn’t a great speaker and she was elected as class president.) The sentence doesn’t make sense. Instead of “and,” it should be “yet, nevertheless, etc.”
More tomorrow! Revise your manuscripts and highlight (either on paper or screen) some mistakes you catch. State why you made the error and how you can fix it. I promise, it will help.
:)
