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One of those items I look for when I edit is repetitive words. It becomes easy to use a word that you are comfortable with. Take the word that. I hate this word. It is perhaps one of the most overused words I run across. I remove it as often as I can. When I can’t remove it, I change it to one of its synonyms.  

Which leads me back to word lists. A thesaurus is the ultimate word list. Most word processing programs possess them as part of their programming. Use it liberally. I also possess a hard copy one which I love. Nothing beats the feel of a book when you are doing research. 

The same for a good dictionary. Another word list if you will. However, don’t limit yourself here. The Merriam-Webster dictionary is an excellent tool for writing. However, there are several other dictionaries I recommend: 

1. The Urban Dictionary

2. A Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

3. The Dictionary of Non-Words

4. The Dictionary of Concise Writing

5. The Dimwits Dictionary

6. The Reverse Dictionary

There are many resources for sexual slang online as well. I haven’t found a singular source for a sexual dictionary per se, but there are thousands of places where you can research sexuality online and the vocabulary that goes with it.

There’s that word again – that. It pops up everywhere for almost any reason. That’s for sure. I’m sure I could’ve have written that sentence in a much better way without the word that. Don’t you think that’s true?

That being said, create a word list you can use to replace “that” with another word. One of those places I find where there are hundreds of word lists is Pinterest. I have downloaded many of them. I use them to replace words I find repeating in an author’s work. Or use them to rewrite a sentence to be stronger or weaker. To make the story flow better. Words are the tools of a writer. The more choices they have the better.

Develop your own word lists. Use them. Add to them as you go along. Reference them often. You will find as you develop dialogue among your characters you will need slang or racist comments or sexual slurs or the certain tone and syntax apparent in those who have been trained in the military. 

Word usage in dialogue can do more to show a reader about who your character is than any description. A poor person born and raised in New Orleans doesn’t talk like they went to Harvard. However, it they went to Harvard, then their words would reflect both styles of word usage. An interesting concept eh?

The same for someone born overseas but relocated to America. They have a different way of speaking. Most of them speak English far better than those of us born to the Americanized version.

When you write a character sheet for someone who will be referenced using dialogue or thoughts, I recommend you add a word list to their sheet. Ask yourself what words your character would use.

When it comes to Erotica word lists are incredibly important. Variety in vocabulary usage keeps the prose tight and sexy. Keeps the reader interested. No one likes to read a bit of erotica displaying the same word for sex over and over again. Like sex itself, the reader needs variety in the words chosen to tell the story. 

I make one word of warning. Don’t overdo do it. Don’t write with such a vocabulary the reader gets lost in the words and loses their place in the story. The words you use should flow well enough the reader is caught up in the story and not the vocabulary used.

I’m Ross, The Editor-in-Chief at the Pyrateheart Press and I’m out.