# 100+ Ways to Say "Interesting"



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*PDF Index of GrandmaBirdie's Lists*
I remove the oldest lists from this post as I add new ones. If you want a complete index, you'll find it in the *PDF archive*.

*100+ Ways to Say "Interesting"*
Many writers find excessive repetition of "interesting" in their WIPs. Explore these alternatives.

*200+ Ways to Say "Smart"*
Are you aggravated by too many occurrences of "smart" in your writing? Check out these ways to replace it.

*Huge List of Literary Journals (1000+)*
Publication in literary journals increases your visibility, improves your writing skills, looks good on your CV, and builds readership.

*Ways to Replace "Basically" and "Essentially" in Writing*
Besides their frequent overuse, "basically" and "essentially" share a common sin: the much-maligned classification as [gasp!] adverbs.

*200+ Ways to Say "Surprised"*
"Surprised" is a nemesis for many writers. It appears with a surprising frequency in surprisingly many WIPs. No worries: The Surprise EMTs are en route.

*Ways to Create Catchy Character Names*
Wil E. Coyote, Ebenezer Scrooge, Dirk Diggler, Sherlock Holmes: distinctive character names created by writers. Can you match them?

*200+ Ways to Replace "Hate"*
Hate can range from dislike to loathing. If you've discovered too many occurrences of "hate" in your WIP, check these ways to replace them.

*60+ Ways to Replace "That"*
If "that" is a word that plagues your WIP, I'm here to tell you that there are methods that you can use to cure that plague.

*60+ Ways to Replace the Adverb "Just"*
Are you just astounded by the number of repetitions of the adverb _just_ in your WIP? Just try these alternatives.

*4 Ways to Turn a Notebook Into a Powerful Writing Tool*
Lori Wade explains how writers can turn a paper notebook into a powerful writing assistant.

*Grammar Goofs to Avoid at the Office: Part Two*
Five more grammar blunders that might raise eyebrows at the office or alienate smart readers.

*Grammar Goofs to Avoid at the Office: Part One*
This is the first in a series of posts about grammar goofs that might irritate people in your office or alienate savvy readers.

*How to Create a Title for Your Book*
A title might not seem important when starting a WIP, but once a book nears completion, a definitive title becomes increasingly important.

*700+ Ways to Describe Villains*
Alfred Hitchcock said, "The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture." Try these ways to create word pictures with believable villains.

*Tips to Stack the Odds When Submitting to Literary Journals*
An excellent way for writers to build a portfolio is to be published in literary journals. This post provides a few tips for improving the acceptance odds.

*200+ Ways to Say "Excited"*
Writers want readers to be excited by their words. This post will help wordcrafters create excitement without overuse of "excited" or "excitement."

*150+ Ways to Say "Disappointed"*
If you're disappointed by the number of times you've found "disappointed" in your WIP, these alternatives might rescue you.

*150+ Ways to Say "Overwhelmed"*
Book characters should experience emotional overwhelm when the story calls for it. Here are a few tools to overwhelm them without undue repetition.

*150+ Ways to Say "Confused"*
Confused about how to mitigate the overuse of "confused" in your writing? Relax. That confusion means you recognize the problem.

*300+ Ways to Say "Love"*
Some people toss the word "love" around like confetti. This post provides ways to show how characters feel without overusing "love."

*200+ Ways to Say "Embarrassed"*
People show embarrassment in many ways. Some are visible, and others aren't. This post provides the tools to embarrass characters as often as you wish.

*300+ Ways to Say "Happy"*
Rather than say a character is happy, writers can show the happiness or provide context that explains the reason for it.

*500+ Ways to Replace the Verb "Make"*
"Make" often invades writing, unnoticed until a WIP is read out loud. No wonder it's a nemesis for so many writers. Try these replacements.

*350+ Ways to Replace the Verb "Take"*
"Take" appears so often you might want to take a whip to the next writer who takes liberties with it. Take a look at these alternatives.

*200+ Alternatives for Wide Eyes*
Whether characters widen their eyes or exhibit wide-eyed gazes, those actions soon bore readers. Try these alternatives.

*1200+ Ways to Describe the Sun Part 2*
In the second part of this post you'll find sun verbs, nouns, props, cliches, and idioms.

*1200+ Ways to Describe the Sun Part 1*
Does your WIP include the sun? Find sun adjectives, similes, metaphors, colors, and shapes in the first of two posts.

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 23-26)*
This is the sixth in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?

*1000+ Ways to Describe Snow Part 2*
How to add the magic -- or menace -- of snow to writing. This the second of two posts about ways to incorporate snow in creative writing.

*1000+ Ways to Describe Snow Part 1*
Snow can add intrigue or ambience to a WIP. This the first of two posts about ways to incorporate snow in creative writing.

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 19-22)*
This is the fifth in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 15-1*
This is the fourth in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 11-14)*
This is the third in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 7-10)*
This is the second in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 1-6)*
This is the first in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?

*1300+ Ways to Describe Fingers*
Fingers perform complex tasks, soothe fevered brows, and wipe away tears. Discover ways to describe them in Part 1 of this post.

*700+ Ways to Describe Eyebrows*
Eyebrows, forehead fuzz, eye coifs ... No matter what writers call them, eyebrows can enhance descriptions, show emotion, or add humor.

*600+ Ways to Describe Chests*
Whether you need literal or figurative ways to describe chests, you'll find helpful resources in this post.

*600+ Ways to Describe Toes*
What if a barefoot character has missing toes? Or her toe ring traps her foot in a crevice near the beach? Story prompts?

*600+ Ways to Describe Knees*
Whether you're looking for literal or figurative ways to depict knees in narrative, you'll find more than 600 options here.

*400+ Ways to Describe Knuckles*
Do you crack your knuckles while waiting for inspiration? This post will help you knuckle down and get creative--with knuckles.

*500+ Ways to Describe Elbows*
People tend to overlook elbows. However, judicious inclusion of this oft-ignored body part in your WIP adds depth to characters.


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## EmmaS (Jul 15, 2014)

That was oddly fun to read! Just a few of those words were able to conjure images and ideas for my WIP. Thanks.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

EmmaS said:


> That was oddly fun to read! Just a few of those words were able to conjure images and ideas for my WIP. Thanks.


  I'm glad you found it useful, Emma. Any other words or concepts you'd like me to research?


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## EmmaS (Jul 15, 2014)

Alternatives to nodding. My characters love to nod, and I would love for them to STOP.  There are so many other ways to convey that someone is listening or paying attention or agrees, but I go blank when I'm writing/editing sometimes.


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## Nancy_G (Jun 22, 2015)

This book is helpful with so many lists, hence the title, Master Lists for Writers, ha.

https://www.amazon.com/MASTER-LISTS-WRITERS-Thesauruses-Character-ebook/dp/B016U2K20O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1480979288&sr=1-1&keywords=master+lists+for+writers


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

EmmaS said:


> Alternatives to nodding. My characters love to nod, and I would love for them to STOP.  There are so many other ways to convey that someone is listening or paying attention or agrees, but I go blank when I'm writing/editing sometimes.


Your wish is my command, Emma.

*Other Ways to Say "Nodded"*


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Warning! Writing prompts ahead.

Visuals are often a writer's first consideration. We might describe dimensions, shape, and color. Sound could come next, followed by scent. We might assign taste attributes to food, teardrops, and lipstick.

Sadly, many writers undervalue texture.

*Over 400 Adjectives to Describe Texture*


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

Thank you very much. These are excellent tips.


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

When I was practice writing in kindergarten we dealt with texture. We had texture in our writing paper. It was that lined yellow paper with little wood chips in it.

(Sorry. I couldn't resist.    True story, though.)


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## FFJ (Feb 8, 2016)

Thanks Kathy! I'm a fan of your helpful posts and visit your blog whenever I get the chance!

Continued success.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

FFJ said:


> Thanks Kathy! I'm a fan of your helpful posts and visit your blog whenever I get the chance!
> 
> Continued success.





Anna Drake said:


> Thank you very much. These are excellent tips.


Thanks! Please let me know if you have a word wishlist, and I'll add your suggestions to my to-do file.


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

FFJ said:


> Thanks Kathy! I'm a fan of your helpful posts and visit your blog whenever I get the chance!


I agree. I will be visiting the blog again, and while there earlier today, I signed up to be notified of new posts. Thanks again, Kathy. Good stuff.


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## Christopher Bunn (Oct 26, 2010)

This topic reminds me of an experiment we did in school. I think it was around Halloween time. The teacher had closed boxes filled with different substances. The boxes had a small hole in them that allowed us to put our hands in but not see what was inside. We had to guess the contents by what we felt.

Pretty interesting. Very easy to be wrong.


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## Ethan Jones (Jan 20, 2012)

Wonderful lists, thanks for sharing.
Blessings,
E


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Ethan Jones said:


> Wonderful lists, thanks for sharing.
> Blessings,
> E


My pleasure, Ethan. Nice to meet another fellow Canuck here.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I could always use some new ways to scowl.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Carol (was Dara) said:


> I could always use some new ways to scowl.


You're the second KBoarder who has asked. Guess it will have to move to the top of my priority list.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Carol (was Dara) said:


> I could always use some new ways to scowl.


Hi, Carol. Happy New Year!

Today's post is *Over 200 Ways to Say "Frown" or "Scowl."*


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

How often do your characters frown or scowl? Are you looking for alternatives?

*Over 200 Ways to Say "Frown" or "Scowl."*


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> How often do your characters frown or scowl? Are you looking for alternatives?
> 
> *Over 200 Ways to Say "Frown" or "Scowl."*


Smile
laugh
cry
smirk
grimace
grin
yawn
quirk eyebrow
bite lip
wink
roll eyes

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/100-words-for-facial-expressions/


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

Grimace, the corners of her/his mouth tumbled.....


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## The Bass Bagwhan (Mar 9, 2014)

Sean Sweeney said:


> Grimace, the corners of her/his mouth tumbled.....


Sorry, no offense to you Sean, but this is one of my pet hates - when someone's lips "curl up at the corner" or their "brow furrowed". A simple "smiled" or "frowned" is all that's needed. 
As for the OP, if you're referencing characters' facial expressions so often that you're now struggling for alternatives, you're using that device far too much. And your dialogue should be portraying that emotion anyway.
As an editor I see authors constantly, repetitively, describing frowning, smiling, nodding and shrugging.
Try saving your MS as a nonsense file that you can fiddle with, then do a Find and Replace with something like Find "smile" and Replace with "smole". The process will display how many times the edit is applied. It's a way of discovering how often you're using any word or phrase - and you'll probably get a nasty fright.
Good luck with it.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Graeme Hague said:


> You made a very good point, but the challenge I find is the need to add beats to break up the dialogues so half the page doesn't read like a script. I've in fact intentionally observed people in conversations in real life. Interestingly, in real life people don't move or gesture that much when they're talking. If they're sitting in Starbucks talking they just talk for a long time and nothing much happens except their facial expressions (other than eating or drinking beverages). But in fiction we have to find things to break up the dialogues, so it's not all about portraying emotions.


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## kathrynoh (Oct 17, 2012)

It depends a lot on the weight of the emotion. If it's just to break up dialogue (and coffee shop scenes in particular are hard I find), then just a frown or a smile. If the emotion has more importance then it needs something more than just a frown. What are they doing with their hands and the rest of their bodies? 

Tbh, I use people shredding up paper napkins way too much in cafe scenes  I think because it's a personal habit.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

At a cafe -- where there isn't much of what actors call business, which means body movement -- the point-of-view character could make little observations about each character's tendencies, past, or tastes before they speak, in order to avoid the script look and keep this in novel territory.


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## Nancy_G (Jun 22, 2015)

Yeah, I struggle with this as well, trying to find something different than smiled or grinned or shrugged. I try to avoid the talking heads syndrome and add action in something they're doing. Great thread!


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## Nancy_G (Jun 22, 2015)

I've also found this little gem to inspire descriptions: https://www.descriptionari.com/quotes/blue-eyes/. You can add whatever you're trying to describe like brown hair, green eyes, legs, arms...whatever.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Graeme Hague said:


> As an editor I see authors constantly, repetitively, describing frowning, smiling, nodding and shrugging.


As a reader I have to say that I see too many books which are mainly heads talking, with nary an emotion or reaction displayed, and an excess of at least 50-60% dialogue. Dialogue is an important means of exposition in theatre and plays in general. Its usefulness in books is overestimated by many.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Yeah, I think trite body language is definitely overdone. I've read some books where every character is constantly doing these things, and it gets old. Faces and heads are not like dashboards on a car that indicate emotions or reactions.

furrowing their brow (concerned)
mouth fell open (surprised)
biting or chewing lip (worried) [sometimes they talk at the same time! I always act that out when I come to it!]
lump in throat/it in stomach (upset)
shrugging (showing that they still exist or sometimes showing that something isn't important)
grinning (often to indicate approval or pleasure, but really, people don't grin every time they are satisfied or pleased. It would really be creepy if everybody grinned as often as they do in some books. That's another one I act out)
eyebrows raised or arched (surprise)

edit: I don't have a problem with scowling or frowning, but as somebody else said, if I was worried about finding a different word for it I might be concerned that there was too much of it.

Great question! And I realize that I'm just some schmuck whose opinions are just that.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Al Stevens said:


> It is my observation over a long number of years that interesting people include gestures, facial expressions, and body language in casual conversation. Boring people are deadpan and show little emotion or movement to accent or punctuate what they say.
> 
> For the OP, I like "glower."


_Glower_ used once in a short story would work. More than that, and readers will notice it. Anything that takes a reader out, even for a microsecond, detracts from a piece.

If a character is aggravated, appropriate body language could include:

clenched jaw
crossed arms
pacing
tapping foot

The same character, if angry, might exhibit:

bared teeth
flared nostrils
stamping a foot
wide-legged stance

The post provides many such alternatives.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

To have, or not to have? That is today's question.

The importance of _have_ can't be ignored. As an auxiliary verb combined with a past participle, _have_ forms the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses, as well as the conditional mood. However, when used to express ownership, it can weaken writing.

Consider a woman in a black dress as she walks down the street. You could describe her in several ways:

She had a black dress.
She owned a black dress.
She paraded a black dress.
She wore a black dress.
She flaunted a black dress.
She modeled a black dress.

*Over 100 Ways to Say "Have"*

_Edited to restore link. Drop me a PM if you have any questions. - Becca_


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2017)

Not sure about your example. If I am describing what a person is wearing, I would say "she wore..." Not "she had..."

_She had a black dress_ merely states possession. It is a bad sentence not because of the word had, but because it doesn't tell us anything out of context.

_She wore a black dress_ is a neutral statement.

_She modeled a black dress_ implying that she is showing the dress to someone else.

_She paraded a black dress_ sounds silly. Is she a Mummer? Maybe she paraded around in the black dress would make sense, implying that she was showing off.

_She flaunted a black dress_ also sounds silly. Is she taunting someone with the dress? "I bought it and you couldn't" sort of thing?

Don't just change a word because some blog tells you the word is overused. Use the RIGHT WORD at the RIGHT TIME. Every one of those examples has a completely different meaning. They are not interchangeable words for "had." I see this all the time as an editor. Writers using "cute" words to try to avoid overuse of a "bad word" when there is nothing wrong with the word they should have used. It is like those blog posts telling you to avoid the word "said" in dialogue.

Words have meaning. We shouldn't just grab a thesaurus and swap out words without making sure we are using the right word in the right context.


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## The Bass Bagwhan (Mar 9, 2014)

"Her dress was black".
Don't over-complicate things. If you're ever referring to a list of "100 Alternatives" to a term such as "have" you need to reassess what you're trying to do.
And as I'm writing this Julie beat me to it!


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Well said, Julie.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Use the RIGHT WORD at the RIGHT TIME. Every one of those examples has a completely different meaning. They are not interchangeable words for "had."


Exactly. _Had_ is weak. If the woman has lost twenty pounds and wants to show off her new figure, she might _flaunt_ the dress. If the dress is new and she's looking for reactions, she might _model_ it. The correct verb choice will enliven writing.


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## GeneDoucette (Oct 14, 2014)

the dress had a woman inside of it


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

GeneDoucette said:


> the dress had a woman inside of it


but we were able to rescue her before the insatiable garment completed its meal


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

GeneDoucette said:


> the dress had a woman inside of it


Post of the year!


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## eroticatorium (May 6, 2016)

GeneDoucette said:


> the dress had a woman inside of it


The female's corpus was located within the confines of a piece of fabric constructed according to cultural fashions and governmental regulations to qualify as a "nice dress" whose threads were dyed in order to absorb all light, generating a color that humans refer to as "black".


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## AkariaGale (Aug 28, 2016)

eroticatorium said:


> The female's corpus was located within the confines of a piece of fabric constructed according to cultural fashions and governmental regulations to qualify as a "nice dress" whose threads were dyed in order to absorb all light, generating a color that humans refer to as "black".


Lulz forever! You aiming that award they give to worst writing of the year?


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## Calvin Locke (Mar 6, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> To have, or not to have? That is today's question.
> 
> The importance of _have_ can't be ignored. As an auxiliary verb combined with a past participle, _have_ forms the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses, as well as the conditional mood. However, when used to express ownership, it can weaken writing.
> 
> ...


I am not sure 'had' is weak here, as much as it is just not proper. Now, if you said, 'She had ON a black dress' it would be appropriate, and yes, a bit weak.


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## The Bass Bagwhan (Mar 9, 2014)

Don't get me started on dialogue tags... my pet hate is "She/he stated".


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

She had a black dress -- in her hands.  "I can't believe it's okay to walk around this place naked," Graeme stated.  "What does she think this is?  A parade?"


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## Flay Otters (Jul 29, 2014)

So...many...rules.
"James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher."
I have had it with had.


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## mdrake (Jul 14, 2016)

Can we just not with the stupid rules threads?  

Kboards is like an oasis in the sea of crappy forums dedicated to people arguing over adverbs and how many times "was" gets used in a novel.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

The use of 'had' you might find in that sentence more realistically is 'She had a black dress on.' That is a sentence that works and if it's not an important point, you might go with it. I don't love it, but some things aren't worth working yourself to death over (unless you're James Joyce and know the 7 words you wrote today but not the order they should go in).


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## Reveries (Feb 7, 2016)

A quote from Stephen King. “Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.”


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

mdrake said:


> Can we just not with the stupid rules threads?
> 
> Kboards is like an oasis in the sea of crappy forums dedicated to people arguing over adverbs and how many times "was" gets used in a novel.


I agree that this is indeed an oasis in the sea of craft wars. Except that these "rules" no one wants to bother with often save one from bad writing. And some are actually rules about grammar, which so, so many writers I've read lately really need to know. Spelling, grammar and punctuation have been standardized for a long time, and not knowing them is often excused as being "new", and also by people not wanting to spend the time to learn them.

Discussions about things like use of "said" need to be prefaced for newbies by a warning that only occasional use of other words should be considered. Those "5000 alternatives to X" are an abomination. And why are we even talking about such stuff any more? Any decent writing book covers the subject, and more, so aspiring writers should already know this. If they don't, there's no reason they can't learn.


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## GeneDoucette (Oct 14, 2014)

Reveries said:


> A quote from Stephen King. "Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule."


I love this


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Why do your characters shrug?

Perhaps you use shrugs as action beats to differentiate between speakers in dialogue; or maybe you're on an early draft, and you write the first thing that comes to mind.

A shrug should be more than an action beat. People shrug for many reasons. If you can determine their motivation, you can substitute alternative body language.

*Over 100 Ways to Say "Shrug."*


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

They do shrug too much in my first drafts. By the time I get to the editing stage, I think they've all dislocated their shoulders and have to do a lot less shrugging.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

If they're not shrugging, they are sighing

Sigh... 

They also have to get pretty creative with "clean" expletives in shock moments. They can only say "Oh my goodness!" or "For Goodness sake!" so many times


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

They shrug, nod, shake their heads. I usually have a very animated crew. I still remember reading a book and the author threw in a line, "there was a lot of nodding going on", which in context was very humorous.


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

Evenstar said:


> If they're not shrugging, they are sighing
> 
> Sigh...
> 
> They also have to get pretty creative with "clean" expletives in shock moments. They can only say "Oh my goodness!" or "For Goodness sake!" so many times


In real life, my partner's strongest expletive is "Goodness!"


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Evenstar said:


> If they're not shrugging, they are sighing
> 
> Sigh...
> 
> They also have to get pretty creative with "clean" expletives in shock moments. They can only say "Oh my goodness!" or "For Goodness sake!" so many times


Check out:

*Over 300 Ways to Say "Sigh"

250+ Ways to Curse in Creative Writing*


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

brkingsolver said:


> They shrug, nod, shake their heads. I usually have a very animated crew. I still remember reading a book and the author threw in a line, "there was a lot of nodding going on", which in context was very humorous.


Try *Other Ways to Say "Nodded."*


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## Christopher Bunn (Oct 26, 2010)

Shrug is one of those words that starts blurring in definition if you say it out loud a whole bunch of times. Shrug shrug shrug. It becomes some weird combination of shrub, drug, bug, slug, whatever. Or maybe it's just me.


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## S.L. (Jun 6, 2016)

*shrugs*


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## SC (Jan 6, 2017)

Evenstar said:


> They also have to get pretty creative with "clean" expletives in shock moments. They can only say "Oh my goodness!" or "For Goodness sake!" so many times


I like to say "blast" or "blast it". I picked it up from a quirky girl in high school. I also use "dang" and "dang it" a lot. I also use "oh my goodness". The benefit of using "clean" expletives is that you never have to watch your language around anyone.

What grates on me is when authors seem to think there's absolutely nothing between the kind of words that get movies an R rating and words like "fudge" and "poopy". Their characters either talk like sailors or preschoolers, no middle ground. If you're going to have your character's use swears and expletives, it's good to know a wide range of them.


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## FelissaEly (Jan 15, 2017)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Try *Other Ways to Say "Nodded."*


I love this, I'm sharing with my husband - his characters nod so much I feel like their heads are gonna fall off... lol


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## Andrew Christie (Jul 13, 2014)

shrugging, nodding, sighing, looking into the distance - guilty


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

FelissaEly said:


> I love this, I'm sharing with my husband - his characters nod so much I feel like their heads are gonna fall off... lol


Heh heh. The old bobble-head characters, right?

I use Hermetic Word Frequency Counter to check my work and find my overused words/phrases. I'm always amazed at what I find.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Andrew Christie said:


> shrugging, nodding, sighing, looking into the distance - guilty


I've created word lists for everything except looking into the distance. As soon as I finish this reply, I'll add it to my to-do file.


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## kemobullock (Aug 18, 2015)

Oh yes. My characters do it all and frequently. Every time I type the word "look" or "looked" I die a little. As far as swearing goes, I'm a fan of "Geesh," and "Good Lord."


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

kemobullock said:


> Oh yes. My characters do it all and frequently. Every time I type the word "look" or "looked" I die a little. As far as swearing goes, I'm a fan of "Geesh," and "Good Lord."


I've done _look_, but not _looked into the distance._

*125 Ways to Say "Look"*


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

This thread is golden, I'm bookmarking it. Do you have one for "smiled"?

"Yes," he smiled.
"No", she grinned back at him.
His mouth quirked wider.

That's about where I run out.....


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## FFJ (Feb 8, 2016)

Thanks Kathy! I'm forever a fan!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Evenstar said:


> This thread is golden, I'm bookmarking it. Do you have one for "smiled"?
> 
> "Yes," he smiled.
> "No", she grinned back at him.
> ...


Sure do!

*99 Ways to Say "Laughed" or "Smiled"*


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

FFJ said:


> Thanks Kathy! I'm forever a fan!


Thanks, merci beaucoup, and danke.


----------



## Flay Otters (Jul 29, 2014)

Sometimes I think my characters eyes are going to roll out the door and down the front steps.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Flay Otters said:


> Sometimes I think my characters eyes are going to roll out the door and down the front steps.


There's a cure for that. 

*Other Ways to Say "Roll the Eyes"*


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

LMareeApps said:


> One of my characters raises his eye-brow often. I couldn't stop him doing it, so I made it part of his character and had the other characters give him crap about it.


Great idea. Take the eyebrows and make brow-lemonade out of them.


----------



## Lora_Richardson (Jun 12, 2016)

Yes, in my first drafts my characters are doing way too much sighing, nodding, smiling, grinning, and looking away.  I love these lists for alternatives!  Thanks.


----------



## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Super helpful, thanks.

I downloaded a copy of Nag, nag, nag, it looks very amusing


----------



## Laran Mithras (Nov 22, 2016)

Mine was "leaning."

Leaned against the wall, leaned his head closer, leaned over the desk, leaned to look around...



Sometimes my mind sees a scene and I type it instead of just concentrating on mood and dialog.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Evenstar said:


> Super helpful, thanks.
> 
> I downloaded a copy of Nag, nag, nag, it looks very amusing


Thanks, Evenstar. I made it perma-free. Megan and Emmett will return soon.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Laran Mithras said:


> Mine was "leaning."
> 
> Leaned against the wall, leaned his head closer, leaned over the desk, leaned to look around...
> 
> ...


  You're doing it _write_. The first draft is for spewing ideas.

My personal nemesis is _that_. I always run a search during the editing phase to remove as many occurrences as possible.


----------



## wingsandwords (Nov 1, 2016)

These lists are golden! I've bookmarked them so I can use them when going through my first edit--it's easy to say 'shrug' 'look' or smile' when you're just trying to get the words down, I wouldn't want to break the flow by going to look up alternatives for one word, but what a great resource to have on hand when you're fleshing out. I'm sure after one or two edits like this it'll start to become second nature in the initial writing phase as well.


----------



## Simp (Oct 10, 2016)

My characters nod. I've been working them through some other gestures, but their heads still bob up and down like a buoy.

Also, thanks for the lists. I've got them all bookmarked.



Shawna Canon said:


> I like to say "blast" or "blast it". I picked it up from a quirky girl in high school. I also use "dang" and "dang it" a lot. I also use "oh my goodness". The benefit of using "clean" expletives is that you never have to watch your language around anyone.


I still say Sugar Plum Faries on occasion. I love the "sh" word, but tried to curb my sailor mouth when my son was young. I would catch myself mid-curse and the flip the switch to Shhhhh-ugar Plum Faries. My husband still cracks up when I shout it out.


----------



## plumstead (Dec 22, 2016)

I have a character who hesitates and pauses before speaking. Trying to replace those with the likes of "he rubbed the back of his neck" and "he pursed his lips". 

My favourite non-swear swear is "for Pete's sake!" or "oh, for the love of Pete!" It got a bit awkward when my 3-year-old met my husband's friend, Pete. "Mom, do you love Daddy as much as you love Pete?"


----------



## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie, thank you. This is one of the best threads I've come across on WC in weeks! I have bookmarked for my own use printed out several of the lists to share with my critique group. We had a discussion on this topic only a few days ago.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

plumstead said:


> My favourite non-swear swear is "for Pete's sake!" or "oh, for the love of Pete!" It got a bit awkward when my 3-year-old met my husband's friend, Pete. "Mom, do you love Daddy as much as you love Pete?"


That's priceless. I hope you use it in one of your books.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Sapphire said:


> GrandmaBirdie, thank you. This is one of the best threads I've come across on WC in weeks! I have bookmarked for my own use printed out several of the lists to share with my critique group. We had a discussion on this topic only a few days ago.


My pleasure.

Anything on your wishlist for future posts?


----------



## scott.marmorstein (May 26, 2015)

Hmm, my characters make a lot of facial expressions, but not any shrugging or rubbing backs of necks. I guess my characters have so far been honest in their intentions... Something for me to work on!  Though they do swear actual profanities at times...yeah, some people don't like it.


----------



## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

YES. All of it. Way too often. I do a word count of shrug, nod and their derivatives and there are hundreds of them! then it takes me ages to read each one in context and change some of them. Still - better than having characters who just sit there and do nothing.....


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Debbie Bennett said:


> YES. All of it. Way too often. I do a word count of shrug, nod and their derivatives and there are hundreds of them! then it takes me ages to read each one in context and change some of them. Still - better than having characters who just sit there and do nothing.....


By doing that, you can turn those weak spots into strong prose that readers will bookmark and quote on their blogs.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Why is color in writing so important?

Pablo Picasso said, "Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." Picasso was an artist who evoked emotion with colorful pigments. As a writer, you can do the same with colorful words.

*Over 1000 Ways to Describe Colors*


----------



## mach 5 (Dec 5, 2015)

Thank you, GB. That is wonderful and I appreciate the style note on hyphenating that ties into the overall topic.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

mach 5 said:


> Thank you, GB. That is wonderful and I appreciate the style note on hyphenating that ties into the overall topic.


Thanks, Mach. I encounter the hyphenation issue frequently when critiquing or editing. That tiny punctuation mark makes a huge difference when used correctly.


----------



## writerc (Apr 15, 2016)

Thankyou for this. Reminders like this help to keep me on my toes when writing


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

catlife said:


> Thankyou for this. Reminders like this help to keep me on my toes when writing


My pleasure! I considered doing one on cliches, but I found so many that I realized it would take an entire book.


----------



## Jennifer Joy (Sep 23, 2014)

I really enjoy your posts! Thank you so much for sharing, GrandmaBirdie!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Jennifer Joy said:


> I really enjoy your posts! Thank you so much for sharing, GrandmaBirdie!


Thanks, Jennifer. I enjoy putting them together. Next week will be _Over 300 Onomatopoeic Sound-Words_.


----------



## EmmaS (Jul 15, 2014)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Thanks, Jennifer. I enjoy putting them together. Next week will be _Over 300 Onomatopoeic Sound-Words_.


Ooh, looking forward to that one! And thanks for this one, too. I haven't been using color words nearly as effectively as I could in my current WIP. Heading off to fiddle with some descriptions...


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Well-chosen sounds give writing more _oomph_. Writers can describe sounds, or they can choose verbs and nouns that do the same. Check this list for ideas.

*Over 300 Onomatopoeic Sound-Words*


----------



## R. T. Leone (Nov 23, 2016)

Very interesting stuff--it was just a month or so ago I was trying to find a way to describe the sound of glass breaking.

Thanks Grandma!


----------



## Robertson (Jan 10, 2017)

Absolutely!  As a songwriter, the sound of words is hugely influential for me.

Great list of words, I will definitely check it when stuck.  Thank you!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Robertson said:


> Great list of words, I will definitely check it when stuck. Thank you!





RTL said:


> Thanks Grandma!


My pleasure! I enjoyed researching the words for this post.


----------



## Rachel E. Rice (Jan 4, 2014)

Thank you. This is a helpful list for a writer.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Do you overuse _bring, brings, brought,_ and _bringing?_ Maybe you don't even realize it. Time to search your WIP?

*50 Ways to Say "Bring"*


----------



## mach 5 (Dec 5, 2015)

I'm going to get addicted to your lists


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

mach 5 said:


> I'm going to get addicted to your lists


  Thanks for the thumbs up.

Next week: Over 100 Ways to Say "Big"

I love creating these.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

What a pleasant surprise to review my website logs this morning and see that TheWriteLife.com has named my website one of the 100 best for writers.

I'm stoked!

*The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2017*


----------



## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

That's nice.


----------



## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Cool! Your lists are very helpful so I can see why they included your site. 

And thanks for the info on this comprehensive list. Bunch of sites I hadn't heard about until now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BlouBryant (Jun 18, 2016)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> What a pleasant surprise to review my website logs this morning and see that TheWriteLife.com has named my website one of the 100 best for writers.
> 
> I'm stoked!
> 
> *The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2017*


It's not a surprise to me. You've got some great stuff up there... you're in my top 20 bookmarks. Oh, and you're always super nice on here.

(Congratulations)

BB


----------



## MKK (Jun 9, 2015)

Congratulations and thanks for sharing the list. There are quite a few sites on there I've never visited—your site not being one of them


----------



## EmmaS (Jul 15, 2014)

Well deserved!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Alan Petersen said:


> And thanks for the info on this comprehensive list. Bunch of sites I hadn't heard about until now.


I intend to go through all the sites and check out their offerings.



MKK said:


> Congratulations and thanks for sharing the list. There are quite a few sites on there I've never visited-your site not being one of them





BlouBryant said:


> It's not a surprise to me. You've got some great stuff up there... you're in my top 20 bookmarks. Oh, and you're always super nice on here.
> 
> (Congratulations)
> 
> BB


Thanks, everyone!

I drop by TheWriteLife whenever I need a break from writing. Great website.


----------



## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Congrats! I just shared it all over our social media. Some great sites listed.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Vinny OHare said:


> Congrats! I just shared it all over our social media. Some great sites listed.


Thanks, Vinny!


----------



## Berries (Feb 5, 2015)

Congrats! I've always loved your name


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Berries said:


> Congrats! I've always loved your name


Thanks!

My grandkids came up with that moniker. I'm known as Grannie Stein on a few other writers' sites.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Does your WIP have a _big_ problem with multiple repetitions of _big_?

If you search Google for "most overused words in writing," _big_ will appear on the majority of lists you find. This post provides alternatives.

*100 Ways to Say "Big"*


----------



## Marti talbott (Apr 19, 2011)

I very much appreciate these kinds of post. Thanks.


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## Talbot (Jul 14, 2015)

Bigly!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Martitalbott said:


> I very much appreciate these kinds of post. Thanks.


Thanks! Next week I'll cover _little_.



Jessie G. Talbot said:


> Bigly!


Heh heh.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

TwistedTales said:


> Love these posts. Shame they're not consolidated into one. Then it would be easy to get notified when you find another excellent list.


Expanded versions of the lists will appear in a book sometime later this year.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

TwistedTales said:


> Please let us know when it's released. I'm definitely buying a copy. It's handy to have quick reference when my brain seizes up!


Will do. I refer to the lists frequently as I write. I find they save me a lot of time.


----------



## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Does your WIP have a _big_ problem with multiple repetitions of _big_?
> 
> If you search Google for "most overused words in writing," _big_ will appear on the majority of lists you find. This post provides alternatives.
> 
> *100 Ways to Say "Big"*


I found some of your advice puzzling. Take this pair of sentences:



> Bernard's ego was bigger than his bank account.
> 
> Bernard's ego outmatched his mammoth bank account.


You said the second was better because it uses an active verb and a reader might misunderstand the first. I find that hard to believe. The formula "A's x is bigger than his y" is an English idiom, along with other stock variations like "His ambition outstripped his abilities." Most people would've heard it or used it and its variations many times.

I also don't think the comparison works because _outmatched_ implies a competition between his ego and his bank account, when the first sentence was only making a point about the size of Bernard's ego. _Outmatched_ works better with "His lifestyle outmatched his bank account," or some such, though it's a different point about Bernard's character. The modifier _mammoth_ only adds to the imbalance. If you have to describe the object of the comparison, you lose the pithiness of the idiom. Adding _mammoth_ is like saying "His ego outmatched his bank account, which was very large by the way." We have to know the size of his bank account before the comparison is made for the idiom to work.

Then there's this pair:



> The big tiger moved silently through the grass.
> 
> The behemoth tiger stalked silently through the grass.


_Behemoth_ is a noun meaning "the largest and strongest thing," not an adjective, and I've never seen it used as a premodifier (M-W's "a behemoth truck" notwithstanding). It's usually used as a descriptive stand-in for a preceding noun (the technical term escapes me at the moment): "I saw the tiger again. This time the behemoth [= the tiger] was coming for me."

_Silently_ adds something to _moved_, but nothing to _stalked_ because to stalk (in its transitive form) means "to pursue by stealth" (= silently). Of course, _stalked_ has no direct object in your example, making it intransitive. The intransitive meaning of stalked, however, is different from the transitive meaning: "The tiger stalked the man [trans. = pursued stealthily]" but "The tiger stalked away [intrans. = walked slowly and softly/walked away stiffly, sullenly]." So _stalked_ can't be substituted for _moved silently _without giving it an object or changing the meaning of the sentence.

In many of the other examples I wondered why you didn't recommend striking out big altogether, instead of replacing it with a synonym. Take the "big bruise" example. You have a modifying phrase describing the bruise as impossible to hide (= big). Once you have that description, calling it big (or anything else) seems redundant.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

WHDean said:


> I found some of your advice puzzling. Take this pair of sentences:
> 
> You said the second was better because it uses an active verb and a reader might misunderstand the first. I find that hard to believe. The formula "A's x is bigger than his y" is an English idiom, along with other stock variations like "His ambition outstripped his abilities." Most people would've heard it or used it and its variations many times.
> 
> ...


The first example works if readers understand that Bernard has oodles of money. But maybe he's a mild-mannered accountant with an overdrawn account. The second leaves no room for misinterpretation.

For the next set, writers often use nouns as adjectives. It's a literary technique that draws an instant picture in readers' minds.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

WHDean said:


> _Behemoth_ is a noun meaning "the largest and strongest thing," not an adjective, and I've never seen it used as a premodifier (M-W's "a behemoth truck" notwithstanding). It's usually used as a descriptive stand-in for a preceding noun (the technical term escapes me at the moment): "I saw the tiger again. This time the behemoth [= the tiger] was coming for me."


I found some examples for you showing _behemoth_ used as an adjective.

http://articles.courant.com/2005-12-24/news/0512240646_1_asian-marketing-foxwoods-resort-mohegan-sun-president

https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/syft-technologies-sniffing-out-a-fortune

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/denali

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2013/0822/565090/bill-goldberg-responds-to-wrestlemania-30-rumor/

http://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/pete-donovan/2015/12/16/dodgers-clayton-kershaw-zack-greinke/77457282/


----------



## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Love these lists--and I will definitely be looking forward to your book. 

I like the lists because they poke at my autopilot brain and help that foggy, lazy gray mass to visualize other choices.


----------



## Carol M (Dec 31, 2012)

Thank you! Posts like these are very helpful.


----------



## GoneToWriterSanctum (Sep 13, 2014)

Jessie G. Talbot said:


> Bigly!


Yuuuuggggeee!


----------



## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> The first example works if readers understand that Bernard has oodles of money. But maybe he's a mild-mannered accountant with an overdrawn account. The second leaves no room for misinterpretation.
> 
> For the next set, writers often use nouns as adjectives. It's a literary technique that draws an instant picture in readers' minds.


People use idioms like "his x is bigger than his y" because they come "pre-interpreted" by being so familiar. No one needs to add _big_ and _tiny_ to "you're making a mountain out of a molehill" to prevent misinterpretation or make it more vivid.

It's concreteness that makes the mental picture, and _tiger_ is far more concrete than either _big_ or _behemoth._ A writer makes "The dog circled the snared rabbit" more evocative by changing _dog _to _Rottweiler_, not by adding _big _or _behemoth_ to _dog_:



> The Rottweiler circled the snared rabbit.


Or take the following pairs:



> The velociraptor ran toward me.
> The sasquatch stole my beer.
> 
> The behemoth velociraptor ran toward me.
> The behemoth sasquatch stole my beer.


What's creating the mental images, _behemoth_ or _velociraptor_ and _sasquatch_? And what did _behemoth_ add to either? That's why I originally suggested striking _big_, not adding another adjective.



GrandmaBirdie said:


> I found some examples for you showing _behemoth_ used as an adjective.


I turned up 134 hits on "the behemoth" in the online Corpus of Contemporary American English, which is a massive database of, well, contemporary American English. The phrase "a behemoth" returned 97 hits. (The one-word "behemoth" turned up 826 and the phrases "this behemoth" and "these behemoth" will fall under Number 2 below, but examples were very few anyway.)

1. The vast majority of the examples of _the behemoth_ (about 85%) fit the usage I described above-i.e., behemoth is used as a stand-in for another noun.

2. About 10% of the same were appositional. Here are a few examples from the corpus:



> &#8230;second place in global production, surpassed only by *the behemoth Brazil*.
> &#8230;for law firms ranging in size from 15 lawyers to *the behemoth Baker & McKenzie*&#8230;


3. Another 3%-4% followed a pattern like that of Number 1, except that there was a distance between the mention of the subject and a description of its large size, so the subject is repeated (presumably to avoid ambiguity of reference), even though _behemoth_ could stand alone. This example is representative:



> &#8230;the modern *computer had been a huge block of wires and tubes about the size of an outhouse*. The really powerful computers that cracked spy codes and guided inter-continental ballistic missiles were about the size of a roadside restroom along the side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and with as much charm. These ugly contraptions jiggled punch cards and made computations. But prior to Xerox PARC the computer was bereft of colorful screens, joyous speakers, floppy discs, and all the strangely piquant terminology the engineers dreamed up. *The behemoth computers *of the past were used mainly by grim groups of scientists and bureaucrats. They had to schedule time on the machine. (American Spectator, 1999)


Of course, the word _computers_ is superfluous with_ behemoth_. The sentence could have begun "These behemoths of the past..." The point is that _behemoth_ isn't being used as the adjective _big_ would and could be; it's referring back to the earlier description of the computer as "huge block of wires and tubes about the size of an outhouse." Presumably _computers_ was plugged back in to avoid confusion with _engineers_, which immediately preceded.

4. Less than 1% of the "a/the behemoth" sample fit the pattern you describe. We're talking somewhere around five hits in the entire corpus containing 826 "behemoths." The first is stage direction from the script of the film _Bamboozled_:



> Ext. Times Square - Night: Mantan and Cheeba gaze skyward at *a behemoth billboard *for their show.
> 
> Among the choices: murals, elaborately lit designs, landscapes. But the people wanted a totem pole. *The behemoth sculptures*, typically carved from trees by native peoples to illustrate ancient legends, watch over lands in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. (Washington Post)


Not exactly inspiring. _Behemoth sculptures _adds abstraction to abstraction, evoking some large amorphous thing. _The massive wooden sculptures/tree carvings/artworks _would have evoked a stronger image.

So, I modify my original statement to say I've rarely seen _behemoth _used as a premodifier. And when I have, it wasn't particularly pretty.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

As per your requests, this week's post: *Over 100 Ways to Say "Little"*

We've all heard the adage that _little_ things can make a _big_ difference. Unfortunately, too many _little_ repetitions can make a _big_ difference in writing too, maybe even enough to scare away readers.

That darned _little_ pest creeps into writing unawares.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

TwistedTales said:


> Thanks, GrandmaBirdie.
> 
> I have been copy your lists and adding them to my notes for months now. They're not easy to find amongst all my other notes so hopefully your book will be out soon. Hint. Hint.


Heh heh. I'm working on it. The lists in the book will be even more comprehensive.

This link will take you directly to my online lists: http://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/category/word-lists/


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> As per your requests, this week's post: *Over 100 Ways to Say "Little"*
> 
> We've all heard the adage that _little_ things can make a _big_ difference. Unfortunately, too many _little_ repetitions can make a _big_ difference in writing too, maybe even enough to scare away readers.
> 
> That darned _little_ pest creeps into writing unawares.


"GrandmaBirdie, what a big 'little' list you have!"
"The better to describe you with, my dear ..."


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Becca Mills said:


> "GrandmaBirdie, what a big 'little' list you have!"
> "The better to describe you with, my dear ..."


Hmm, Becca. You speak as though you know me. I never made it to the five-foot mark. You've piqued my curiosity.


----------



## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Shrugging! My characters are always shrugging...


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Debbie Bennett said:


> Shrugging! My characters are always shrugging...


  Done.

*Over 100 Ways to Say "Shrug"*


----------



## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

What a great thread.
Comment for the bump.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Today's addition: *Over 300 Wind Words*.

Environmental ambience adds depth to writing. Do you take advantage of it? This list of adjectives, verbs, and nouns will help.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Latest post: *Em Dash Abuse--It Ain't Pretty*.

How often do you insert em dashes in your writing? Although occasional occurrences might clarify or emphasize, too many annoy readers and editors.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

March 20: *Exclamation Points! Plague or Pleasure?* F. Scott Fitzgerald hated exclamation points. Mark Twain didn't like them either. Elmore Leonard recommended only two or three per novel. What about you?


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Done.
> 
> *Over 100 Ways to Say "Shrug"*


Oh boy do I need this one. My characters are *always* trying to shrug. I'm afraid they're going to give themselves neck injuries. 



GrandmaBirdie said:


> March 20: *Exclamation Points! Plague or Pleasure?* F. Scott Fitzgerald hated exclamation points. Mark Twain didn't like them either. Elmore Leonard recommended only two or three per novel. What about you?


You know, I've always been a dues-paying member of the barely-ever-use-them club, and I got through my first novel feeling that I had barely used any at all. I thought, well, there might be five or six. Out of curiosity, I checked to see how many I actually used ... and there are seventy-two! Ahem. I mean, _seventy-two!!!!!!!!!!_ Sneaky little weasels.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Becca Mills said:


> Oh boy do I need this one. My characters are *always* trying to shrug. I'm afraid they're going to give themselves neck injuries.
> 
> You know, I've always been a dues-paying member of the barely-ever-use-them club, and I got through my first novel feeling that I had barely used any at all. I thought, well, there might be five or six. Out of curiosity, I checked to see how many I actually used ... and there are seventy-two! Ahem. I mean, _seventy-two!!!!!!!!!!_ Sneaky little weasels.


Isn't it amazing how little quirks creep into writing unannounced, like a flea infestation?  Next week I'll be posting 200 ways to say "shake the head," another bugaboo for many writers.


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Isn't it amazing how little quirks creep into writing unannounced, like a flea infestation?  Next week I'll be posting 200 ways to say "shake the head," another bugaboo for many writers.


Looking forward to it. Mine shake their heads even more than they shrug.


----------



## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Sorry if you've already covered this, GB.  But is there a dictionary of terms I don't know about for common body movements?  For instance, I find myself spreading my palms, face up, away from my body to indicate confusion / confoundery.  Is there a verb for that?  By the time I try to describe it in a sentence, the whole mood of the scene unravels with unneeded klunky words.

There are others, but none are coming to mind.  (As I try to think of them, I'm spreading my palms, face up, awa-- oh wait, what was I saying?)

Thanks...


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

daveconifer said:


> Sorry if you've already covered this, GB. But is there a dictionary of terms I don't know about for common body movements? For instance, I find myself spreading my palms, face up, away from my body to indicate confusion / confoundery. Is there a verb for that? By the time I try to describe it in a sentence, the whole mood of the scene unravels with unneeded klunky words.
> 
> There are others, but none are coming to mind. (As I try to think of them, I'm spreading my palms, face up, awa-- oh wait, what was I saying?)
> 
> Thanks...


Maybe approach this from the opposite angle.

Decide what emotion your protagonist is experiencing. Stand in front of a mirror and pretend you're feeling that way. What does your face look like? Where are your hands and feet? Are you leaning forward/backward or cocking your head? All you need is one or two well-described action beats to transform your protagonist from a marionette into a breathing person on the page. Body language, like character descriptions, can be overdone.


----------



## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Maybe approach this from the opposite angle.
> 
> Decide what emotion your protagonist is experiencing. Stand in front of a mirror and pretend you're feeling that way. What does your face look like? Where are your hands and feet? Are you leaning forward/backward or cocking your head? All you need is one or two well-described action beats to transform your protagonist from a marionette into a breathing person on the page. Body language, like character descriptions, can be overdone.


Thanks, I'll try something like that next time.

I absolutely agree about body language being overdone. When somebody in a book I'm reading chews their lip (while talking!), furrows their brow and clenches their teeth on every page to show some kind of mood thing, I quickly tire of it...


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

The book is now available at all the Amazons: _The Writer's Lexicon_.

_Edited to remove link (promotion is not permitted in the Writers' Cafe). - Becca_


----------



## DanaFraser (Apr 5, 2016)

The ebook is a steal at 99c! Got the ebook and will likely pick up the print version after I've danced around digitally.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

March 27: *Over 200 Ways to Say "Shake the Head."* Shaking heads appear so often in fiction they make me shake my head in disbelief. Are you aware that in some areas of the world a headshake signals agreement?


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## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

just got mine. Best of success Kathy


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Desmond X. Torres said:


> just got mine. Best of success Kathy


Thanks, Desmond!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Today's addition: *100 Ways to Say "Clear the Throat."* Have you ever shared space with someone who clears their throat every few minutes? Annoying. Fictional characters who do that will annoy readers too.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Today's addition: *100 Ways to Say "Clear the Throat."* Have you ever shared space with someone who clears their throat every few minutes? Annoying. Fictional characters who do that will annoy readers too.


How did you know late last night one of my characters cleared his throat...AGAIN!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Sapphire said:


> How did you know late last night one of my characters cleared his throat...AGAIN!


  Guess where I find my best ideas? From my own WIP. Guilty, guilty, guilty.


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## Marti talbott (Apr 19, 2011)

These are great and a big help! Thanks!!!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Martitalbott said:


> These are great and a big help! Thanks!!!


My pleasure, Marti!


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Hi Kathy,

I just wanted to say thanks for these lists and your book. I'm working on the second draft of my manuscript and I've found myself turning to your book and website more than once, so thanks!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Alan Petersen said:


> Hi Kathy,
> 
> I just wanted to say thanks for these lists and your book. I'm working on the second draft of my manuscript and I've found myself turning to your book and website more than once, so thanks!


My pleasure! Thanks for your support, Alan.

Next week I start on Volume II with _200 Ways to Say "Bad."_


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## FFJ (Feb 8, 2016)

How did I miss that you published a book with all your helpful tips?

I just nabbed a copy. Thanks so much for publishing it. I've been looking forward to it. Best of luck and thanks so much for your lists. I find them very useful.


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## NoLongerPosting (Apr 5, 2014)

These are great! I bought your book yesterday as well. I'm looking forward to using it.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

FFJ said:


> How did I miss that you published a book with all your helpful tips?
> 
> I just nabbed a copy. Thanks so much for publishing it. I've been looking forward to it. Best of luck and thanks so much for your lists. I find them very useful.





Rickie Blair said:


> These are great! I bought your book yesterday as well. I'm looking forward to using it.


Thanks, FFJ and Rickie! As of today, _The Writer's Lexicon_ is an Amazon Best Seller.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

Congratulations, Grandma Birdie on your success with this book! Writers of all ages, genres, and levels owe you a big giant thank you.


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## 88149 (Dec 13, 2015)

Deleted


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Sapphire said:


> Congratulations, Grandma Birdie on your success with this book! Writers of all ages, genres, and levels owe you a big giant thank you.


Thanks, Sapphire!



Dan Phalen said:


> Just bought this precious tome to soothe my wordsmith's angst . Congratulations, Kathy.


Thanks, Dan!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Today's post:

*200 Ways to Say "Bad"*

Overuse will transform "bad" into a pest that annoys readers worse than an army of angry ants. Try these alternatives.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Today's word list: *200 Ways to Say "Good."* Does "good" plague every second paragraph of your WIP? Try these alternatives.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> The book is now available at all the Amazons: _The Writer's Lexicon_.


Got mine!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Becca Mills said:


> Got mine!


Thanks, Becca!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

April 24: *100 Ways to Say "Nice."* "Nice" is an unpretentious word that doesn't pack a lot of punch. 100 alternatives.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 1: *Why You Should Avoid "Feel" in Writing: 50 Alternatives*
Whenever you write about a character feeling something, you distance readers from your narrative. Here's how to avoid the "feel" trap.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 8: *8 Guidelines for Contractions in Writing*
Contractions were invented centuries ago. They make our writing more personable. Beware that you don't develop contractionitis, though.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> May 8: *8 Guidelines for Contractions in Writing*
> Contractions were invented centuries ago. They make our writing more personable. Beware that you don't develop contractionitis, though.


Do people really try to use 's to mean "was"?? That would confuse me for sure!

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Becca Mills said:


> Do people really try to use 's to mean "was"?? That would confuse me for sure!


They sure do. I see it when reading or doing critiques. Unless the context is clear, an _apostrophe-s_ can disconcert readers.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 15: *120 Ways to Say "Pout"*
The usual replacement chosen by writers for "pout" is "pursed lips," an unoriginal phrase. Try these alternatives instead.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 22: *Too Many Sighs of Relief in Your Writing? 75 Alternatives*
Do your protagonists sigh in relief or breathe sighs of relief on every second page? Maybe it's time for a rewrite.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 29: *100+ Ways to Say "Blush"*
Why do people blush? Writers should know their characters' motivations. Then, their duty is to show readers the cause of each blush.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 5: *4 Guidelines for Stacked Modifiers*
Should you worry about adjective order or how many modifiers you include in a sequence? What about commas and hyphens? Read this article for the answers.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> May 29: *100+ Ways to Say "Blush"*
> Why do people blush? Writers should know their characters' motivations. Then, their duty is to show readers the cause of each blush.


Hooboy, I need this one. I constantly find myself wanting to make my MC blush. It's a writing tic. So embarrassing. <blush>


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> June 5: *4 Guidelines for Stacked Modifiers*
> Should you worry about adjective order or how many modifiers you include in a sequence? What about commas and hyphens? Read this article for the answers.


I'd heard we were moving away from the absolute requirement that preceding compound modifiers be hyphenated in favor of an "if needed" approach.

ETA: Or should I say, an "if-needed" approach.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Becca Mills said:


> Hooboy, I need this one. I constantly find myself wanting to make my MC blush. It's a writing tic. So embarrassing. <blush>


  "Hooboy"--I like. First time I've seen it.



Becca Mills said:


> I'd heard we were moving away from the absolute requirement that preceding compound modifiers be hyphenated in favor of an "if needed" approach.
> 
> ETA: Or should I say, an "if-needed" approach.


Hyphenation isn't an absolute requirement, but a recommendation, although _Chicago Manual of Style_ calls some of the guidelines * rules*.


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## Diamond Eyes (Feb 11, 2017)

These guides are really great. I feel like I'm becoming a stacked modifier and em dash Jedi. Thanks for the info!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

KennySkylin said:


> These guides are really great. I feel like I'm becoming a stacked modifier and em dash Jedi. Thanks for the info!


My pleasure, Kenny!

Do you have a wishlist of overused words or grammar idiosyncrasies you'd like me to tackle for an upcoming blog post?


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## Diamond Eyes (Feb 11, 2017)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> My pleasure, Kenny!
> 
> Do you have a wishlist of overused words or grammar idiosyncrasies you'd like me to tackle for an upcoming blog post?


I can't really think of anything specific, but I do appreciate all the guides you have created so far and look forward to whatever topics you post about in the future. Thanks again.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 12: *Too Many Filter Words in Your Writing? 80 Alternatives*
Why should you avoid filter words? Think of the last time you stood in line at a bank or grocery store. Did you enjoy the wait?


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 19: *50 Alternatives for "Wink" in Writing*
Do your characters wink so often that their eyes resemble flashing signal lights? A wink is a vague action that might be misconstrued. Try these alternatives.


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## SerenityEditing (May 3, 2016)

Tangentially related questions/thoughts: 
Do people ACTUALLY wink that much? The only times I ever wink are when I'm doing it ironically (like, "Gosh, what a shame that my horrible coworker got fired, I'm all torn up about it. I'll miss her so much." *hugely exaggerated wink*). I can't remember the last time I saw anyone - of any age, gender, or societal role - do it, unless they were doing it for a camera. But it shows up in manuscripts _all the time_. Do I just live in a winkless pocket of the world? Or is it maybe something people have begun doing more as a result of the use of the 'winky face' to help convey tone in casual written conversation?


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

SerenityEditing said:


> But it shows up in manuscripts _all the time_. Do I just live in a winkless pocket of the world? Or is it maybe something people have begun doing more as a result of the use of the 'winky face' to help convey tone in casual written conversation?


Exactly. I recently read something that contained so many winks I couldn't concentrate on the story. Like you, Serenity, I seldom wink and rarely see one in real life.

BTW for future interest, what day of the week are you most likely to read blogs? I post on Mondays but would be glad to change the day to match the preferences of readers.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 26: *"Alright" vs. "All Right": Which is "Right"?*
Authors have penned "alright" for more than 130 years. Common sense suggests that public acceptance should justify the existence of a word. Right?


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## Forgettable (Oct 16, 2015)

.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

LMareeApps said:


> Think this one might depend on locality. 'Alright' appears in both my 1987 Heinemann Australian Dictionary, solely as an adverb, and in my Fifth Edn Macquarie Dictionary. The Macquarie offers 10 forms of usage as both an adjective and an adverb. I guess this is another one to pop on my 'list of words to avoid if writing for a US market


Good point. However, an editor for an Australian publication might be an American. 

You'll find editors (and readers) worldwide with viewpoints like this one from http://languagehat.com/bad-words-in-dictionaries/

_I will woman the barricades against "alright" until they pry my Strunk & White from my cold, dead hands. I have shamed my own mother for writing that word in a letter to me (less nasty than you might think, because she always brags about winning the statewide school spelling bee championship when she was eleven, or some insane thing. My own chance ever at a spelling bee, I was tossed off in the easy rounds because I spelled "f-a-v-o-u-r". Too much Dickens)._


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## Morgan Worth (May 6, 2017)

M R Mortimer said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIui-eKxAec sorry, just had to. LOL. Growing up, my understanding was that alright and all right meant different things. I considered alright to be similar to OK with a basis similar to the mythical "zero kills (0K)" signs in villages of preindustrial times which were allegedly used to signify no casualties in war that day. All right is what you got on that test, with no wrong answers.


This is exactly what I was taught, and what I recall from the books I read when I was a kid. But many people do consider "alright" a no-no now. I really don't get the opposition to it, but I can understand why authors avoid it.


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## Forgettable (Oct 16, 2015)

.


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## The one with all the big dresses on the covers (Jan 25, 2016)

LMareeApps said:


> Exactly. All right = all correct. Alright = okay, fine, no problems.
> But I see that you are Australian also, so we have likely been raised with the same education. Alright was a word on my 7 year old's school spelling homework recently


This is so interesting! I'm an Aussie also, and I learned early in my writing (from reader feedback) that I was supposed to use all right instead of alright, so I changed it, but have never had any idea why. I also thought they basically had different meanings and have found it so strange to write it to mean ok. Now I know it's a regional difference


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## Morgan Worth (May 6, 2017)

MelanieCellier said:


> This is so interesting! I'm an Aussie also, and I learned early in my writing (from reader feedback) that I was supposed to use all right instead of alright, so I changed it, but have never had any idea why. I also thought they basically had different meanings and have found it so strange to write it to mean ok. Now I know it's a regional difference


I'm from the U.S., though, and I was taught the different meanings of "alright" and "all right."


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## Linn (Feb 2, 2016)

This argument never seems to reach a firm conclusion. Fortunately, some true icons have been kind enough to weigh in on the matter:


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## Morgan Worth (May 6, 2017)

Linn said:


> This argument never seems to reach a firm conclusion. Fortunately, some true icons have been kind enough to weigh in on the matter:


LOL. Perfect!


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

I've been conspicuously silent. This post has generated a firestorm of controversy. 

I used to type _alright_--until an editor reprimanded me. Given its lack of support, I switched to _all right_ a few years ago.


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## Morgan Worth (May 6, 2017)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> I've been conspicuously silent. This post has generated a firestorm of controversy.
> 
> I used to type _alright_--until an editor reprimanded me. Given its lack of support, I switched to _all right_ a few years ago.


Sorry. I thought it was a pretty friendly discussion.


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## Forgettable (Oct 16, 2015)

.


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## Forgettable (Oct 16, 2015)

.


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## notjohn (Sep 9, 2016)

In my Shorter Oxford, the definition of "alright" is as follows: _see All Right_. That's about as shrill a condemnation as lexicographers are permitted these days. My Webster's Collegiate, which I use to check American usage, is more generous and even quotes a Gertrude Stein usage, but there is a general level of distaste even there.

If I saw it in a printed book, I would probably dismiss the book as not worth reading, depending on its provenance and subject matter (e.g. a self-published book by a war veteran would be okay, but not the same book published by Penguin Random House; a Jack Reacher novel, perhaps, but still a slightly raised eyebrow).

I don't recall that I have EVER seen the usage in a book from a reputable publishing house. (Gertrude Stein is of course quite another matter. A rose is a rose is a rose, etc. David Foster Wallace might also get away with it.)


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## SerenityEditing (May 3, 2016)

I'm American (a military brat, so I was educated in schools across the US and in the DoDDS system in Germany) and I was always taught that "alright" is incorrect. I mostly see AU/UK authors using it and I always change it. Whether or not they accept that change is up to them. (c: 

Logically "alright" makes sense, as we have "always" and "already," etc. To be honest I'm not sure why it's not considered standard yet. But until then, I'll toe the line and keep "fixing" it.


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## The one with all the big dresses on the covers (Jan 25, 2016)

SerenityEditing said:


> I'm American (a military brat, so I was educated in schools across the US and in the DoDDS system in Germany) and I was always taught that "alright" is incorrect. I mostly see AU/UK authors using it and I always change it. Whether or not they accept that change is up to them. (c:
> 
> Logically "alright" makes sense, as we have "always" and "already," etc. To be honest I'm not sure why it's not considered standard yet. But until then, I'll toe the line and keep "fixing" it.


I think fixing it is the right idea (as you said, they don't have to accept it!) because there's every chance that, like me, they genuinely have no idea it's an issue at all and not a perfectly ordinary word. I write fantasy but try to keep it vaguely historically based so actually put some effort into researching words as I write if I think they might be too modern (with surprising results sometimes - some words I think are really modern-sounding are actually really old  ) And it never occurred to me to look up alright, that's how much of a non-issue it was to me. I do write in Australian English, so I guess using it wasn't necessarily wrong, but I'd rather not annoy readers unnecessarily.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

July 3: *120 Ways to Say "Itchy"*
Are you frustrated because you can't find synonyms for "itchy"? You're not alone. "Itchy" is a ticklish word with few close relatives.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*85 Alternatives for Clenched Fists*
How often do your characters clench their fists? A fist is a tightly closed hand with the fingers doubled into the palm. So do clenching fists make sense?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

July 17: *Over 150 Ways to Say "Put"*
A writer can often replace "put" with a single verb that shows distinct action. However, "put" also appears in hundreds of phrases.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

July 24: *100 Ways to Say "Sexy"*
If you discuss with others what "sexy" means, you'll find varying opinions. That's part of what makes it a weak adjective. However, you have alternatives.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

August 14: *200 Ways to Say "Angry"*
"Angry" is an innocuous word--unless it appears too often. These alternatives will help you avoid "angry" repetitions (and angry readers).


----------



## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Have you got one for Beautiful?

I'm sick of trying to think up new ways to describe my heroines in my blurbs: I've done, beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, alluring and attractive... I'm out of adjectives.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Evenstar said:


> Have you got one for Beautiful?
> 
> I'm sick of trying to think up new ways to describe my heroines in my blurbs: I've done, beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, alluring and attractive... I'm out of adjectives.


Sure do, Evenstar.

http://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/ways-to-say-beautiful/


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> Sure do, Evenstar.
> 
> http://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/ways-to-say-beautiful/


Nice one! Thanks Grandma 

I bookmarked that page as I think I'll be using it a lot.

Though I did giggle a bit over "flabbergasting". Not that it's a new word to me, but when you look at it it's kind of a strange one. What is flabber and why is it gasted? It doesn't sound very pretty in that context.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Evenstar said:


> Though I did giggle a bit over "flabbergasting". Not that it's a new word to me, but when you look at it it's kind of a strange one. What is flabber and why is it gasted? It doesn't sound very pretty in that context.


  "Flabbergasting" wouldn't sound right in a romance novel, but an adolescent with a crush might describe his love interest that way.


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## LifesHumor (Feb 5, 2014)

Wow, I love your lists.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

LifesHumor said:


> Wow, I love your lists.


Thanks, Mae!

Next week: Ways to Reduce "-ly" Adverb Abuse.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

August 21: *6 Ways to Reduce "-ly" Adverb Abuse*
Mark Twain found adverbs unexciting. So do readers. Energize your writing by pruning adverbs that end in "-ly". These steps will help.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

August 28: *100+ Ways to Say "Sad"*
Emotion in writing captivates readers, but if Mary Sue is sad on every page, she soon becomes irritating. Try these alternatives.


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## LifesHumor (Feb 5, 2014)

Do you have a tutorial on how to eliminate words like would and could? They are my kryptonite.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

LifesHumor said:


> Do you have a tutorial on how to eliminate words like would and could? They are my kryptonite.


Not yet, but I've added it to my to-do list. Thanks for the idea, LifesHumor.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 4: *Redundancies 102: 250+ Ways to Reduce Word Bloat*
Is your WIP plagued by word bloat? This post provides over 250 phrases that you can delete, or replace with shorter alternatives.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 11: *Rules, Rules, Rules. 9 Writing "Rules" Examined*
Rules barrage writers from all sides. This post dissects a few rules and presents examples of why they might (or might not) be valid.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 18: *How to Exploit Negativity in Writing*
Most people use negative words in dialogue. But would creative writing be stronger without all the _nothings, nones, nevers_, and _nots_?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 25: *How to Conquer Your Crutch Words*
Crutch words contribute nothing more than fluff. These obnoxious weeds creep through your work and choke its vitality.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 2: *9 Ways to Reduce Reader Confusion*
If you confuse readers, your narrative will be ineffectual. This post suggests alternatives for several instances of confusing wording.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 9: *Action Beats: More than Dialogue Tag Surrogates*
Action beats, like any literary device, distract readers if abused. Overreliance on them weakens writing.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

M R Mortimer said:


> ... but the moment it kills momentum, it has to go.


Exactly. And that is the point with so many literary devices, including _show_.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

I'm remembering when I tried to do _only_ action beats and no dialogue tags. It didn't work.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 16: *Strong Verbs Cheat Sheet*
Ambiguous verbs dilute writing. Strong verbs invigorate narrative and deliver precise meanings--without increasing word count.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

TwistedTales said:


> Thanks grandmabirdie, I was just over using the word "look" today. Very timely!


  Thanks, Twisted!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Why Effective Dialogue Often Ignores Writing "Rules"*
Dialogue should sound real. It should motivate readers to finish "just one more chapter." After another. And another.


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## Valerie A. (Dec 31, 2016)

Thank you for these most helpful lists, GrandmaBirdie!  

I need to pay more attention to my characters' hands. Although I admit I had to look up ballerina nails


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Valerie A. said:


> Thank you for these most helpful lists, GrandmaBirdie!
> 
> I need to pay more attention to my characters' hands. Although I admit I had to look up ballerina nails


My pleasure, Valerie!

If you know your audience, you can pick the most appropriate words. Since you had to look up _ballerina nails_, maybe it wouldn't be the best phrase for your readers.

I wish there were a formula for the perfect story ... No, wait. I take it back. That wouldn't work. AI would enable us to ask our computers to write stories for us. Can you imagine how that would turn out?


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 30: *Other Ways to Say "Get"*
GET ... or buy, pilfer, borrow, commandeer, mooch, requisition ... Strong verbs engage readers. Lackluster verbs bore them.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

M R Mortimer said:


> That's a great list! I like that it is so comprehensive in covering the various usages of the word. Thanks!
> 
> Though I can't think of anything else I'd rather hear used to say "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"


  Thanks, M R! Next week I'll cover "because."


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## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

M R Mortimer said:


> Though I can't think of anything else I'd rather hear used to say "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"


"I'll requisition you, my pretty, and commandeer your little dog, too!"


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 6: *Alternatives for "Because"*
Although finding replacements for "because" is difficult, it's not impossible. Try these alternatives.


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## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> November 6: *Alternatives for "Because"*
> Although finding replacements for "because" is difficult, it's not impossible. Try these alternatives.


Why would you look for an alternative to because?


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

MonkeyScribe said:


> Why would you look for an alternative to because?


Because.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

MonkeyScribe said:


> Why would you look for an alternative to because?


The post explains why.  Like any word, if _because_ is used too often in a short passage, it irritates readers.


----------



## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

TwistedTales said:


> I was taught never to use the word because in creative writing, so that list is very useful. Thank you!


That seems like strange advice.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

TwistedTales said:


> My mother was an English teacher, so I didn't tend to question her writing advice.


I think I would question it because (haha) I don't understand the logic? Why randomly ban one conjunction? There isn't really another word that has the same exact meaning either. It's like if you have a toolbox and decide that you can never use the Philips screwdriver for some reason, so you try to get by with the flat one.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> I think I would question it because (haha) I don't understand the logic? Why randomly ban one conjunction? There isn't really another word that has the same exact meaning either. It's like if you have a toolbox and decide that you can never use the Philips screwdriver for some reason, so you try to get by with the flat one.


It's not a matter of randomly banning one conjunction; it's a matter of taming it when it occurs too often.


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## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> The post explains why.  Like any word, if _because_ is used too often in a short passage, it irritates readers.


"So does the replacement of common words with unusual and unnecessary variants," he opined.


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## scott.marmorstein (May 26, 2015)

Oh, please tell me someone already said, "_because, because, because, BEcause! Of the wonderful things he does!_ We're off to see the Wizard..."


----------



## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

scott.marmorstein said:


> Oh, please tell me someone already said, "_because, because, because, BEcause! Of the wonderful things he does!_ We're off to see the Wizard..."


No, you're the first for that particular joke. Thank goodness the songwriters didn't break out the thesaurus, right?


----------



## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

Some of your because-advice misses the mark by a longshot:

1. The news item and the statement by the ecological group use a rhetorical figure called _repetitio_, where a parallel structure is repeated (usually a triplet) to drive home a conclusion. Speechmakers use this device all the time.

2. Science writing guides tell science writers to use _because_ in causal sentences instead of _as, since, being that, due to,_ etc., because it's an unambiguously causal word. On top of that, most of your substitutions are deprecated because they're awkward and wordy: _for reason that, inasmuch as, knowing as how_ (huh?), _owing to the fact that_, and so on. Ugh. You won't find a single disciplinary style guide that recommends those expressions over _because_.

3. Some of your substitutions change the meaning of the sentence. "Because she studied, she received excellent marks" is not equivalent to "As long as she studied, she received excellent marks." The first is a causal statement that explains a state of affairs. The second states the sufficient condition for maintaining a state of affairs.

4. _Because_ is the wrong word in some of your examples: _by reason of insanity _is a familiar legal idiom that few experienced writers would bungle.

5. Many of your substitution examples are artificial because you've placed the dependent clause first, requiring a comma that could have been omitted if the clauses had been reversed and you'd used _because_: "The women walked home alone because she had no friends," "The teacher gave him detention because of his impudence," "She received excellent marks because she studied," "He missed the appetizer tray because he arrived late," "We decided to hire her because of her excellent references," "Visitors were required to wear gowns and masks because the patient had contracted a contagious infection," and so on. Compare, for example, "Visitors were required to wear gowns and masks inasmuch as the patient had contracted a contagious infection." What does that version even mean?


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 13: *Alternatives for "But"*
The simplest words are often the toughest to replace. Although rewording is an excellent option, sometimes direct substitutes function best.


----------



## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> November 13: *Alternatives for "But"*
> The simplest words are often the toughest to replace. Although rewording is an excellent option, sometimes direct substitutes function best.


I looked at your list. If you're replacing the word but with "per contra" or "not taking that into consideration," or "brushing that aside," you won't be doing your readability any favors.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

MonkeyScribe said:


> I looked at your list. If you're replacing the word but with "per contra" or "not taking that into consideration," or "brushing that aside," you won't be doing your readability any favors.


For narrative, yes. However, dialogue trumps rules, and period pieces often use wording appropriate to the era.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

MonkeyScribe said:


> I looked at your list. If you're replacing the word but with "per contra" or "not taking that into consideration," or "brushing that aside," you won't be doing your readability any favors.


Yeah, I don't really understand the idea of replacing simple, building-block words with something fancier just to avoid repetition. Words like but, and, that, because, etc., are kind of like said in that they're semi-invisible. Using a bunch of obscure words and phrasings just throws the reader out of the story.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> Yeah, I don't really understand the idea of replacing simple, building-block words with something fancier just to avoid repetition. Words like but, and, that, because, etc., are kind of like said in that they're semi-invisible. Using a bunch of obscure words and phrasings just throws the reader out of the story.


Excessive repetition of any word throws readers out of a story.

As the post says, "Explore rewording before you consult this list. Then, if you require an alternative, choose with care."

Rather than rush to publish, I find that putting writing away for a few days or weeks gives new perspective. On a reread, the repetitions become obvious.


----------



## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> Yeah, I don't really understand the idea of replacing simple, building-block words with something fancier just to avoid repetition. Words like but, and, that, because, etc., are kind of like said in that they're semi-invisible. Using a bunch of obscure words and phrasings just throws the reader out of the story.


I do think it makes sense to look for unintentional echoes in your work and to make sure you're not leaning on the same sentence structure again and again. That sort of thing draws attention to itself in a bad way. But breaking out the thesaurus to replace common words is another matter. A word like "but" is almost punctuation, it's so invisible. You'd never say that your story has too many periods and commas and that you should replace them with some other alternative.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 20: *Other Ways to Say "Use"*
"Use" haunts public signs, hangs out in instruction manuals, and gluts novels. This post presents dozens of ways to mitigate "use" overuse.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 27: *Alternatives for Really+Verb Phrases*
Really, exceedingly, immensely, very ... These modifiers are *really* overused by many writers. Consider these alternatives for really+verb phrases.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 4: *Do You Overuse Similes with "Like"?*
Ice cream is like similes. You enjoy that first creamy spoonful and delightful flavor. But what if you ingest too much too quickly?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 11: *16 Confusing Words and Phrases to Monitor in Writing*
You know what you mean, but will others understand? This post discusses a few common words and phrases that readers might misinterpret.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 18: *Alternatives for "Afraid"*
One flaw that might spur readers to abandon your book is excessive repetition. This post presents alternatives for "afraid."
_(Last post until 2018.)_


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Thanks, Twisted! Merry Christmas to you as well, and may 2018 prove your most successful year ever.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

January 8: *450+ Ways to Describe Legs*
Adjectives ... comparisons ... movement and feeling ... nouns ... anthropomorphization. Legs can add new dimension to writing.


----------



## IoneKeeling (Oct 14, 2017)

Thank you for all of these wonderful lists, Birdie. (I have your ebook, too)


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

IoneKeeling said:


> Thank you for all of these wonderful lists, Birdie. (I have your ebook, too)


Thank _you_, Ione!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

TwistedTales said:


> Good to see you back, grandmabirdie! Hope you had a great Christmas and thanks for yet another great list!


Thanks, Twisted! Here's to a fantastic 2018 filled with opportunities and new friends.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

M R Mortimer said:


> In my parent's day, legs were pins. As in "She/he has nice pins." Usually it was she. It was a different world then.


Ah, yes, words and writing styles change with the years. Period-fiction writers will choose different phrasing than modern-fiction novelists. I find etymonline.com an indispensable resource when researching words.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

January 22: *Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Terms Used by Writers*
Are you overwhelmed by the jargon spouted by people in the publishing industry? You'll find many definitions here.

January 15: *Every Author and Poet Needs This Measurement Tool*
Do you leave comments on blogs, ask bloggers to review your books, and volunteer for guest posts? Try this tool that helps you choose the _right_ blogs.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

This will be the last list for several weeks. Next Monday's blog post will explain why.

January 29: *300+ Ways to Describe Noses*
The nose is a word-tool that can add depth to writing. This post provides more than 300 ways for writers to incorporate and describe noses.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

I'm back after a few weeks off for surgery and recovery. 

March 12: *500+ Words to Describe Faces*
The face is usually the first thing people notice when they meet someone, and is often the body feature they rely on to make snap judgments.

March 5: *6 Tips for Remembering Story Ideas*
If you're like most writers, ideas smack you on the head at the most inopportune times: while standing in line at the bank, when you're driving to work, just as you're falling asleep. No worries. Here are a few tips that will help you remember those ideas before they disappear into Lost-Idea Netherland.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Thanks, Twisted! Every day brings a new improvement.


----------



## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

M R Mortimer said:


> Why oh why did my brain see an extra e in there? Right there in the last word... Mind you, that list might have been useful also, if you have a particularly nasty setting for your story...


I hope she does that next time. It would come in handy for my next book, "The Hoarder and the Harlot". Or perhaps for a very niche brand of erotica.


----------



## Valerie A. (Dec 31, 2016)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> I hope she does that next time. It would come in handy for my next book, "The Hoarder and the Harlot". Or perhaps for a very niche brand of erotica.


It's not so much the descriptions as the things you can do with/to them. At least in my profession. http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/just-ask-expert-what-fecal-analysis-method-do-you-use


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

April 2: *350+ Words to Describe Teeth*
The average writer describes teeth to boost physical imagery. But the extraordinary writer describes them to advance character and plot development.


----------



## anotherpage (Apr 4, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> April 2: *350+ Words to Describe Teeth*
> The average writer describes teeth to boost physical imagery. But the extraordinary writer describes them to advance character and plot development.
> 
> I'm back after a few weeks off for surgery and recovery.
> ...


Love this ^^^ Thanks.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Thanks, the voice. Wow. You quoted the entire initial post.


----------



## Pandorra (Aug 22, 2017)

Funny, I saw this and all I could think was that riddle... 50 white horses on a red hill, first they chomp, then they stomp then they stand still ...


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

April 9: *600+ Words to Describe Arms*
Although your first thought might be to find words for physical descriptions of arms, consider also the deeper meanings they can add to writing.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

April 16: *450+ Ways to Describe the Abdomen and Waist Area*
Abs, abdomen, stomach, waist, midsection ... No matter what you call this area of the body, well-chosen words will strengthen your writing.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

April 23: *400+ Ways to Exploit Facial Expressions in Writing*
In real life, scowls, smiles, and curling lips reflect underlying emotions. They should do the same in fiction or creative nonfiction.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 7: *400+ Opinion Adjectives*
Songwriters have composed lyrics about loving arms, lying eyes, and cheating hearts. But can arms love? Can eyes lie, or hearts cheat?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 16: *500+ Ways to Describe Ears*
Ears do more than hear or adorn a head. Check these adjectives, verbs, nouns, and phrases you can include in your WIP.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

May 30: *500+ Ways to Describe Fire*
Would your WIP benefit from a few flames? Harness the power of fire in your narrative.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

M R Mortimer said:


> Where was this before I wrote a trilogy about fire? lol. Thanks for this!


 

Interesting book covers, M R.

Hmm. I've written a post about temperature, but not ice. I'll add it to my list.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 6: *600+ Words to Describe Necks*
To a would-be borrower, a loan officer's neck might seem as scrawny as his compassion. How would you describe the neck of a sumo wrestler? A serial killer's victim? A coalminer?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 13: *17 Ways for Writers to Lose Facebook Friends and Followers*
Here's how you can prevent people from becoming (or remaining) your friend on Facebook. Many no-nos also apply to Twitter and other social media.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 27: *600+ Ways to Describe Lips and Mouths*
More than kissing or eating machines, lips and mouths reflect overt or hidden emotions. This post provides hundreds of ways to describe them.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

June 27: *600+ Ways to Describe Smiles*
Someone once said that everyone smiles in the same language. This post presents ways to include that language in writing and poetry.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

July 25: *400+ Ways to Describe Frowns*
This post provides almost 500 ideas for adding frowns to writing: adjectives, verbs, nouns, props--and more.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

August 22: *500+ Ways to Describe Body Build and Physique*
The writer's duty when describing characters is to compromise between the desire to depict every wrinkle, and the need to keep readers engaged.


----------



## RobinGreaves (Jul 23, 2018)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> August 22: *500+ Ways to Describe Body Build and Physique*
> The writer's duty when describing characters is to compromise between the desire to depict every wrinkle, and the need to keep readers engaged.


Always love your lists. Have one of your writer books, need to pick up the second.

Edited to add: just snagged it


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

RobinGreaves said:


> Always love your lists. Have one of your writer books, need to pick up the second.
> 
> Edited to add: just snagged it


Thanks, Robin!

I'm working on _The Writer's Body Lexicon_ now--for release sometime next year.


----------



## Hope (Nov 28, 2014)

Thank you for posting these. I find them very helpful.


----------



## SA_Soule (Sep 8, 2011)

This is an awesome post!  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Hope said:


> Thank you for posting these. I find them very helpful.





SA_Soule said:


> This is an awesome post! Thanks for sharing.


 Thanks for reading.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

August 29: *600+ Ways to Describe Beards*
Beards represent more than mere facial hair. A character's beard should reflect his personality and lifestyle, revealing--or concealing--pertinent details.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 5: *500+ Ways to Describe Mustaches*
Most adults trust men with facial hair more than they trust those with none. However, some people detest it. Where do your characters fit?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Someone also suggested _Schnurrbart_. I didn't consider foreign words for the post, but I can see where they might prove useful. Thanks for the idea, Flay.


_edited to remove reference to deleted posts, PM if you have questions -- Ann_


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 19: *700+ Ways to Describe Feet*
This post provides a few ways for writers to depict feet, whether they be clumsy, capable, humorous, humongous or ...


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

September 26: *800+ Ways to Describe Buttocks*
Unless you're prepared for immediate retribution, don't compare someone's hind end to a hippo's. Try some of the words in this post instead.


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> September 26: *800+ Ways to Describe Buttocks*
> Unless you're prepared for immediate retribution, don't compare someone's hind end to a hippo's. Try some of the words in this post instead.


Golden.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Becca Mills said:


> Golden.


Heh heh. Thanks, Becca.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 3: *800+ Ways to Describe Chins*
A distinctive chin adds dimension to a character. This post can help create that dimension. Think of Patrick Stewart, Fergie, John Stamos, and Sandra Bullock--a few celebrities with memorable chins.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 10: *Reader Gripe #1: Can You Guess What It Is?*
Do readers stick with your books, or do they grunt partway through and give up?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 17: *600+ Ways to Describe Shoulders*
Aching, graceful, muscular, sun-kissed, windswept ... How do you describe your characters' shoulders?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

October 24: *700+ Ways to Describe Backs*
If you're a writer or poet who needs to describe a character's back, you'll find help here--from emotion beats, to adjectives, to verbs.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 21: *600+ Ways to Describe Breath and Breathing*
Labored? Effortless? Panic-stricken? An asthmatic's breathing will differ from that of an athlete or a nervous job applicant.


----------



## Edward Lake (Mar 11, 2012)

This is fantastic! Thank you! 

Sent from my 5049W using Tapatalk


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Edward Lake said:


> This is fantastic! Thank you!


My pleasure, Edward.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 5: *500+ Ways to Describe Elbows*
People tend to overlook elbows. However, judicious inclusion of this oft-ignored body part in your WIP adds depth to characters.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 12: *400+ Ways to Describe Knuckles*
Do you crack your knuckles while waiting for inspiration? This post will help you knuckle down and get creative--with knuckles.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 19: *600+ Ways to Describe Knees*
Whether you're looking for literal or figurative ways to depict knees in narrative, you'll find more than 600 options here.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

January 9: *600+ Ways to Describe Toes*
What if a barefoot character has missing toes? Or her toe ring traps her foot in a crevice near the beach? Story prompts?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

January 16: *600+ Ways to Describe Chests*
Whether you need literal or figurative ways to describe chests, you'll find helpful resources in this post.


----------



## SA_Soule (Sep 8, 2011)

These lists are awesome! Thank you! 

Your lexicons are so helpful, too.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

SA_Soule said:


> These lists are awesome! Thank you!
> 
> Your lexicons are so helpful, too.


Thanks, SA! I've also started a series of posts called "Reader Gripe" on the blog. The third one will be out next Wednesday.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

March 6: *700+ Ways to Describe Eyebrows*
Eyebrows, forehead fuzz, eye coifs ... No matter what writers call them, eyebrows can enhance descriptions, show emotion, or add humor.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

March 20: *1300+ Ways to Describe Fingers*
Fingers perform complex tasks, soothe fevered brows, and wipe away tears. Discover ways to describe them in Part 1 of this post.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

April 17: *PDF Index of GrandmaBirdie's Lists*
You may have noticed that I remove the oldest lists from this post as I add new ones. If you want a complete index, you'll find it in the *PDF archive* I created recently.


----------



## atree (Jan 1, 2019)

Excellent resource, thanks!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

atree said:


> Excellent resource, thanks!


You're welcome!


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

July 31: *Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 1-6)*
This is the first in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 19-22)*
This is the fifth in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?


----------



## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

Love the part about passive voice.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> Love the part about passive voice.


  Yes, we're often told (by zombie editors) that passive voice should be avoided (by zombie writers).


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 20: *1000+ Ways to Describe Snow Part 1*
Snow can add intrigue or ambience to a WIP. This the first of two posts about ways to incorporate snow in creative writing.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

November 27: *1000+ Ways to Describe Snow Part 2*
How to add the magic -- or menace -- of snow to writing. This the second of two posts about ways to incorporate snow in creative writing.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

December 18: *Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 23-26)*
This is the sixth in a series of articles about so-called writing rules. When is it acceptable to break them?


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

January 8: *1200+ Ways to Describe the Sun Part 1*
Does your WIP include the sun? Find sun adjectives, similes, metaphors, colors, and shapes in the first of two posts.


----------



## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

Sun, that big orange scare ball in the sky.


----------



## VisitasKeat (Oct 15, 2018)

From my fantasy series.:

Splash. The six mermaids emerged out of the lake's caked surface, their beautiful bodies teased by the arrows from the sun's quiver.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> Sun, that big orange scare ball in the sky.


That certainly conveys the opinion of the narrator.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

VisitasKeat said:


> From my fantasy series.:
> 
> Splash. The six mermaids emerged out of the lake's caked surface, their beautiful bodies teased by the arrows from the sun's quiver.


Thumbs up. Kboards needs a _like_ button. A tidbit like this will make people want to read your books.


----------



## Ivan Brave (Feb 5, 2019)

I want a copy! Appreciate the way the book starts on "Beautiful"  Thanks for sharing the index and for keeping this alive. Again, want a copy . . . will get one soon


----------



## VisitasKeat (Oct 15, 2018)

This one from my romantic suspense novel:

Sally stared at the distant hills. The sun was pleasantly red upon the valley. Its periphery appeared shy and rose, and they diffused and merged into the azure sky without the slightest fuss. The heavily wooded trees on either side of the valley sported mint-like tops. They painted the valley's exterior, brown and green. It appeared busy. Tweeting birds flew continuously from one side of the valley towards the other. The breeze was chilly and the air was damp with moisture. It had stopped raining an hour ago, but a mild drizzle played on, and it was filling ice cakes into the valley. Distant silvery clouds appeared trapped in the valley's backdrop. From time to time, they issued thin straw-like white lightnings. The scenic valley with its greenery and the cherry-like sun appeared like a classic cocktail glass drawn upon the canvas called Sky.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*1200+ Ways to Describe the Sun Part 2*
In the second part of this post you'll find sun verbs, nouns, props, cliches, and idioms.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*200+ Alternatives for Wide Eyes*
Whether characters widen their eyes or exhibit wide-eyed gazes, those actions soon bore readers. Try these alternatives.


----------



## LSBurton (Jan 31, 2014)

I'm 1000% linking this on my editing page. I see this a lot, which gets problematic when an author is using a first person POV. Describing one's autonomic response to surprise sorta steals away from the notion of the surprise itself.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

LSBurton said:


> I'm 1000% linking this on my editing page. I see this a lot, which gets problematic when an author is using a first person POV. Describing one's autonomic response to surprise sorta steals away from the notion of the surprise itself.


Thanks, Lee!


----------



## VisitasKeat (Oct 15, 2018)

Sara's eyeballs vanished into a cloud even as she arched back to grab the knife hidden behind her tee shirt. And Pellary saw the evil intentions hatch in those egg-shaped eyes.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*350+ Ways to Replace the Verb "Take"*
"Take" appears so often you might want to take a whip to the next writer who takes liberties with it. Take a look at these alternatives.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*500+ Ways to Replace the Verb "Make"*
"Make" often invades writing, unnoticed until a WIP is read out loud. No wonder it's a nemesis for so many writers. Try these replacements.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*300+ Ways to Say "Happy"*
Rather than say a character is happy, writers can show the happiness or provide context that explains the reason for it.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*200+ Ways to Say "Embarrassed"*
People show embarrassment in many ways. Some are visible, and others aren't. This post provides the tools to embarrass characters as often as you wish.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*300+ Ways to Say "Love"*
Some people toss the word "love" around like confetti. This post provides ways to show how characters feel without overusing "love."


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*150+ Ways to Say "Confused"*
Confused about how to mitigate the overuse of "confused" in your writing? Relax. That confusion means you recognize the problem.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*150+ Ways to Say "Overwhelmed"*
Book characters should experience emotional overwhelm when the story calls for it. Here are a few tools to overwhelm them without undue repetition.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*150+ Ways to Say "Disappointed"*
If you're disappointed by the number of times you've found "disappointed" in your WIP, these alternatives might rescue you.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*200+ Ways to Say "Excited"*
Writers want readers to be excited by their words. This post will help wordcrafters create excitement without overuse of "excited" or "excitement."


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Tips to Stack the Odds When Submitting to Literary Journals*
An excellent way for writers to build a portfolio is to be published in literary journals. This post provides a few tips for improving the acceptance odds.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*700+ Ways to Describe Villains*
Alfred Hitchcock said, "The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture." Try these ways to create word pictures with believable villains.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*How to Create a Title for Your Book*
A title might not seem important when starting a WIP, but once a book nears completion, a definitive title becomes increasingly important.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Grammar Goofs to Avoid at the Office: Part One*
This is the first in a series of posts about grammar goofs that might irritate people in your office or alienate savvy readers.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Grammar Goofs to Avoid at the Office: Part Two*
Five more grammar blunders that might raise eyebrows at the office or alienate smart readers.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*4 Ways to Turn a Notebook Into a Powerful Writing Tool*
Lori Wade explains how writers can turn a paper notebook into a powerful writing assistant.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*60+ Ways to Replace the Adverb "Just"*
Are you just astounded by the number of repetitions of the adverb _just_ in your WIP? Just try these alternatives.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*60+ Ways to Replace "That"*
If "that" is a word that plagues your WIP, I'm here to tell you that there are methods that you can use to cure that plague.


----------



## Karen Monroe (Sep 19, 2020)

GrandmaBirdie said:


> *PDF Index of GrandmaBirdie's Lists*
> I remove the oldest lists from this post as I add new ones. If you want a complete index, you'll find it in the *PDF archive*.
> 
> *60+ Ways to Replace "That"*
> ...


Very helpful.

Roger that.


----------



## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

I didn't read all those pages so if it's been covered and is a problem being brought back, apologies. In many, if not most cases, the best way to handle "that" is to just drop it and let the sentence flow together without it.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*200+ Ways to Replace "Hate"*
Hate can range from dislike to loathing. If you've discovered too many occurrences of "hate" in your WIP, check these ways to replace them.


----------



## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Ways to Create Catchy Character Names*
Wil E. Coyote, Ebenezer Scrooge, Dirk Diggler, Sherlock Holmes: distinctive character names created by writers. Can you match them?


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*200+ Ways to Say "Surprised"*
"Surprised" is a nemesis for many writers. It appears with a surprising frequency in surprisingly many WIPs. No worries: The Surprise EMTs are en route.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Ways to Replace "Basically" and "Essentially" in Writing*
Besides their frequent overuse, "basically" and "essentially" share a common sin: the much-maligned classification as [gasp!] adverbs.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*Huge List of Literary Journals (1000+)*
Publication in literary journals increases your visibility, improves your writing skills, looks good on your CV, and builds readership.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*200+ Ways to Say "Smart"*
Are you aggravated by too many occurrences of "smart" in your writing? Check out these ways to replace it.


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## GrandmaBirdie (Oct 12, 2016)

*100+ Ways to Say "Interesting"*
Many writers find excessive repetition of "interesting" in their WIPs. Explore these alternatives.


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