An Easy Way for Writers to Find the Right Words
by Kathy Steinemann
During my writing endeavors I sometimes needed alternatives for overused words.
As I found them, I created lists on my computer and subsequently developed many of those lists into blog posts.
Several of my followers and friends urged me to publish them. That led to both volumes of The Writer’s Lexicon, and I’m currently working on the third volume: The Writer’s Body Lexicon.
One of the Richest Sources of Overused Words: the TV News
Most chapters required extensive research in printed, digital, and online resources. I found inspiration via television, my reading list, and observation of everyday events.
One of the richest sources of information on TV is the news. Good grammar from anchors and tickers seems to be disappearing as fast as the polar icecaps.
My research resulted in a humongous collection of sticky notes, texts to myself, scribblings on the backs of receipts, and files on my computer. Some of my most exasperating moments stemmed from cryptic notes that made sense when written but were as understandable as Egyptian hieroglyphics when the time came to transcribe them.
Lesson learned: Transcribe notes quickly, or ensure clarity when creating them.
Competent Book-Formatting Services are Worth Every Nickel
I’m ultra-busy, and I hate deadlines. Self-publishing allows me to maintain control of scheduling.
With the help of excellent beta readers and peer editors, I’m able to monitor every step of the process — at a pace that matches my lifestyle.
However, converting books into digital and/or print is often aggravating. Just when you think you have everything figured out, aggregator requirements or software packages change.
Lesson learned: Competent book-formatting services are worth every nickel.
Why You May Want to Include a Foreword to Your Nonfiction Book
Readers respond to the recommendations of their favorite authors and of the people they trust.
My foreword editors, Stuart Aken and Anne R. Allen, are esteemed writers with blogs that provide varied resources for writers.
We’ve interacted via social media for years, which has led to a relationship of mutual respect. I asked, and they said yes.
The Best Marketing Tactic for Selling My Books
The best marketing tactic for me has been my website. I provide content that benefits writers. This has resulted in a growing number of followers who receive short emails whenever I post a new article.
My site makes it easy to find my books, but not via slam-in-your-face advertising.
Guest posts like this one provide both immediate and long-term benefits. Likewise for reviews by book bloggers.
Social media, used respectfully, works well. “Respectfully” means not overloading followers with “buy my book” posts. Most of my social media updates are meant to entertain or educate, with a ratio of several third-party updates to one of my own.
Paid marketing is my least-favorite approach. The results vary, and I’m not prepared to recommend a particular company or venue.
Benefits of The Writer’s Lexicon Books
Let’s explore a couple of hypothetical scenarios:
Scenario #1:
Sara wants to say her protagonist is itchy, but she has already repeated “itchy” several times throughout her WIP. Her favorite thesaurus provides zero inspiration.
Hmm, Kathy’s book might have the answer.
Yes. Here it is in the second volume. Let’s see. I could describe the itch: annoying, biting, burning, chronic, constant … And the adjectives section contains some interesting words: bumpy, burning, chafed, chapped …
Scenario #2:
Ian’s editor says his overuse of “very” is driving her “very” crazy. She has highlighted every occurrence of “very” in his novel, and he realizes she’s right.
Let’s see, it was in the first volume. Ah, yes, here it is. Very anxious: dismayed, apprehensive, restless, fretful … Very pleasant: satisfying, fulfilling, rewarding, gratifying … Very manipulative: cunning, wily, calculating, tricky, sneaky …
However, the Lexicons are more than word lists.
They examine writing rules, redundant words and phrases, ambiguous verbs, filter words, stacked modifiers, sensory words, the environment, and more. They also provide alternatives for body language such as clearing the throat, nodding, and shaking the head.
The information in these books helps writers turn flat characters into flesh-and-blood beings with emotion and depth.
Advice for Other Writers: Remember You’re Not Alone
Self-published writers cannot work in a vacuum. We need other people and resources. It’s important to develop professional relationships and to ask for help when we need it.
Evaluate the resources available to you.
Question information from blog’s filled with typo’s. Ditto for writing forums and critique sites, where advice can range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Double-check all facts on sites such as Wikipedia, “the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.”
And no matter what, remember that you’re not alone. Other writers share your dreams and challenges.
* * *
Kathy Steinemann, Grandma Birdie to her grandkids, is a parrot-loving grandma involved in a passionate affair with words, especially when the words are frightening or futuristic or funny.
As a child, she scribbled prose and poetry, and won public-speaking and writing awards. As an adult, she worked as a small-town paper editor, and taught a couple of college courses. She has won or placed in multiple short fiction contests.
If you were to follow her around for a day, you might see her wince when a character on TV says “lay” instead of “lie” or when a social media post confuses “your” with “you’re.” And please don’t get her started on gratuitous apostrophes in pluralized words.
Her popular books in The Writer’s Lexicon series are touted by writers as “phenomenal,” a “secret weapon,” and “better than a thesaurus.” Follow her on Twitter.
