My mind fails me occasionally to articulate exactly what I want to vocalize. This has been a problem for me since I learned Mandarin Chinese. I think the super-hard-it-took-ten-years-off-of-my-life language crowded out my English. I can't speak Chinese well or English for that matter, now.
*shakes head*
Every once in a while when I'm part of a conversation, the right word doesn't come as quickly as I'd like it to. There's a perfect word I could use, its right there on the tip on my tongue, but it won't flow from my lips. What a predicament, indeed. And frustrating, huh?
This is why I like writing. I can calmly wait for the right word(s) to come to express exactly what I want to write. I don't have to come up with exactly what works for a conversation within a split second.
Words are important when it comes to writing... Uh, obviously... :D But the right word(s) are all the more important. One might work better than another--may emphasize the emotion you're conveying with more power. There have been times where I have stared at my computer for minutes on end to find that WOW word.
Here's a tip:
Pull out the thesaurus. Hundreds of times, I've found the right word from that blessed book. Or right click on the word that just doesn't quite work and look at its synonyms.
Also, it's important to ponder and think about the scene. Not jump too quickly to the wrong word when another would work better.
Anyway, what is your process for finding the right word? Do you ever ponder over a sentence for a while until the right word enlightens your mind? Do you pull out the thesaurus? Any tips?
Writing. Jewels.
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I know exactly what you mean. I often have a hard time vocalizing what I want to say (maybe it was all those language classes...I took Spanish, French, German, Latin, and Ancient Greek). *shrugs* I'm not sure, but it's much easier to write down things, and I often use Word's thesaurus and/or Google to find those perfect words. :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder how people can speak five or six languages. I'd get so confused as to which language I should speak at the given time. Sometimes I speak Chinglish because there are some words in Chinese that express what I'm feeling better than in English. Funny!
DeleteI'm not so great at verbalization. I much prefer writing. Which was kinda sucky when I picked the only major with an oral exit exam in college. Anyway, sometimes I'll sit and think, sometimes I'll use a thesaurus or dictionary and sometimes I'll ask anyone who happens to be around. Sometimes if it just isn't coming to me I leave it. When I get back to it my mind has usually cleared enough to find what I want.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! I've never thought of talking to someone else at the moment. And definitely leaving it for a while is helpful. :D
DeleteI'm glad I'm not alone in the verbalization arena. Phew!
In his book Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully - in Ten Minutes, Stephen King said "Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule." Mark Twain had a similar philosophy and said that writers should use the word they would normally use and not dig around for some fancy, more literary sort of word. Of course, if you can't come up with any words, that's a bigger problem.
ReplyDeleteWell, just discount me totally... haha I still think that finding a better/right word is benificial. But I guess I'm not Stephen King, an author who's been writing longer than I've been alive. :) Although, don't get me wrong. I'm still a King. Thanks for the insight though, my friend.
DeleteI believe King and Twain were both referring to words that are too flowery and not readily understood by your audience (which is ironic, because people accuse King of using obscure words too often). When you KNOW the word, but just can't think of it, a thesaurus is very useful.
DeleteI am a big fan of what call "thesaurus chain hunting." I start with the word that comes to mind first. Then I look in the thesaurus for synonyms, and pick the best of those. Then I check the synonyms for that word, and pick the best, and on and on until I find the exact right word. Sometimes it takes only one or two links, but I've had it take many links once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with ya, girl. It is a fun game to find that perfect word, isn't it? I love right clicking on the word to see its synonyms, all just in case one of those words expresses what I'm trying to relay better.
DeleteYou should have seen my face while I was reading this. I was like, "Yessssss." For me, searching for the right word is like hunting down a puzzle piece. I'm not going to cram just anything in there! :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
I'm glad I struck a chord with you. Mission accomplished--->Carrie got all excited over my post! Thx. I like the puzzle piece comparison. Nice.
DeleteYou have a great weekend, too! :D
While I'm familiar with Stephen King's advice, I use the thesaurus all the time. Often I know there's a particular word, but I simply can't come up with it. I'm not looking to pad my vocabulary, just get that right word. Thank goodness for dictionary.com which includes a thesaurus. It's always at my fingertips when I'm writing. Thanks, Julia.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is useful in so many ways. Yeah, I don't always refer to the thesaurus but it sure comes in handy when needed.
DeleteHave a great day, Julie. :D