Thursday, October 25, 2012

Nice is Nice, But These 12 Alternatives Are Better


Synonyms for simple words.

Now these are basic, but they got me thinking, particularly as it applies to us as we're writing our book about the dog.

Why write 'he said' when you can choose 'he remarked' or, when appropriate, 'he whispered'? Ooh, the intrigue.

But, it's easy to go overboard, so be careful. When it sounds cheesy, then you're trying too hard. Let others read what you write. Reading a book (or article or any piece of writing) that sounds like it's a walking ad for thesaurus.com detracts from any sophistication you intend to convey with your writing, so, again, be careful.

It doesn't always have to be 'cordial', something can really just be 'lovely'. And I'm pretty sure 'elegant' will be better than 'dazzling' any day. Make sure the alternatives are better, and not just something different.

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