Pick a Flower

Words. What's the big deal? It seems like there are a zillion words and we all use them every single day. But, the writer. The writer has to have the right word. So here's an obvious answer...the Thesaurus. I bought my first one at a yard sale for a quarter. That sucker was hardbound, blue, and must have been six inches thick. It was in prime condition. Like it had never been cracked open.

As a journalist I didn't find as much use for it. Creative writing? All day long. I was happy a songwriter introduced me to it. It was never mentioned in college when I was taking writing classes?!? I felt like a dumb dumb when she pointed it out to me. Yes, some of my learning has been through writing shaming. Oh well, as long as I'm learning.

Anyway, now we have 24/7 access to a thesaurus without getting arthritis from heaving a 10 lb. hardbound book around. I guess that leaves us no excuse for not hunting for new words. I've heard this in several writing seminars that writers use the same words, terms, phrases over and over in their work without realizing it.

To avoid this, I bought a Chromebook for the singular purpose of writing and I literally leave one tab open with this link: https://www.thesaurus.com. I am constantly toggling back and forth from my story to this site. It is fun to dig into all the possibilities for words. It can really take your writing to the next level.

Last night I watched a movie about a poet and he was on a deadline to publish a new collection of poems. His publisher was hammering him and he wouldn't be rushed because he felt every word should be carefully selected. Every one meant something. He treated choosing a word like picking the perfect, delicate flower.

Photo Credit A. Jones

On your next work of genius, crack open the trusty thesaurus. Experiment and play. A lot of people can write, but writers, we are counted on to do it better. Our love of words and desire to obsessively fiddle around with them until we have picked the exact, right word is what makes us the real deal.