Incredible Ways To Finding The Perfect Words

There is nothing more important to the success of a book then for the writer to chose the right words. It does not matter if the book is four pages of 400, the right words in the right place will make all the difference. Mark Twain once said “the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Here are some fantastic ways to help yo make sure that every word you choose is perfect.

You’re launching into your first manuscript and typing as fast as you can to get it all down before you forget something important. You’re even considering making notes or an outline to keep track of the storyline before your waterfall of imagination evaporates to a mere trickle.

What are some elements to be wary of as you dive in? Your creativity will get you nowhere unless you also get a grip on some basic tenets of writing. Let’s take a look at common writing mistakes editors confront time after time.

Common Writing Mistakes

Dialogue

If it doesn’t sound natural when you read it aloud, it won’t “sound” natural to your reader. Dialogue should not come across stiff and formal, as when you work too hard for grammatical correctness. Hear the difference between these two sentences:

“Jack,” said my Father, “Please remove your dirty boots from the sofa. You’ll get it soiled and your mother will be upset.”

“Jack!” my Dad yelled, “Get your filthy boots off the sofa. If your mom walked in right now, we’d never hear the end of it!”

The second sentence sounds more real, doesn’t it? Make your conversation fit your character and you will draw the reader in emotionally.

Don’t allow your characters to engage in lengthy monologues or too much small talk. Conversation should always have a purpose, either to display character development or to move the story forward. It should never be used as “filler.” Crowding your page with meaningless dialogue will mark you as an amateur for sure.

Disagreeable Hero

You frequently hear that the hero needs a flaw or a scar to overcome during the course of the story. While it is true that a hero with a defect is more realistic and easier for your readers to believe in, if you take it too far, no one will care enough to keep reading. Your audience must immediately identify with the hero and want to see him succeed.

There are different approaches you can use to make your character more likeable. These are the same things that make you admire a person in real life. You could experiment with: putting the hero in jeopardy, making him humorous and unselfish, or showing that he observes the problems in the world and wants to solve them.

Irrelevant Detail

A novice provides too much background information or they tend to add excessive detail about characters that do not play a significant role in the narration. Try to use detail to further the plot or provide a sense of place and time. Your story should show, not tell—what is happening.

Drone

With few exceptions, don’t use the same word twice in the same sentence. “The chair didn’t fit by the fireplace, so we moved the chair to the opposite wall,” sounds dull and boring. Simply saying, “…so we moved it…” has a smoother tempo, or a more colorful, “…so we moved the cumbersome object…” adds a touch of description and even humor to an otherwise blah statement.

Lack of Technical Knowledge

Know the rules and don’t confuse usage of words like “there” and “their.” Learn the reasons behind the rule and then you’ll remember how to apply it. Brush up on your grammar so you don’t demonstrate you are a beginner by making the identical mistakes other new writers make.

Capitalization

Didn’t we all learn years ago in school what the difference is between common nouns and proper nouns? If it’s not a name, don’t capitalize it. If it’s not placed at the beginning of your sentence, don’t capitalize it. Use italics when you want to emphasize a particular phrase. If I see italics, I know a phrase is meant to stand out. However, if I see phrases like “out of this world” capitalized, I wonder, who taught this person how to write?

Writing for Children

You might need adults in some stories, but the big sellers are the stories where the child protagonists solve their own problems. Think The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

You have to write from the perspective of children when you are writing for them. Don’t put yourself in the position of “writing down” to children. You may have a protagonist who is too good to be human. Remember how we all hated the kids who acted too perfect (and then we caught them with their hand in the cookie jar when adults weren’t looking). Youth today have the same response.

Another example of top-heavy moralizing is where Mother, Grandpa, Teacher—whichever adult is in charge—is always proved right. It closes with, “Grandpa, you were right. I wish I had listened.” This is usually accurate, yet most children have to learn the hard way, just like we did. One of the best functions an author can perform is to allow child characters to battle and mature and determine to do what is right on their own.