Last week we stressed the importance of inviting readers to experience your story as if they were with you. You, the writer, can make that happen by helping them to
see, feel, hear, taste, and smell what you saw, felt, heard, tasted, and
smelled. We’re talking about sensory details.
We’ll
continue working on sensory details in the coming weeks but today we’re taking a
slight—and fun!—detour which will enhance your use of sensory details.
A
number of years ago I bought The Writer’s Portable Mentor by Priscilla Long,
and it became one of my favorite writing books.
Oh,
how I’d love to sit at her feet and take classes from her! But she has retired—sigh.
However, second-best is her book: a treasure chest packed with jewels.
Priscilla
praises writers who “collect words the way some numismatists collect coins.”
She
also recognizes writers who, on the other hand, approach “language passively. .
. . The writer is using only words that come to mind, or words he grew up with,
or words she stumbles upon while reading The New York Times. . . .
“He
strives for expression with rather general, conventional diction [word choice]
that has little to offer in the way of echo, color, or texture.”
Priscilla continues, “The writers of deep and beautiful works spend real time gathering
words. They learn the names of weeds and tools and types of roof. They make
lists of color words (ruby, scarlet, cranberry, brick).
“They
savor not only the meanings, but also the musicality of words,” she says. “They
are hunting neither big words nor pompous words nor Latinate words but mainly
words they like. . . . They are not trying to be fancy or decorative.”
Did
you get that? Not big, pompous, fancy, or decorative.
Words
that don’t require a dictionary.
One
caution:
Avoid
using words that draw attention to yourself,
words
that might cause readers to say,
“Oh,
what a clever writer he is!”
That
interrupts. That lures readers out of your story.
Instead,
use words that keep readers involved in your story,
words
that make your places, characters,
and
experiences come to life.
Priscilla
quotes Annie Proulx who admits to collecting and reading dictionaries (!) and
to gathering words:
“I
have big notebooks, page after page of words
that
I like or find interesting or crackly . . . .
From
time to time I will,
if
I feel a section [of writing] is a bit limp,
take
a couple of days and just do dictionary work
and
recast sentences so that
they
have more power because their words are not overused.”
That’s
important: Avoid overused words.
Priscilla
encourages The Lexicon Practice: a deliberate, ongoing gathering of words and
phrases. She explains:
“There
are two parts to the practice. One is to make your own Lexicon [word book] and
the other is to collect words and phrases in a list that pertains to the piece
you are currently working on. . . .
“Writers
who do the Lexicon Practice have left in the dust [those who don’t]. Writers
who don’t do it . . . are pretty much stuck with television words, newspaper
words, cereal-box words.”
I’ll
let you in on a secret—a confession of sorts. I thought I was the only one who
collected words! I was giddy upon learning from Priscilla that I was not a
weirdo. A nerd—yes. A geek—yes. But a weirdo—no! (Whew!)
So,
now that I feel okay about being a word nerd, I’ll share a few words I once
gathered, words that would meet with Priscilla’s approval. They are not big
words, not pompous, fancy, or decorative words. They don’t require a dictionary.
Whimsy
Wry
Beguiling
Chummy
Sluggard
Wiley
Paunchy
Irascible
Thrumming,
thrum
Mirth,
jollity, glee, merrymaking
Jolly
Jovial
Peerless
Cull
Kafuffle
Befuddle
Canter
Miserly
I’ve
also worked on a second type of lexicon Priscilla recommends, a word book for
an era, such as 1950-1960. It was so fun! More on that another day. . . .
For
now, though:
Are
you a word nerd? If so,
leave
some of your words in a comment below
(or
on Facebook) so we all can enjoy them.
If
you’re not a word nerd, don’t settle
for
“television words, newspaper words, cereal-box words.”
Instead,
give Priscilla’s Lexicon Practice a try.
Enrich
your vocabulary.
Creating your own word book
could
lead to a new realm of writing for you.
Happy
writing!
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