I've created a new custom for this blog. I call it Friday Friends. Each Friday, I'll pick an interesting, instructive or otherwise intriguing post from one of the blogs of my followers and post a link to it.
Ready for our first-ever Friday Friend? OK. Here goes:
Our first-ever Friday Friend is K.M. Weiland and her blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors. I enjoyed Ms. Weiland's post from July 4, 2010 titled Is the Thesaurus Your Friend? I found the information instructive, even-handed and immediately applicable to my writing.
How about you? Do you use a thesaurus for creative writing?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Great idea! Also... great link!
ReplyDeleteHello! What a great idea for a Friday post. I do occasionally use a thesaurus, but not for the sake of being over-wordy. Usually I have the word in mind but need to check its suitability rather than reaching for a longer descriptive.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Valerie! BTW, I enjoyed your independent and free-thinking take on "Twilight." Who knows - that just may be next Friday's "Friday Friend" posting :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the weekend!
Hi, Jayne,
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a fine use of the thesaurus. Being from the U.K., though, I wonder if your thesaurus might be different from the one that we use here in the U.S. I had a character with a British background in my first novel. The novel's narrative includes a letter that he'd written. In that letter, my character used "lorry" instead of "truck" and "lift" instead of "elevator." With the subtle difference in word usage, I wonder if your thesaurus is different than ours? Interesting consideration; I'll look it up.
Happy weekend!
What a great idea. I'll check out that post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI rarely use a thesaurus. In my early writing days I used it all the time, and my writing came out forced and unnatural.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have a blog award for you.
Just wanted to stop in and say thanks for your comment on my blog. I've been away, so I'm just catching up. Your posts look quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angie! Best wishes to the Christmas story that you just started writing... :)
ReplyDeleteMedeia,
ReplyDeleteI just picked up the "Trendy Blog Award" that you gave me. Thanks {blush} :).
Hey, considering the title of your new book, I know a writer in England (Imran Ahmad) and one in Canada (Shenaaz Nanji) who might be good collaborators/contacts for you. The U.K. and Canada might also be good markets for your book, who knows? I'll e-mail the link to your book to Imran and Shenaaz later today. I'll copy you on the e-mail.
Thanks again for visiting my blog!
Mohamed
Thank you, Jodi. I have a profound respect for the depth of your spirituality. Congrats on your daughter's wedding in New Zealand. What gorgeous photos! Now give your body some rest from the inevitable jet-lag :)
ReplyDeleteI've visited K.M.'s blog too, and it's filled with great stuff.
ReplyDeleteI do use a Thesaurus at times, but I'm very choosy about which words I'll pull from it. Some of the choices are weird!
Thanks, Mohamed. I'll look up those writers. I'd love for my book to go international.
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation from you, Mohamed, regarding a truck, lorry, elevator / lift. The same can be said about mobile phones/ cell phones. Mobile phone is British,cell phone is American, and again messages are text messages in UK, and SMS in other parts of the world. Funny, I heard it is referred as Handy phones in Germany. But they are all the same. Have a nice weekend.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Mohamed! I love her blog as well, always very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI do use a thesaurus since English is not my first language, it saves my life :)
Thanks, Julie. I agree. If you just force a word out of the thesaurus for the word's sake and it doesn't fit the tone, texture or context of your piece, it could get weird!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Medeia. I'm an absolute nobody, but I will help my fellow writers in whatever small way I can.
ReplyDeletep.s. - looks like the e-mail I sent got you at least one more reader in Canada. See? You're already going international :). Congrats.
Thanks for the additional insights on international variations in word usage, Rama. Good to know, especially when constructing dialogue for characters from those parts of the world.
ReplyDeleteLua,
ReplyDeleteI NEVER would have guessed that English isn't your first language. Your blog posts are so well-written, both from a standpoint of grammatical construction and colloquialisms. You'll soon be a famous writer, mashallah. When you are, please don't forget the rest of us.
Mohamed
I love using a thesaurus--off to click on the link!
ReplyDeleteChristina,
ReplyDeleteI think that you'll find the rest of K.M.'s writing tips useful as well.
I enjoyed reading about your YA Reading Club. Very cool. And don't be intimidated by all those published writers in your club. It's a wonderful learning opportunity and I know that you'll make the most of it.
Mohamed
Great idea!
ReplyDeleteHi Mohamed,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my NouveauWriter Blog! What a great idea to post about Friday Friends. I use a thesaurus when I am looking for a specific word and not just any word will do.
Thanks, Jolene. Congrats on writing till 1 a.m. last night. I can't remember when I was so inspired that I wrote through mid-night and into the early morning :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Laura. Yes, the folks who follow my blog have such unique and interesting blogs of their own with post after post of information that I know will be of interest and utility to my own readers. That's what prompted me to dream up "Friday Friends."
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of useful information, I liked your most recent post regarding what a writer can use w/o permission. Those are some helpful guidelines; thanks for sharing!
Mohamed